Graduated in 2016 with a major in Professional Music. Principal instrument: voice.
Position: Sales Development Representative (similar to a Business Development Rep.) at Rally UXR, a tech start-up whose software product supports research, making it easier to find users, generate reports, etc. Jonathan’s job involves reaching out to potential customers and setting up meetings with his higher-ups when they’re interested. Unlike many similar positions which involve being on the phone most of the day, that’s at most 20% of Jonathan’s day, as he spends a lot of time researching potential clients and rehearsing his pitch. “My company believes in intentionality rather than spray-and-pray.”
Overview: Jonathan had a long, winding path into his career. A year working at the family fish business in New Jersey to save money. Several years in Korea, first pursuing a music career and then teaching English and math at an international school in Korea. Eventually Jonathan returned to the United States to pursue a career in dentistry, working as a dental assistant while taking the science-based prerequiste courses for dental school, but decided this career was not for him. He next went to the Fire Academy in New Jersey and currently serves his community part-time as a volunteer firefighter.
In 2023 a friend who worked as a Business Development Representative told Jonathan that he would do very well in this field. Jonathan went to a boot camp to learn sales, Aspireship, then applied to many sales jobs and went to networking events. Someone he met networking offered Jonathan his first job, and it went well. As is very common in sales, after some times there Jonathan applied to work at other places with greater earnings potential and he was hired into his current job.
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You can see Jonathan’s LinkedIn profile here.
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Choice Quotes: “So far as career changes go, a great thing about sales is there’s a low barrier to entry. Also, in sales you get what you give. Some other professions you deal with people relations and you’re dependent on other folks. In sales, you control what you earn.
“At Berklee you’re interacting with a lot of different people from a lot of different places. Music is collaborative and that’s a relevant parallel. I’m good at speaking with people and enjoy it and believe what I’m talking about. I’m good at being a people person and that transfered directly from my time at Berklee.”
“In sales you have to be a people person. A lot of sales gets a bad rap, but SAS (Software As a Service) sales is really about delivering solutions. I look at what I do through a lens of service.”
“Continue to ask yourself what it is you want in a career as well as what you enjoy. Always have a mindset of learning, and never quit. But it’s important to have goals as to what you’re going for. I did a lot of running, but I ran in place. Have a goal of what you want to do, then go for it.”
“If you want to work in sales, LinkedIn is a great resource. When you’re first starting out, look for valuable experience, not the money. Teams that you want to be part of are looking for a proven track record of success. Think about the experience you’ll be getting and keep the big picture in mind.”
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