Ross Wilson
- SVP of Sales
- Pepper
School Information
School: UC Santa Barbara
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2008 to 2010
Career Information
Working For: Pepper
Title: SVP of Sales
Industry: SoftwareWhat Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?
I’ve been able to use my sales skills to help grow a 12 person company to a 200+ person company in the three years since I have graduated! I also have purchased two apartment buildings that help me generate passive income – and the majority of the income used to fund the purchases was from College Works Painting.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
Anything can be accomplished with perseverance.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
When interviewed at a tech startup for my first job out of college they hired me on the spot because they were so impressed by my College Works Painting work experience!
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The importance of a work/life balance.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
College Works Painting is extremely challenging. I learned more about business from doing CWP for three years than I have post-graduation. Others will doubt your success and question why you aren’t doing what every other college student is doing. If you want to be different than everyone else, then do something different! The lessons you learn through College Works Painting, friends you make, and business experience that you gain make it all worth it.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
Take as many business specific classes as possible during college – especially classes that focus on entrepreneurship. Also look for an internship like College Works Painting that will provide you with business knowledge so that you can get ahead of your peers. By the time that you graduate you want your resume to stand out and prove that you already have an understanding of business fundamentals.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Hands down Cancun, all three years.
Last words of wisdom?
Ideas are cheap, execution is king!