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Life as an Account Executive at LearnUpon
In this blog post, Sean Patchell shares what it’s really like to work as an Account Executive at LearnUpon. From the challenges and rewards of the job, to the skills and experience needed to succeed. Whether you’re just starting out in your career or considering a change, this post will provide you with valuable insights into what it takes to thrive in this dynamic role.
Firstly, tell us a little about your background.
I’m originally from Dublin, and when I finished school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. So, I chose two keen interests of mine: Business and Spanish. I had a fantastic four years studying International Business at Dublin City University, including one year abroad in Spain at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Initially, I was interested in marketing; however, over the years, I became more and more interested in sales – thanks in large part to the speakers we heard from in college who discussed sales, particularly in the context of software. This, coupled with years working in customer-facing roles in the hospitality industry, made me realize that sales was where I ultimately wanted to be.
Why did you decide to join LearnUpon?
I had finished university at the start of the COVID pandemic, and there were few places hiring. Originally, I had accepted an offer to do a Masters, but since software sales was where I wanted to be, I decided to apply for an SDR role at LearnUpon. During the process, Stephen Clarke, Senior Manager of Business Development, convinced me that LearnUpon was the place to be, and I haven’t looked back since!
How has your career progressed over the last two and a half years?
I joined LearnUpon as employee number 153, so it is safe to say things have changed a lot. I joined as a Sales Development Rep, mainly dealing with qualifying inbound prospects. I was in this role for about a year before moving to Business Development. This involves more strategic outreach to find exciting companies that could be a good fit for LearnUpon. Then I was promoted to Account Executive in July of last year, and I’ve been loving it ever since.
Tell us what a typical day looks like for you as an Account Executive?
As an Account Executive, my day-to-day varies throughout the week, but typically it consists of working with prospective customers to learn more about their organization and how LearnUpon can help them. As well as this, I meet with my own team to discuss best practices and our plans moving forward. I would also regularly meet with our Solutions Engineering team to see how our product can best fit our customers’ needs.
What do you value most about working at LearnUpon?
It really is the people that make LearnUpon. It’s such a pleasure to work with fun and interesting people every day who are all working towards the same goal. You only need to look at all the employee events we have, like SKOs, conferences, and social activities, to see this. I also really enjoy that my opinion is valued in our company by the leadership team, with opportunities offered to us constantly to give feedback on how to continue to make it an excellent place to work. We also have such an exciting product that is continuously evolving. I personally really value and enjoy seeing where we are taking the company next
What advice would you give to someone trying to get into this type of role?
- Apply first, and then reach out to one of our Account Executives at the company. This will help you learn more about the company and what you need to succeed. I, along with all of my colleagues in the Sales team, am always open to having a conversation that might help a future team member.
- Take the time to research the company you are applying to. Understand where they position themselves in the market versus competitors, their flagship customers, and any comments from their CEO or Head of Sales. Also pay keen attention to their culture, as companies will often want to ensure that you are a good cultural fit as well.
- Don’t focus too much on your own background and what you might be missing, but rather focus on why you would enjoy sales. Here at LearnUpon, we have sales professionals from all walks of life, such as music, science, social work, and higher education, so I do believe it’s a profession that is very much down to the person instead of being solely based on your experience. My biggest piece of advice is to apply and let your personality shine through!
If you are interested in a sales role, or any role at LearnUpon, feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn or one of our other social channels (Facebook, Instagram).