McHenry Times

Ella Conlon of Crystal Lake has been selected to join the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The program, offered by the Center for Sales Excellence, is designed to help students develop communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that are valued by employers. Conlon is currently a sophomore majoring in accounting.

This year’s group includes 47 new inductees from nine majors and four colleges. Admission to the program requires applicants to submit a resume and statement of interest and maintain a minimum GPA. Once accepted, students begin coursework with sales and marketing faculty in the College of Business during the following semester.

"We're excited to welcome one of our largest and most motivated groups yet," said Chad Mardesen, interim director of the Center for Sales Excellence and associate professor of practice in marketing. "Most of these students are sophomores, which gives them more time to take advantage of the program, from internships and networking with partner companies to participating in our events."

According to the university, nearly all students who complete the program secure jobs before graduation. Recent employers include Dell, Deloitte, Gallup, HubSpot, Mutual of Omaha, Oracle, Union Pacific and Walt Disney Company. Several corporate partners met with new inductees prior to last month’s induction ceremony to discuss job opportunities and internships.

The Center for Sales Excellence was established in 2013 and has been recognized as a top university program for professional sales education by the Sales Education Foundation every year since 2014. Students participate in national and international sales competitions and engage with corporate partners for practical experience.

A full list of new inductees into the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence Program can be found at https://go.unl.edu/4ugi.

Information from this story was sourced from MeritPages.com