The Muser Who Fell into Sales After Graduation (and Loves It)

[The Muse](  CAREER STORYMay 03, 2017   [Hero]( [GO WITH THE FLOW]( Name: Maranda Elkin Tell Us About Yourself! Give Us Your Elevator Speech! I was born right here in NYC. After studying international affairs and Arabic in college, I graduated and fell into a career path that I had no intention of loving or growing into—but that's exactly what happened. When it comes to sales, I've done it all. I started as a sales development rep, scheduling meetings for account executives, and then I was promoted to account executive where I ran my own book of business and traveled to three cities a week. More recently, I led a small team of AEs as a team lead at The Muse, and now I sit on our enterprise team, helping to grow our large organizational partners. What's Your Job Title? What Does This Actually Mean in Terms of What You Do Each Day? As an enterprise account executive, I spend my day talking to HR and recruitment leaders around the country (sharing how The Muse partners with and helps organizations), and I manage a pipeline of interested companies. What Were You Doing Before You Landed This Job? Before The Muse, I worked at a large healthcare consulting firm as an outside sales rep and traveled constantly. I went to three cities a week and met with organizations about our services—all while having exciting new experiences in places I'd never been before. What's the Coolest Project You've Worked on So Far or One You're Really Excited About? One project I'm really excited about is building the diversity and inclusion group at The Muse (DIG). I joined the board and work on the events squad. We recently had our first in-house event for International Women's Day. We put up 15 posters of influential women from around the world, along with a short description of their accomplishments. Then, we asked our team to guess who was who and the people who got it right received prizes. It was a lot of fun! What's the Worst Job You've Ever Had? In college, I worked as a hostess in a waterfront restaurant during the summer. As you can imagine, the clientele were often under the influence and not very pleasant to interact with. Fortunately, it was only for three months! If Money Wasn't a Factor, What Would You Be Doing Career-Wise? Traveling and blogging my way around the globe! There is so much to explore in this world and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. Best Piece of Advice for Someone Who Wants a Job Like Yours or Who Is Stuck in a Difficult Job Hunt Right Now? The best book I've read on changing career paths is [Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One]( by Jenny Blake. It's a combination of self-help and actionable exercises that'll keep your spirits high while you focus on the goals that will actually make you happy. I've already convinced all of my closest friends to read it. Anything Else You'd Like to Add? I spend all day talking to people who struggle with hiring quality candidates. The job possibilities out there are endless. If you don't love your job, you have options. Don't minimize that! ([Share This Wisdom]( [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Linkedin]( Account Executive at a Glance SKILLS Excellent written and verbal communication, understanding of sales pipeline, business and finance skills. DAY-TO-DAY My job is to walk potential clients through the sales process from introduction of the product through close of the deal. I do this through calls, in-person meetings, and marketing materials. 'BOUT THAT CASH What you can make within 0-5 years $35,000-90,000 (Often commission-based) What you can make within 5+ years $50,000-115,000 (Often commission-based) WHAT YOU NEED - A 4-year degree is helpful - Great communication skills - Some experience in product or service selling is helpful --------------------------------------------------------------- Trending now --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Tip You 100% Need to Read if You Find Yourself Killing Time Every Week]( [The Tip You 100% Need to Read if You Find Yourself Killing Time Every Week]( Do you have one window of time each week when you'd like to be more productive? This change to your work schedule will have you benefiting from those hours!  [Read More]( [3 Things Recruiters Always Look for on Your LinkedIn Profile]( [3 Things Recruiters Always Look for on Your LinkedIn Profile]( Get your LinkedIn profile the attention required to land the job of your dreams. A career coach and HR professional says you need these three things.  [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- COMPANIES THAT ARE HIRING NOW --------------------------------------------------------------- [Edmodo]( [Edmodo]( Edmodo is a global education network that helps connect learners—teachers, students, and parents—with the people, resources, and coaching tools they need to reach their full potential. [VISIT COMPANY]( [Smartly.io]( [Smartly.io]( Smartly.io enables some of the world’s best advertisers to automate and optimize advertising through an excellent solution that boosts reach as a badged Facebook Marketing Partner. [VISIT COMPANY]( [Taboola]( [Taboola]( Taboola is the world’s leading discovery platform company, connecting people around the world with content they may like, but never knew existed. [VISIT COMPANY]( [Word of the Day] IRENIC What it Means: Aiming or aimed at peace. Use it Without Sounding Like You Just Learned it Today "Stephanie's irenic temperment helped keep everyone calm during a heated debate about the best burger in NYC." [Tweet This]( [Coach Connect]( Connect with The Muse [VIEW IN BROWSER](       [TERMS](       [UNSUBSCRIBE]( DAILY MUSE INC.   1375 BROADWAY   NEW YORK, NY 10018