In this sales bootcamp review of Always Hired, Mandy Gragg, Account Manager at Google, shares how she found Always Hired and how the program helped her land a dream job at Google.
How did you hear about Always Hired?
It was recommended to me through one of my personal training clients, Kendall Cohen. She had the best things to say about the program since she had recently graduated. I was doing some contract work on the side, but wasn’t familiar yet with essentials like Salesforce and the other sales stack tools. I knew if I wanted to get ahead, I needed to sharpen my industry skills and Always Hired seemed like the place to do that.
Did you look at any other programs before choosing to go with Always Hired?
I didn’t need to. Between Kendall’s recommendation and what I read online, I was sold. It was clear you had the best program, placement rates and partners.
Tell me about your service in the military and what it was like looking for a job after your service.
I served in the Marine Corps for five years. However, I struggled with my career once I left the military. Finding someone who would open the door for me in the industry I desired with so little job experience was a challenge. I was getting job offers for executive assistant positions, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Serving in the Marines gave me excellent management and leadership experience, but not task level experience (like with Salesforce and other related tools). I wish I had known about Always Hired four years ago, because it would have saved me time in getting my post-military career on track.
The fact that you offer special tuition programs to Veterans is awesome. As I said, making the transition out of the military can be difficult. So if service members knew this was an option upon graduation, I think it would give them more confidence as they take the next step in their careers.
And your next step was getting a job at Google. What was that like?
I tried to get in the door with Google, and other tech companies, before going through Always Hired and they wouldn’t look at me because I didn’t have any relevant experience. Then, after going through the three week program the interviews started rolling in. Not only did the hiring managers appreciate that I had sales knowledge and techniques, but they appreciated that I took initiative to improve myself and further my career. My military background, combined with completing a sales bootcamp, showed a level of commitment they weren’t seeing from other job candidates. Marines are focused and don’t take no for an answer, which prepared me for objection handling and closing sales.
Is there any part of the training that really stood out to prepare you for the role you’re in now?
My team is impressed with my ability to understand and influence the client. The role playing that we did in class was crucial. Being put on the spot in class with questions from the trainers and Gabe really prepared me for my job as an account manager. I’ve even been asked to join higher level meetings regarding campaign strategies, helping our team find the best ways to connect with our customer base. The confidence and trust my team has in me is a direct reflection of the curriculum of Always Hired, and has built a solid foundation for the rest of my career.
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