If you had asked me in undergrad about my vision for my career, I never would have dreamed that I’d be pursuing that career in sales. Luckily for me, one fateful career fair that I attended had big things in store for my future when I met a recruiter from AT&T. After looking at my degrees in English and Psychology and four years as a call center employee at the university, this recruiter saw my potential in relating to customers and recommended that I apply to AT&T’s B2B Sales Development Program.

Although I didn’t have a background in business like many of my peers in the program, I used that to my advantage and focused on my strengths to differentiate myself with my customers. The program was challenging, but my leadership and peer network motivated me to work hard. I was inspired by the opportunity to make a difference in the way our customers do business with technology. After the program, I went out into a field sales position in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The people I worked with made me feel like part of the team from day one. They taught me the ropes and went with me on appointments to help me learn our products and services. Sooner than I could have imagined, I was taking the lead as a subject matter expert on team calls and teaching new team members myself.

After a couple of years of building my reputation in Oklahoma, I had the opportunity to move down to Houston and work with some larger clientele. I felt established in what I was doing, but I wanted to build my business acumen and diversify my skillset so I could bring more value to my career. AT&T’s continuous support of learning and advancement helped spur me to continue my education and earn a Master’s in Business Administration while I continued to work for the company. As it turns out that was a great move for me professionally and personally, as I met many professionals in other fields who have helped me to grow.

In 2019, a previous peer recommended me for a Sales Manager position in Dallas and I got my first shot at leadership at AT&T. I moved to Dallas and drove back and forth to Houston for over a year to finish up my MBA. It was incredibly stressful at the time, but I am so glad I did not pass up that opportunity. Coaching and developing the people on my team is one of the most rewarding things I have done in my career so far. Working in Dallas allowed me to continue to grow my network and get exposure to leaders who were invested in mentoring folks like me. I began raising my hand for projects and opportunities that affected the operations of the organization so that I could make a bigger difference to the team.

A few years of being a sales manager taught me that leadership is something that I am passionate about, and I wanted to continue that experience at AT&T. I started to apply for director positions and got feedback from my peers and mentors about how I could improve each time. After a lot of hard work, I got the opportunity to lead the sales organization for the mobility team in the Northern Plains and I jumped at it! My team motivates me to constantly learn and show up as the best leader I can every day.

When I look back at what has shaped my journey and kept me at AT&T over the years, the biggest thing that sticks out for me is the people that I have encountered along the way. If it hadn’t been for that initial recruiter, or my first team in Tulsa, or the peer that recommended me for leadership, things could have turned out so differently. I have never been let down by putting my faith in the network and friends I have built at AT&T who continue to advocate for people who put in the work. I am so grateful that they have believed in me and in turn helped me to believe more deeply in myself.

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