Adriana Ortiz ’12 works for an adventurous brand — Red Bull. As a Musketeer, or On-Premise Specialist, she develops and maintains relationships with businesses that sell Red Bull, think clubs, music venues, bars and restaurants. She partners with clients to plan, promote and execute events and situate her brand at the forefront of those events. And she’s great at her job, thanks in large part to her Peace and Conflicts Studies degree from Guilford. That’s right — Peace and Conflicts Studies! Read on for her tips on landing a job with a cool brand.
What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career in sales and promotions?
Adriana: Don’t be afraid to speak to strangers. You need to be confident in yourself and not care so much what people think. Practicing that will make you better in sales situations in the future.
Imagine you need to fill an intern or entry-level position. What does a good resume look like?
Adriana: I want someone who’s really social and outgoing. I’d want their resume to be as eclectic as possible. It’s good to have a little bit of knowledge about everything, even if it’s pottery or architecture because that helps you talk with and connect to all kinds of people.
What’s a necessary skill for your job, and how did you develop it?
Adriana: Patience! There are a lot of things you deal with when your job is dealing with people. Sometimes they’ve just had a bad day. Sometimes it’s not a good time for them to talk. And sometimes they just really enjoy talking and the conversation lasts longer than you planned! Either way, you need to develop the patience to sit and take as much time to talk to people as is needed.
What kind of majors end up in your field?
Adriana: All kinds of majors find success in sales. Sales relates to every job — you have to sell yourself when you’re interviewing for a position! Whatever you do, someday you’ll need to get someone else interested in it — that’s sales. I was a Peace and Conflicts Studies major, and that doesn’t sound like it relates to sales, but because of my major I am an excellent communicator.
What do you like about your job?
Adriana: My job is really awesome. I honestly love to wake up every morning and go to work. As soon as I was promoted to this job I became connected to the community here in Atlanta. That makes me really want to get projects done — and do the best work I can.
Learn more about the Peace and Conflict Studies Department, and hear more from Adriana and the other Real Guilfordians of Atlanta about their jobs and life in the ATL.