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?
MontBlanc
What was your college major?
146
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.
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.
Astrophysics, Astronomy and Physics, but now I'm in sales...lol
Very interesting subjects but!
Economics
same here, really wish i did something easier considering i ended up in sales 😂
Yep, same here hahah
Sociology, which I’m sure reads like “bong hits and beer bongs” on the ole resume
No, no. That's Philosophy.
Pastoral Studies...
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!!
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.
Clearly, sales was a natural transition.
That & it was the "easiest" degree (for my college that is).
Human Resources, ugh I know.
Haha dodged a bullet there
oof!
At least you didn't choose that twice!
Criminal justice hahaha
Theres more of us here than you might think. The part of us that dreamed of being a detective helps us with prospecting!
Really? Interesting point! I just like dissecting peoples thought process
Same. Sam Houston?
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.
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.
Agree, communication skills and writing are a big takeaways from my college experience.
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.
Communication.... very easy degree. But translates many different ways
Probably as close to a sales major as it gets
Agreed. Com taught me how to listen.
I was also a Communications major with a Sociology minor and what is sales if not communicating!?
I have two degrees. One in Surgical Technology and then another in Business Management.
Surgical tech is a degree.
International Business + Information Systems & Technology and a minor in stats — so far all useless.
I’m surprised the IT one isn’t helpful, are you in tech sales?
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.
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...
It'd be so nice to really know what an API is...
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
I feel like unless you went to a top tier school good jobs are scarce for people with generic business degrees, outside of sales.
Finance and did absolutely nothing with it
You still can always yolo AMC
Sameee
Same here but at least I semi-understand what the hell cnbc is talking about.
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 😎
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 😎
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.
Sidebar: There should be a SaaS Sales and/or Startup degree. Learn from everyone else's failures.
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.
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.
Communications with a minor in Poli Sci
Same
Marketing (no hate pls)
Accounting with a minor in Entrepreneurship...
Did an accounting role for 4 years before switching into sales... best decision ever.
Did an accounting role for 4 years before switching into sales... best decision ever.
I have a bachelors in Accounting as well!
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.
Communications with a minor in philosophy. I'd say that it has helped me due to the public speaking side of the major.
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
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.
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.
Double majored in finance and social welfare. Now I work in pharma sales
Hope you’re all over that new $50k Alzheimers drug
marketing/advertising. I was an internship away from drinking Kombucha. Really dodged a bullet
Graphic Design and Advertising
Art history with an honors business minor
Hell yeah, art history is 🔥
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.
Double Major in Fine Art and Art History.
The dream 😍
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