“The Sales Program at CUA has opened countless doors for me,” Ryan shared. “With the support of the program and the alumni network, I was able to build meaningful connections through career fairs and sales socials that ultimately led to my internship with Paycom.” Ryan chose finance and sales because both fields are built on interaction and relationship building. He is drawn to environments where effort directly impacts outcomes, especially in sales, where hard work is reflected in results.
As a student athlete, Ryan developed discipline, accountability, and a strong work ethic that now guide his professional approach. Those qualities pushed him to take action early, build trust with managers and coworkers, and show up every day ready to give one hundred percent. Although Ryan did not initially receive his preferred office location, he chose to embrace the opportunity.
“I took the opportunity to join the Long Island office, where I gained valuable hands on sales experience,” Ryan said.
His performance in Long Island earned him a return offer at the end of the summer. But Ryan had always hoped to return to South Jersey. He followed up with the manager there to express his continued interest. The manager encouraged Ryan to prove how much the opportunity truly meant to him.
Ryan responded with a custom gift.
“I sent him a personalized trading card I created to show how much it meant to me to come home and work in that office,” Ryan explained. “We were making similar cards for clients in Long Island, and I thought it would be meaningful for him to receive one directly from me.” The gesture worked.
“The gift paid off,” Ryan said. “It showed the importance of persistence, creativity, and relationship building that the program emphasizes.” That experience taught Ryan a deeper lesson about sales.
“Perseverance and thinking outside the box say a lot about who you are and how much you value an opportunity,” he reflected. “A no at the start is not always permanent. Sometimes it is just a not right now.”Looking ahead, Ryan hopes to build a long term career at Paycom centered on continuous learning and growth. He ultimately hopes to step into a leadership role and make a positive impact on the Account Executives he leads, just as his own manager and mentor did for him. The skills Ryan relies on most today are communication, empathy, and relationship building. The Sales Program taught him to listen first, understand people and their challenges, and build genuine connections.
His advice to younger Sales Program students is simple, “Stay consistent. When you show up every day and give one hundred percent, you separate yourself more than you might expect. In sales, what you put in is what you get out, and it all comes down to work ethic.”