Different Roads Lead To A Sales Career

Darrell Zehner worked in the laboratory at McIntyre Group Ltd., a specialty surfactant and chemicals company in University Park, Illinois, for 5 years. When a job in sales opened, the company asked if he was interested. The position offered the opportunity to use the combination of skills from his BS in chemistry and master's degree in management. Today, as a sales representative and manager of customer relations, Darrell interacts directly with R&D staff from a range of industries, working closely with them on a variety of challenging projects. "It's been great for me," he says. "I have the chance to meet interesting people who appreciate my technical background. I also have the opportunity to see a range of new products in a variety of applications."

Jennifer Lee works for CRODA International PLC, a large multinational chemical specialty company based in the UK. As a chemistry major, she pictured herself staying in the laboratory, but a CRODA program aimed at science graduates "who want a more commercial career" challenged her to consider alternatives. Participants in the program spend two years on rotating assignments in sales and marketing, research and development, and production, working in at least two operating divisions and at several sites. Today she is a successful sales rep for the company in Los Angeles. "This is a fascinating life," she says. "It's fast paced, full of new people, and a much more colorful environment than the lab."

Douglas Lynch was ready to enter a master's degree program in biology when an internship in industrial sales and marketing changed his career plans. Today he is a sales rep for Loders Croklaan, a Unilever division. His scientific background is one key to his success in working with customers who buy the company's essential fatty acid and lipid products. He notes that industrial customers are more educated and expect sales reps to have a working knowledge of the product and the ways in which it will serve specific needs. "Sales is all about solving problems and getting the customer to rely on you for answers. It's hard to do this without technical knowledge," he says. "And for me, this career is much more professionally satisfying than one in the lab."

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