3 Soft Skills to Focus on Now

Written by Amanda Jackson

Amanda Jackson is currently a senior at the University of Florida majoring in Advertising. She was a sales development representative at The Selling Factory for the TSF Academy. She is an outgoing, driven individual who hopes to motivate and empower women in the business world.

 

Photo by Content Pixie from Pexels

With determination and confidence, there is still a way for college students to succeed even in the current time of the pandemic. 

All companies and businesses have expectations when it comes to hiring college graduates. In the past, it was not a dyer to attend college to build a successful career. Now, obtaining a college education is the minimum ‘requirement’ for getting to your eventual dream job. Graduating with a degree from a credible university and an excellent GPA does not make you, nor anyone, stand out over other applicants. Being active in on-campus organizations and leadership positions do. But wait, that is not all. What about getting good internships? And working a job through college? Also, you really should study abroad in order to become more diverse. All of these are now considered as expectations, not going above and beyond. So you get the point, expectations for college graduates are excessive. 

Sometime in your college career, reality begins to sink in and you feel as if you need to start focusing on the future instead of the present. There is a lot of pressure when it comes to plans after graduation and the feeling of the need to ‘figure your whole life out’. While this is hard enough itself, many students, including myself, have lost hope and excitement in our future as internships, classes, jobs, and events have been canceled or moved to online due to the pandemic. Yet, there are ways to set yourself up for success after graduation. If there is anything I have learned through my time with The Selling Factory, it is you can still learn and grow as an individual even if it is not in-person. It just takes some motivation, time, and confidence. 

  1. Motivation: Many individuals have lost their motivation because the majority of our lives have been forced to continue online. Nobody can push you to still try and care about your current situation or future other than yourself. It is not an excuse to not care because everything is remote. This attitude, in the long run, will put you at a disadvantage because employers will still look for motivated recent graduates to hire entry-level positions. Multiple opportunities exist where you can immerse yourself in even if it is behind the screen. The Selling Factory is a perfect example of this. I reached out to sales acceleration companies and The Selling Factory provided me with the opportunity to begin my career in their SDR team. Instead of telling yourself “Well, they are probably closed or are not hiring because of COVID-19,” reach out to companies of your interest and build your connection to access to potential job openings. If you put in the effort, you will find plenty of opportunities where you can grow and better yourself. 

  2. Time: We all used to have jam-packed schedules every day, all day during the school year. Whether it be meetings or classes we would be running to, there is now no need to even leave your house anymore. With that being said, we all have a lot more downtime that we can spend to better ourselves. Use this extra time to critique your resume and have mentors look over it. Update your Linked In profiles and build connections while you can. Reach out to past advisors and supervisors so you still have those references when you need them for a future job. And most importantly, apply for anything and everything you are interested in because you never know where it could take you!!

  3. Confidence: Employers are looking for students who are confident in their knowledge and experiences. Do not downplay any internships or classes just because they were remote. It takes a lot of self-discipline to participate in online classes and internships; everybody has struggled and learned to adjust. Make sure to bring your best self to everything you are involved in. Show your enthusiasm and determination through that computer screen and continue to accomplish your goals. This will look incredible to employers when they see a student who was still motivated and actively bettering themselves even when times were tough.

While the pandemic has negatively impacted our lives, it opened up new opportunities now that everything is remote. For me, the opportunity that I found through all of this is The Selling Factory. Via Zoom meetings, I explored the functions of the sales services. The Sales Development Representative (SDR) team at The Selling Factory helped me to regain the confidence I lost when the pandemic hit. Also, I learned how to manage my spare time and continued to motivate myself to be better. Although The Selling Factory was entirely remote selling, it provided me with a unique experience that I did not even realize I so badly needed. I feel better prepared for my life after college because I have learned so much through this remote selling experience that I truly did not believe I could get anything out of. I have more confidence in myself and my future than I ever had before because of an internship that was 100% remote. I feel inspired and motivated because of the connections and knowledge I have gained through this. With all this uncertainty, it is easy to get down on yourself. Just because times are tough, it does not mean your goals are unachievable or impossible.

 

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com