How to Prepare for Life After Graduation

Elaine Stover accepting a College Bowl check.

Summer is quickly approaching, and hundreds of thousands of students will be graduating college and entering the 'real world' of work. I caught up with Elaine Stover from the Career Services center at Arizona State University and asked her to share her perspective of what selling CUTCO® does for her students.

“As you know, the role of Career Services at universities is to prepare our students for the working world after graduation. The job market is difficult today, so we continually look for new and innovative opportunities for these graduates.

We don’t always think of direct sales as a training ground for these students as we encourage them to seek careers that satisfy their passions; to find something they’re good at, that they’ll succeed at and that they love. As you can imagine, it’s often easier said than done.

Our university has had a relationship with Vector Marketing and CUTCO for a number of years, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I fully understood the essence of this student opportunity when I was invited to a summer conference. My expectations were that I would meet an audience that was polite and appreciative of the school’s support.

But I encountered much, much more.

In short, my experience was amazing. I witnessed hundreds of college students who had successfully completed a summer of selling CUTCO® cutlery with Vector Marketing acknowledging their success. But what was so intriguing – and encouraging – was the passion and enthusiasm these student exhibited. It was a phenomenon I have rarely seen in the business world.

These students were exuberant and authentic and genuinely happy for their colleagues. While these summer sales positions may not fit our typical definition for an internship or career-related position, I urge parents, students and other career services professionals to consider it as an invaluable experience that can pave the way for careers with this organization or in other industries.

During this conference, it became abundantly clear that the skills these students learned are invaluable. They displayed poise, leadership traits, an ability to make presentations to total strangers in their homes, and time management skills. They also learned that they can control their own futures and compensation through hard work and dedication.

These entrepreneurial skills are sought in today’s working world, and I continue to recommend the Vector/CUTCO experience as a career and also as a valuable stepping stone to other positions.”

What do you think? Does her sentiment reflect your experience selling CUTCO®?

Share in the comments!