More than 400 Students Celebrate the Sales Center’s 10th Annual Showcase Boot Camp
Networking, career coaching, and interview prep with industry sales practitioners were on the agenda at the 2026 Center for Sales Excellence Showcase Boot Camp.
STATESBORO, GA (February 26, 2026) – A grand finale to Georgia Southern University’s Career Showcase Week on the Statesboro campus, more than 400 undergraduates made the most of the opportunity at the 10th anniversary of the Showcase Boot Camp. Learning directly from industry practitioners, these highly motivated students met with sales professionals and recruiters from twenty-one 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 transition from college-to-career, taking the business undergraduates from the classroom to the boardroom.
First begun in 2017 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.
“The Showcase Boot Camp is as close as it gets to a real boardroom, while still being on campus,” observes Tyler Goddard, a Senior majoring in Marketing with an emphasis in Sales & Sales Management from the Parker College of Business.
“Having the chance to sit down and conduct realistic interview conversations with corporate coaches has been a game-changer for me. Over the past couple of years, this event has definitely been one of the biggest factors in helping me feel ready and confident for my interviews. There’s nothing like the Boot Camp!”
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.
“The Boot Camp is another example of the holistic approach to sales education that we offer to our marketing and sales students at Georgia Southern University,” explains D. Travis Brickey, Senior Lecturer of Marketing and Executive Director of the Center for Sales Excellence.
Our students love the opportunity to network and gain hands-on experience with active recruiters and active sales professionals. 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 prosperous careers in professional selling.”
The Showcase Boot Camp would not be possible without the support of the Sales Center’s corporate partners. Partners in attendance included C.H. Robinson, Carotek, Cintas, EcoShield Pest Solutions, Fastenal, Federated Insurance, Gray Media, Herc Rentals, HVH Mechanical Partners, IDR Staffing, JEAR Logistics, Mutual of Omaha, Northwestern Mutual, OTR Solutions, RNDC, Shamrock Trading Corporation, Sherwin-Williams, Smith Douglas Homes, State Farm, Tom James, and TechQuidation.
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.
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