What was your college major?

Since there is no sales major I'm curious about your useless degrees. What was it? Has it helped you in the sales world? Why didn't you get a job in your field?

🚀 Career Goals
💡 Education/Resources
💪 Motivation
146
privateryan
Politicker
13
Director of Sales
Marketing (Mmmmhm) with a minor in small business management. 

went to school with intentions of starting a marketing firm but then I reached down one day and saw my schlong and realized marketing wasn’t for me.
ChicagoCloser1717
Politicker
10
New Business Development Representative
Astrophysics, Astronomy and Physics, but now I'm in sales...lol
The.Machine
Politicker
0
Sales Development Lead
Very interesting subjects but! 
mcsalesperson1
Politicker
6
Account Executive
Economics
sales101
WR Officer
1
Head of Channel & Alliances
same here, really wish i did something easier considering i ended up in sales 😂
SaaSecurity
Opinionated
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Yep, same here hahah 
CSis4betas
Politicker
5
ISR Manager
Sociology, which I’m sure reads like “bong hits and beer bongs” on the ole resume 
CharmingSalesGal
Politicker
1
Account Executive
No, no. That's Philosophy.
AlecBaldwinsHairline
Valued Contributor
5
Head of Sales Development
Pastoral Studies...
CharmingSalesGal
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Ok I feel like this is a common one in sales!!! I know like six people that went to a religious school and were a pastor for a few years then transitioned into schools. Why is this!!! I need to hear your story!!
captain_opt_out
Contributor
4
Account Executive
Communications - had no clue what I wanted to study and it seemed like a pretty good way to pretend I was actually doing something with my life. 


Clearly, sales was a natural transition.
CharmingSalesGal
Politicker
0
Account Executive
That & it was the "easiest" degree (for my college that is).
funcoupons
WR Officer
3
👑
Human Resources, ugh I know. 
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
Haha dodged a bullet there
The.Machine
Politicker
1
Sales Development Lead
oof!
DJSpence
Catalyst
0
Sales Director
At least you didn't choose that twice!
Littlesaleslady
Valued Contributor
3
Territory Sales Manager
Criminal justice hahaha 
Puncheur
Fire Starter
2
Sr RevOps Manager
Theres more of us here than you might think. The part of us that dreamed of being a detective helps us with prospecting!
Littlesaleslady
Valued Contributor
0
Territory Sales Manager
Really? Interesting point! I just like dissecting peoples thought process
RampagingDog
Politicker
0
Recruitment Consultant
Same.  Sam Houston?

HoldemCaulfield
Politicker
3
Sales Training & Enablement
B.A. in English + a Masters in English

I'll never say that it was a bad or useless degree at all because it's always were my interests were, and I've merely adapted the acquired skills to sales. 

I 've found that a lot of sales reps (at least very green ones) have poor communication and writing skills, and they need help in this area. This could be something as simple as writing an email correct to pitching via a sales deck.

As a sales trainer, I also use a lot of presentation, content creation, and education from my background as a teacher in college and high school. When I was a sales rep, I used listening and empathy to relate to prospects and used value-selling to engage in better conversations.

No degree is ever useless if you learn to adapt the knowledge. 

To answer your question, I already had a job in my degree but decided to go into the tech world for the reasons above and because those skills were highly sought after by recruiters because they were lacking in traditional sales reps.
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
Agree, communication skills and writing are a big takeaways from my college experience.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Yes, I agree that the extensive amount of writing I had to do for one of my majors has helped a lot in my sales career.
NateSpangle
3
Head of Community
Communication.... very easy degree. But translates many different ways 
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
Probably as close to a sales major as it gets 
aiko
Politicker
1
Sr. Account Executive
Agreed. Com taught me how to listen.
CharmingSalesGal
Politicker
0
Account Executive
I was also a Communications major with a Sociology minor and what is sales if not communicating!?
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
2
Bravado's Resident Asshole
I have two degrees. One in Surgical Technology and then another in Business Management. 
ShakeNBake
Notable Contributor
0
Director of Sales
Surgical tech is a degree. 
Nairobi
Politicker
2
AE
International Business + Information Systems & Technology and a minor in stats — so far all useless.
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
1
Senior Account Executive
I’m surprised the IT one isn’t helpful, are you in tech sales?
Nairobi
Politicker
0
AE
Yes, but I studied how to code and analyze big data so I've not used my coding skills yet — pretty sure I could not remember 60% of it anyways haha Maybe studying in tech will help me understand complex products but the product I'm currently selling is not complicated.
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
Yeah, depending on the product, like if you were selling into IT (which is what I do) having the coding background could give you more credibility and speed up the trust-building process with CTO/Director of IT types.

It'd be so nice to really know what an API is... 
Rallier
Politicker
2
SDR Manager and Consultant
Marketing and international business. It was so much easier to find a sales job and I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
I feel like unless you went to a top tier school good jobs are scarce for people with generic business degrees, outside of sales.
chips_aHeu
Opinionated
2
Account Executive
Finance and did absolutely nothing with it
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
You still can always yolo AMC
RahRahBooty
Executive
0
Business Development
Sameee
Asalesperson
Good Citizen
0
Sr. Director of Sales
Same here but at least I semi-understand what the hell cnbc is talking about. 
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
Marketing and management. 

I started in Education then decided to change to Oral Communication then ultimately decided to go the business route. 

I still don't know what I want to do, other than make money 😎
Saasmaven
Praised Answer
2
Enterprise Account Executive
Business Administration with a minor in Marketing Management. Tbh, my selling experience as a 12 year old (yep, free child labor) for my dad's side hustle business probably helped me more than a college degree. 


Sidebar: There should be a SaaS Sales and/or Startup degree. Learn from everyone else's failures. 
SalesHead
Opinionated
2
Enterprise AE
I'm not ashamed to admit it, I didn't finish my degree. Played a year of collegiate soccer, dropped out, traveled until I was broke, stumbled into an SDR role many years later and have progressed into sales management without one.

Fast forward to today though, and I am almost wrapped with my degree in Organizational Leadership. Sure, it's tough getting school finished now in my 30s with work, family, etc...but going through business and leadership courses after having real experience, I find myself much more engaged and willing to learn as I can implement new principles every week. 

18-22 year old me would have had such bloodshot eyes, that none of this would have made sense at that time anyway. 
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
1
☕️
Communications with a minor in Poli Sci
braintank
Politicker
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Same
SaaSguy
Tycoon
1
Account Executive
Marketing (no hate pls)
Tex18
1
Advisor
Accounting with a minor in Entrepreneurship...

Did an accounting role for 4 years before switching into sales... best decision ever.
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
I have a bachelors in Accounting as well!
RandyMoss
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Biology with a Psych minor! I had some knowledge that was helpful while I was selling quick-turn prototyping to medical device companies, and when I worked in medical device sales. I have worked in software sales for the last 4 years and I haven't used anything from my degree since then. 
Kodiak
Politicker
1
Senior Account Executive
Communications with a minor in philosophy. I'd say that it has helped me due to the public speaking side of the major. 
Rachet
Politicker
1
Account executive
Athletic Therapy. A great Bachelors to get if you are going to go into more schooling to become a Physical Therapist. But then I fell into sales, made just as much money and didn't want more student loan debt
ChiefGreef45
Catalyst
1
Account Executive
I have a degree in Economics. Definitely was not planning to be doing economic studies, but felt it was good to have those general ideas in mind. I originally was planning to go to my university's business school and work in finance in NY where I'm originally from. 

Getting rejected from business school was probably the best thing that happened, as I wouldn't get the opportunity to develop this skillset and of course get to be apart of this community.
Bueller
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Double majored in finance and social welfare. Now I work in pharma sales 
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
2
Senior Account Executive
Hope you’re all over that new $50k Alzheimers drug
RedLightning
Politicker
1
Mid-Market AE
marketing/advertising. I was an internship away from drinking Kombucha. Really dodged a bullet
NoSuperhero
Politicker
1
BDR LEAD
Graphic Design and Advertising 
Incognito
WR Officer
1
Master of Disaster
Art history with an honors business minor 
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
Hell yeah, art history is 🔥
Stax
Opinionated
1
AE - Major Accounts
Political Science w/ a minor in Econ. Initially had intentions of doing something policy related, but realized that 1). no one would pay me to do that and 2). i hate DC. It's been sales ever since. 
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Double Major in Fine Art and Art History.  
MontBlanc
Notable Contributor
0
Senior Account Executive
The dream 😍
12
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