Editor's Note: Don’t Be Afraid To Look

Enjoy a preview of April's Creative selling.

Working as a sales professional, you cannot be afraid to look for prospects, ideas and help in unusual places. You’ll never know what’s out there unless you search for it and ask for help.
As a college student on the verge of graduating, I’ve been forced to exhaust all avenues that could lead to a job. I have been through the usual suspects – career fairs, internships and online job searches. I even went as far as creating a digital portfolio hosted on its own Web site. But the one resource I did not think to access before now is my family and friends. One of the top ways to find a job is through someone you know. I didn’t think this would really work until I tried it.
While you are out looking for prospects, do not forget about your friends and family. The more people who know what you need to find, the more help you’ll receive in getting referrals.
Also, do not be afraid to go out a limb. At the beginning of my college career, I worked as a reporter, and the biggest challenge was finding stories to write about. After a while, I caught on to the fact that you have to be observant and ask many questions. One of the best stories I wrote was about a guitar-playing, master of archery professor who teaches in the Technology department. However, I would not have known that he would make a good story if I hadn’t asked him about the mangled pop cans sitting on the shelf behind his desk.
In other words, brainstorm where you can look for prospects. If your usual resources are not producing results, then go find new ones. It can’t hurt, and you never know what you might find.

Happy searching,

Kaye Maloney
Editorial Intern