Beacon Student Turned Sales Dynamo Earns Her Props In The Work World

By Darryl E. Owens

That legendary snack food — its peanuts, popcorn, and caramel coating immortalized in the baseball anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” — touts a trademarked slogan that affirms that “when you’re really good they call you crackerjack.”

Sure, that’s one way to know you have achieved a certain level of excellence.

Or you could be like Beacon student Nina Apple and snag a job promotion.

In a tweet announcing the upgrade, Vector Marketing wrote: “Fantastic work! @beacon_college student Nina Apple from our Lake County, FL office moved from Trainee to Sales Rep! Congrats on your first promotion, Nina!”

The 23-year-old Miami junior learned about the company from Beacon freshman Allie Jones, who works for the company. She recommended Apple to her manager. Soon after, Apple received a text invitation to apply for work. 

“It sounded like a great opportunity, so I did,” she said.

And Apple got the job. 

She started working via Zoom demoing products for clients for CUTCO, a New York company that manufactures cutlery and kitchen solutions. Vector Marketing, a direct sales company that sells CUTCO partners with the company.

Apple’s ascension made her “very happy and proud to have reached that point,” she said.

In practical terms, the promotion indicates she’s reached a certain level in sales. That makes her eligible for more compensation pay on sales, in addition to the compensation she earns per client demos.

But professionally, Apple said the promotion opened eyes.

“Managers do now see me as someone who may advance further in the company and who has the potential to be in a higher position in the company in the future,” she said. 

As she continues in learning and growing on the job, she is collecting valuable skills and experiences.

“The best part of the job … is that it offers me valuable practice and experiences as well as giving me a chance to really hone and grow useful skills such as communication, teamwork, team building, time management, and problem solving,” said Apple, who is majoring in computer information systems.

Looking ahead, Apple expects to continue working with CUTCO and Vector Marketing, at least until she lands the dream job that leverages her minor: game design.

“My goal for the future is to work for a company to create video games for both fun, recreational uses as well as simulation games to help train people for important jobs,” she said.