Class of 2022: Kristen Olson

Kristen Olson is a 2022 graduate of the Isenberg School of Management, where she majored in marketing—and found her professional passion in sales. Joining the Isenberg Sales Club as a freshman, Olson remained a member for all four years of college and was the president for her last year and a half. Through the club, she competed in two national sales competitions, the Northeast Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC) and the International Collegiate Sales Competition (ICSC), where she demonstrated applicable sales skills and networked with the top companies in the nation.

During her time at Isenberg, Olson had internships with ALKU, RSA, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). She learned how to cold call, qualify leads, and take ownership of introductory meetings. “Each of my internships allowed me to use the skills I learned in the classroom in a tangible way,” she says. “I used Isenberg’s platform, iConnect, to apply for RSA, and I was internally referred at AWS by an Isenberg alumna and received the application through her.”

Olson’s most memorable class was Marketing 425: Sales and Distribution Strategy, taught by Mathew Glennon. She says: “I worked closely with Professor Glennon throughout my four years at Isenberg, because he is the faculty advisor to the Sales Club as well. I can attribute the caliber of the class to Professor Glennon’s passion for sales and the presence of companies in each class meeting.” She also credits Miranda, the alumna who connected her with AWS, as an incredible source of support. “Miranda was a senior in the sales club when I was a freshman, and she was a mentor in the early stages of my career,” Olson says. “Ever since then, she has helped me navigate my journey into the professional world!”

Olson left Isenberg for a post-grad role as a lead development representative with AWC at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. She tells new students: “Take advantage of the networking that college has to offer and find a mentor you can learn from. There are always companies on campus, whether through clubs or Chase Career Center events. Join clubs to meet upperclassmen and peers you never would have met, because those might be some of the most useful connections you make in Isenberg!”