Calvin Welch interned with Curriculum Associates and gained experience in the EdTech sales industry.
How did you get your internship and why did you choose it?
A good friend of mine told me about this great new internship that he had at a company called Curriculum Associates. He informed me that it was paid, I could create my own hours, and he had already learned so much about sales and marketing. I was very interested, and he sent me his own personalized referral link for me to apply for the sales development trainee part-time position. After applying online, I was invited to a phone interview to speak with three separate managers through three separate calls back-to-back. I was offered the position after the final call and accepted the position.
Working for an educational technology company, I genuinely feel like I’m making an impact on the ways students learn and teachers teach. This impact is very meaningful to me.
What was your most satisfying part of your internship?
After establishing trust and respect with my leadership team, they selected me to work as a project manager and lead my very own campaign. This included creating a sales contact model (touch point scripting), doing substantial research on the product, pinpointing the geographical location we would be focusing on, and creating a presentation for both the leadership team and all other sales team interns. I was also in charge of conducting training on all of the logistics of the campaign so that I would be able to bring other interns on board to roll the project out. I was included in multiple large meetings via zoom where I took notes and collaborated with higher level employees who worked in the focus states of the project. The project details, scope, and planning process went great. I learned to manage communication and collaboration between different offices and make critical decisions about project timing and feasibility.
Another satisfying point of this internship was when I created an opportunity with a customer who we had no prior business with. I first connected with the customer via phone, and then continued communication through email. I was able to hand this off to the inside sales rep and later received an email from them, praising me for my contributions to the deal and highlighting all of the work that I had done prior to handing it off to him. All of my managers were sent this same email along with the Vice President of Inside Sales & Digital Marketing as well. After receiving this email, the VP organized a sit down together where he and I were able to connect and get to know each other. Being recognized by him was a very proud moment in not only this internship but also my professional life.
What did you find most challenging about your internship?
Before I began this internship, I had no prior experience in sales or marketing. When I first started, I was a bit overwhelmed by the extensive training and knowledge that I was expected to retain. I initially found it challenging to jump from one project to another because I had to recall different training procedures. Through this challenge, I learned how to communicate with coworkers and team leads without feeling uncomfortable. I was also able to review the training on all of my project management and technological knowledge to the point where I felt comfortable training others on it. I then became a mentor to 3-4 other interns.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
Before embarking on this journey, I knew that I wanted to gain experience in sales, but I did not have the slightest idea where to start. I was simply unaware of the different fields in sales and marketing. Through this internship, I discovered that I have a knack for talking to people and also for leadership. Over the course of my internship, I have mentored at least 12 other interns, conducted multiple trainings, interviewed potential candidates, and was able to find my true passion in project management. This experience helped me discover my passion to pursue a leadership position as a project manager. I plan to take the skills that I have acquired and built upon here to all positions I may hold in my future career.