Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Students compete in national sales contest, receive job offers
Representing the USI College of Business at the National Collegiate Sales Competition were, from left, Joseph Smith Jessica Schwarz, alternate Jared McIntosh and Dr. Chad Milewicz, faculty sponsor.
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Betty Vawter Senior Editor, News & Information Services 812/480-1873 McIntosh, a senior business administration major with a minor in marketing, ranked among the top 30 competitors individually. He received a plaque for placing in the quarterfinals. McIntosh is from Evansville. NCSC is the world's largest collegiate sales competition, pitting top sales students in a series of role-plays. In addition, the three-day event includes a career fair. The USI team members and alternate Jessica Schwarz received job offers with annual salaries ranging from $50,000 to $95,000. The students are still considering these opportunities with potential employers, including Fifth Third Bank, Sage Software Inc., Cox Media Group, Aramark, and NetSuite, Inc. McIntosh said, "The competition at this event is thrilling, but the impact the exposure has on my career opportunities is even better." The role-play in the competition is designed to simulate a sales call. The buyers in the scenario react in real time to the student's sales presentation, testing the competitor's ability to adapt and perform at a high level. Judges score the students on communication, critical thinking, and analytical thinking skills. Dr. Chad Milewicz, assistant professor of marketing, is faculty advisor for the sales team. "The students practiced at least three days a week all semester, analyzing the needs and requirements of businesses conducting professional sales calls," he said. "Their preparation paid off. They beat some of the top sales programs in the country, including Indiana University and Michigan State." Smith, a senior radio and television major with a minor in marketing, said the experience was "definitely worth the hard work. It has opened doors that I did not know existed." Smith is from Henderson, Kentucky. Milewicz said the NCSC has become a hot spot for Fortune 500 recruiters. Thirty-five corporate sponsors seeking to hire college graduates who excel in sales participated in the career fair and networked with students at the event this year. According to Terry Loe, director of the competition, approximately 70 percent of the students who attend leave with job offers. Schwarz, a senior business administration major from Greenwood, Indiana, described the competition as "a great opportunity for me to test how marketable I am toward international companies." Her career interest is international marketing and sales. Milewicz, said, "The purpose of the NCSC is to encourage students to strive to reach their unimagined potential. The students who pursue that challenge are usually rewarded with job offers that are far beyond what the average college graduate is going to see upon graduation." The competition was held March 4-7 in Kennesaw, Georgia. |
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