Sales Students Enlist for a Day of Basic Training at the 9th Annual Showcase Boot Camp
February 15, 2025
Networking, career coaching, and interview prep with industry practitioners were on the agenda at the 2025 Center for Sales Excellence Showcase Boot Camp.
STATESBORO, GA (February 15, 2025) – A grand finale to Georgia Southern University’s Career Showcase Week, 260+ undergraduate students braved the weather to attend the 9th annual Showcase Boot Camp on the Statesboro campus. Making the most of the opportunity to network and learn from industry practitioners, these highly motivated students met with sales professionals and recruiters from seventeen partner firms, including C.H. Robinson, Mutual of Omaha, Tom James, Cintas, and Fastenal. The Center for Sales Excellence Showcase Boot Camp prepares students for a successful college-to-career transition, taking them from the classroom to the boardroom.
First begun in 2016 with the support of the Parker College of Business, the Showcase Boot Camp has become a campus-wide success allowing firms the opportunity to get close, face-to-face interaction, with the best and brightest that Georgia Southern has to offer. This event is designed to be part educational and part networking opportunity, all of which are important aspects as you transition from student to professional.
“Attending the Boot Camp has been an invaluable experience, providing me with hands-on learning, expert mentorship, and the opportunity to sharpen my business acumen,” notes Jory Jarrells, a Junior majoring in Marketing from the Parker College of Business.
“It was a great opportunity that allowed me to collaborate with like-minded peers. The knowledge and skills I’ve gained here will be beneficial to my future career in business.”
The Showcase Boot Camp is designed to provide small-group interaction between students and industry leaders. Every 15 minutes the corporate coaches rotate to a new table of students to discuss the next interview topic. The interview topics discussed are provided by the coaches, as some of the most frequent questions a student might encounter in a job interview for their first sales position. The coaches provide guidance on how to best approach the question, and then amongst the table, each student discusses from their unique perspective. Once the time is up, the coaches rotate to the next table, meeting a whole new group of students and discussing a new interview question.
Throughout the Showcase Boot Camp, networking time is built into the schedule so that the corporate coaches and students can get to know each other on a personal level, discussing their firm’s respective culture, corporate initiatives, and upcoming hiring opportunities.
Georgia Southern University students took advantage of the opportunity to engage and interact with firms from a variety of industries. Recently retired and long-time marketing & sales professor, Dr. Linda Mullen was recognized as the 2024 Ready Day 1 Career Champion awarded winner by the Office of Career & Professional Development.
“Our students love the opportunity to network and gain hands-on experience with active recruiters and sales professionals,” explains D. Travis Brickey, Lecturer of Marketing and Director of the Center for Sales Excellence. “The Boot Camp is another example of the holistic approach to sales education that we offer to our marketing and sales students. The relationships formed at this event are a true win-win for the program, our corporate partners, and most importantly, the students as they embark on thriving careers in professional selling.”
Center for Sales Excellence, Georgia Southern University
Located within Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business, the Center for Sales Excellence is recognized by the University Sales Alliance as one of the nation’s top sales programs. Established in 2007, it is the mission of the Center to have a positive impact on the sales profession through education, research, and service. The B.B.A. in Marketing offers the students of Georgia Southern University an emphasis in Sales and Sales Management.
Through the Center, students gain experience with sales role-play in our dedicated labs, with many going on to compete in some of the nation’s most prestigious sales competitions. The Center also works to bring students together with companies in the industry looking to hire the best and brightest minds. It is the goal of the Center to be the preeminent sales program in the nation.
