From Campus Manager To Sport Big Leagues: Sierra's Trailblazing Career
Meet Sierra Bui, a 21-year-old marketing student from Atlanta, Georgia. Born and raised in the southern state, she is a true Georgia peach through and through. Currently studying at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, Sierra is set to graduate this coming May.
With a major in marketing and a minor in sports marketing, she is passionate about all things sales, advertising, and promotions. She's done so well for herself that she's going from managing her merch business worth $214,000 in revenue to getting multiple offers to work full-time as an Account Manager at San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Denver Nuggets (NBA,) and more!
She’s built her expertise in managing high-stakes accounts and here's all that she had to share about her story and success.
What makes Sierra, ‘Sierra’? The experiences that lead to success.
Sierra's work ethic has been world-class since day one. She joined the Chi Omega sorority and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as both the external events chair and the marketing director. She's also a member of the VSA Vietnamese Student Association and Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity, where she currently holds the position of marketing director.
Her work experience is equally impressive. Starting with her first real job at Barnes and Noble's on-campus bookstore and then joining Fresh Prints (that's us!), as a students campus manager using company resources to create and sell custom apparel and merchandise at her campus.
Interestingly, she was initially skeptical, but after hearing about it from a friend, Casey Colquitt, who was a student campus manager at the time (FYI Casey now works with us full-time), she decided to give it a try. Today, Sierra credits Casey as a mentor and a big sister for all her support in her work and personal life.
If all of that wasn't enough, she's also been taking Mercer's marketing research classes by storm. She has gained hands-on experience working with brands such as Agaciro, now known as IMWe, a brand that Mercer students help market in the States!
She even worked on the merchandise team for a minor-league baseball team. This girl's got more marketing experience than Don Draper on a bender. TBH - we wouldn't even be surprised if she was able to sell ice to Eskimos.
So what’s the key takeaway for you? She's developed her leadership skills through club and org activities, built a solid work experience that taught her professional skills throughout college, and practiced the marketing chops she was learning in class real-time.
How did Sierra make it to the big leagues?
Sierra’s a real rising star in the world of sports sales - the girl’s got more job offers than Tinder matches! For real. She's received job offers from prominent sports organizations across the country, including the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment i.e. Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), and Colorado Mammoth (MLL).
Plus, she is waiting on hearing back from the Atlanta Hawks, NASCAR, New York Mets, Miami Dolphins, and Chicago Blackhawks to name a few. Phew, we managed to list them down all right!
Where did it all begin? She first joined the National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (try saying that three times fast) and totally rocked it. She qualified for the in-person rounds in Atlanta, and the rest is history.
Since November, she's been chatting with more teams than a bartender on a Friday night. San Jose Sharks tried to nab her early, but she said, "I’m not very sure about relocating to the West Coast just yet. You never know where life is going to take me!"
The Pittsburgh Pirates offered her a gig before spring break, but she's still pondering if she's ready to trade in the peach state for the land of the Steelers. And what do you know? According to the latest update - they are a no-go too.
It doesn't end there - Atlanta Hawks, NASCAR, and even the Chicago Blackhawks want a piece of the action, and she's got a chat scheduled with many more.
All of that and she's just getting started. With her smarts and spunk, Sierra's destined for greatness in the world of sports sales. Are we going too far with the praises? We think not.
What does being an account manager really mean?
Sierra has taken on the account manager role It's harder than trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. She's got quotas up the wazoo - daily, weekly, monthly - for interactions, calls, and meetings with clients. She's basically like the Energizer Bunny but without the drum.
According to her, this role has got a laundry list of responsibilities. She has to find new business, service existing clients, make sales, close deals, and make sure that the clients are happy - like really going out with wide smiles + bringing continuous business in. Oh, and she's got to make sure the whole experience is memorable and impactful. No pressure.
She believes it’s all about being ready to hit the ground running and create experiences that'll make the clients want to hug you out of joy. You have to talk their ears off, charm them with your wit, and sell them something they never knew they needed.
So, we really had to ask her:
How did she land multiple offers from major professional sports teams?
She says her standout quality lies within her ability to leverage the sales and marketing experience she's gained as a college student.
To us - that comes as no surprise. Generating sales worth $214K as a college student at Fresh Prints, Sierra is considered to be one of our impressive Campus Managers. We mean, who else in college can say that they've done that at the age of 19 or 20?
Sierra let us know that in her interviews, she makes sure to highlight the real-life sales experience that she had as a Campus Manager.
Sierra also noted that the CM experience helped her build her network. “As a Campus Manager, I was involved with different student organizations because I was helping them with merch. All of that outreach helped me network and that is so important in the business world. It's all about strengthening those connections.” And she's right! You never know which referral or person can introduce you to your next big opportunity.
So, if you're looking to make it big in account management, you need to gain hands-on experience so you have evidence to back up the skills employers are looking for, and build your presentation skills so you are confident and memorable.
Pause! As much as Sierra loves it, we're big believers in looking for jobs that speak to you. If you're considering being a CM, sign up for a call with a former Campus Manager to see if this is right for you. Also, here's our take on major aspects of the CM job that people either love or hate. All to help you decide!
How exactly do the interview rounds work at these star-studded teams?
Sierra’s journey into the world of sports sales began with a lightning-fast interview process at the San Jose Sharks. Every organization has its own approach, and the Sharks emphasized the speed of their process.
She had an introductory call with them in November, followed by a virtual group interview that included workshop activities to assess candidate performance. The group interview was split into groups of three, and candidates were assessed based on their ability to work within the organization's culture. Sounds about right for every big team out there, huh?
To top it off, the Sharks valued their company culture and wanted to ensure that everyone felt at home. She had two interactions with the Sharks before her final interview and was offered the job a week later. Wow! That was lightning-fast, wasn’t it?
She had two weeks to decide but ultimately declined. ‘Cause a girl’s gotta do what she gotta do, right?
But she gave us an insider saying that the interactions for the sales role could go up to seven or ten rounds! The moral of the story is to be confident, not overthink things, and remember that everyone is in the same boat as you. All you have to do is prepare HARD.
Sierra's tips on making it to the big leagues!
Here's everything Sierra had to say about getting offers from major sports league teams.
First up, let's talk headshots. It's essential to have a professional and up-to-date one. Sierra admits that she needs to update hers too, but let's not hold that against her.
Next up, résumés. Keep them locked down and updated, and don't hesitate to consult school advisors for guidance. Use all available resources to your advantage.
Now, let's get to the good stuff: Networking. Sierra believes that things like hitting up career fairs and engaging with guest speakers after their presentations are a MUST. Be an active listener and genuinely engage with people - when you're talking about something you actually liked in their presentation for example - it becomes easy!
And let's not forget about LinkedIn, the holy grail of networking. Sierra recommends connecting with as many people as you can and expressing intent with a custom connection message.
Last but not least, Sierra talked about being a kind and genuine human being. Always treat others as you would like to be treated. In fact, Sierra's special sauce for success is to always be true to herself. While it was not the goal, Sierra believes that being authentic has opened doors for her in the business world.
To one-shot everything, Sierra's advice is authentic. Get OUT there, take action, and stay true to yourself.
What's next for Sierra?
When asked about her future aspirations, Sierra admittedly felt a bit like a deer in headlights (like she was re-doing one of those high-pressure job interviews!). But fear not, dear readers, because Sierra's nowhere near her flop era.
First up, Sierra's got major love for her family, and wants nothing more than to pay her parents back for all their sacrifices. She's also keen on exploring what the world's got to offer and growing as a person, both professionally and personally. Speaking of her career, Sierra set her sights on crushing it as an account manager in the sports industry.
But here's where things get interesting... She's not just in it for the money. Nope, she's all about achieving her goals and promoting diversity in the industry. As a woman of Asian descent, she understands firsthand the significance of breaking barriers and paving the way for other young professionals like herself. By fearlessly pursuing her dreams, she sincerely hopes to inspire and empower the next + current generation of Asian women to do the same.
Sierra's got some serious moxie and a whole lot of heart. And if you ask us, these are absolutely noteworthy qualities to have. A major thank you to Sierra for sitting down with us for this piece. We wish nothing but the best for her!
Got super inspired by reading Sierra’s story? Then you should definitely keep track of Lexi’s journey! Here's how she went from being a campus manager to working full-time at EY. Yes, EY - The big four!