After College Lifestyles
Anthony is a Senior Media Sales Associate at an advertising firm in New York City. He is in charge of internal sales, making calls to clients. Anthony has a great attitude towards his job and takes you on a tour of his life after college.
Overview:
Career: Senior Media Sales Associate
Company Field: Advertising
Located In: New York City, New York
Grew Up In: Queens, New York
Graduated From: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Majored In: Communications
Graduated In: 2011
Quick Stats on Being an Senior Sales Associate
Work Hour Flexibility: High
Quality of Lifestyle Outside of Work: Medium
Work Stress Level: Medium
Level of Routine Work: High
Interaction with Co-Workers: Medium
Pay Level (out of 5): $$$
Life of a College Grad Sales Associate
Working in inside sales which mostly includes cold calling, building up your own leads, prospecting and managing the full sales cycle. In addition management of the accounts you bring in and leveling customers expectations.
Sales Associate's Daily Routine:
6:30 AM Wake up
7:00 AM Take subway to work
8:15 AM Arrive at work, drink coffee and get settled in
8:45 AM Start making calls
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Go to the gym
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Eat lunch
2:30 PM - 6:30 PM Work
7:00 PM Get home and eat dinner
8:00 PM Catch up on news and some TV or sports
11:00 PM Get some shuteye for the day tomorrow
How To Get Into The Field:
I studied communications and wanted to work in Marketing or PR. I interned as a project manager and eventually an entry level job in sales. Hoping this will be a good springboard for moving up vertically. I would say to get into my field you have to be willing to wear many hats. Although I work in sales I work for a company with a start up atmosphere and we are a big part of the New York tech scene. And you always want to show an ability to think on your feet and accept challenges. Sales can be rewarding but it also has one the highest turnover rates of any occupation so you have to be willing to put in the extra effort.
What Do You Really Do?
I cold call and account manage. In addition brain storming ideas on how to make the job easier and managing my own projects from time to time. We have meetings with my manager on how to sell better and more efficiently. We use a CRM management system similar to Sales Force to log and manage our calls and sales. Most sales jobs will have you read off a pitch and go through a training period to make sure you can be successful at the job. As you go along you'll learn to add your own style and flair.
Pros/Cons of Your Job
The atmosphere is one of a startup company and I believe in helping local businesses advertise. However the big frustration with working in sales is the rejections and although I do have a base salary the amount of commission I make does vary from time to time. It can get repetitive because the majority of the time you are emailing and cold calling so you always want to make the best of it. Never take it personally if people reject you.
Quick Stats on New York City
Competition for Housing: High
Housing Cost: High
Population of Young People: High
Nightlife: High
Safety: High
Biggest Industries: Technology
The Life of a College Grad in New York City
What's it Like to Live Here?
Living in queens is a much cheaper alternative than manhattan if you were paying for rent. It has a very diverse culture and ethnic neighborhoods. So if you are a big foodie a lot of options of getting great chinese, spanish, cuban or mexican food and more. New York City in general is a great place to be in my opinion but obviously you pay for that in living expenses. I currently still live at home.
How Did I End Up Here?
I grew up in New York City and went to an engineering school in upstate New York. One thing I was certain of was I wanted to work in New York City because I love how there is always something to do. So as of now I am living at home and saving money but plan on moving out soon.
My Set-Up
I have 1 bed room and I still live at home, which I can't complain. Rent and food is free but at the same time I am still living at home.
Closing Advice
One piece of advice I would give is don't be afraid to take risks. You're 20's is the time to learn and grow.
