SERE 100. Yes, we have all suffered through this online training! Every time someone used to tell me I had to conduct online training, this is what came to mind. Let me just click through these slides for about 3 hours until this suffering ends! So after the great excitement, I felt about being accepted into the Tech Qualled program wore off, I contemplated the anguish that was sure to come from 7 weeks of online training. Also, I had no idea of what to make of the two-week sales “boot camp” that accompanies the Launchpad Academy. But, I was ready for a challenge, a change of pace and a surefire way to break into high tech sales so I kept an open mind.

I’ve never been happier to admit I was so very wrong! From the very first week of training, I immediately knew it was going to be different from any other online course I’d taken before. There are slides each week, yes, but that is the only similarity to any other online course. There are tons of small quizzes to reinforce learning and break up any hint of monotony. Throughout each week there are research projects, written assignments, and video submissions as well. It seems like a lot of work at first but it is actually incredibly interesting and rewarding. For the first time in a very long time, I truly enjoyed what I was learning and felt that it would really have an impact on my future.

 By far the most beneficial portion of the training, however, was the interaction. Every Monday afternoon heralded a new live forum with a wide range of guest speakers from various tech companies. This gave us direct insight into the world of technology and sales that we could not have gotten elsewhere. Throughout the rest of the week, if I had any questions about the material, I could reach out to any of the founders of the program, day or night, and they would ensure I fully grasped the concept. By founders, I mean individuals such a Jim Sheriff, a former top Cisco executive, and his wife Karen Sheriff who also has many years of experience in high tech sales and teaching. Once the week was completed, we commented on our end of the week discussion board, which brought on some very interesting interaction between other members of the cohort who may or may not have been just as challenged as me by some of the topics.

 Last but not least is the Launchpad Academy Sales Boot Camp: an intense 10-day face-to-face training in Fort Worth, TX, that absolutely blew my mind! Since my college Spanish class, I’ve never been in an environment that was so carefully tailored to ensure maximum knowledge retention. We had new guest instructors every single day that ranged from Account Executives and CEO’s that taught us about the sales process and negotiations, to specialized trainers such as Denise Harrington that refined our public speaking skills. I was in awe at the care that was put into the training everyday, the quality of the material and presenters and caliber of individuals that surrounded me. Don’t worry – it wasn’t all work, no play! During the last 5 weeks of the program, we started interviewing with technology companies and many of our cohort members received offers during the sales boot camp. To celebrate our inevitable success and hard work we went out as a group most evenings and enjoyed the fine dining and activities of the Fort Worth area.

 Are you a highly successful transitioning veteran interested in a career in high tech sales? Still don’t really understand the difference between a switch and a router or a private cloud and a hybrid cloud? Do you want a challenging and rewarding career in the tech industry but can’t seem to get your foot in the door? You aren’t alone. The Launchpad Academy program is built specifically for veterans – and it didn’t cost me a dime. Check out Tech Qualled at www.qualed.com or reach out to me for more information.