We are excited to showcase our Training Center Managers, including Senior Manager, Virtual Training Centers, Taylor Trumphour, and Training Center Manager, Virtual, TJ Sellers. Taylor and TJ provided insight into their ALKU careers, their favorite aspects of their role, and great details about the Virtual Training Center. Check it out below!
When did you start your ALKU career?
Taylor: I started my career in 2014 with Holland Square Group, which was ultimately acquired by ALKU.
TJ: I started my career in 2021!
Were you an ALKU Intern?
Taylor: I, unfortunately, was not an Intern, but the value our Interns bring each day makes me wonder if I could have cut it in college. Our Interns are some of the hardest-working people I have ever had the pleasure of mentoring.
TJ: I was not an ALKU Intern. I had committed to a landscaping company by my college, so I could not intern my senior year after signing my full-time offer.
What was your first full-time role at ALKU?
Taylor: Initially, I was a Recruiter but quickly jumped to the other side of the desk as the need for an Account Manager was more pressing.
TJ: My first full-time role at ALKU was as a Recruiter!
What drove you to your current position?
Taylor: Dan Lyons was the Sales Manager who convinced me that I could bring value to our Training Center team. Ultimately Andrew Regan sold me on the opportunity to come in and start something brand new in our Training Center world.
TJ: Meghan McCarthy, Brian Ward, and Nate Hoffman were my Managers when I was a Recruiter for Pharmaceutical Quality, Validation, & Control, then Pharmaceutical Technical Engineering & Validation after Pharmaceutical Quality, Validation, & Control split into two groups. I really loved the job, and when a Training Center position popped up, Nate Hoffman encouraged me to go for it because he said I would be great for the role.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Taylor: Watching Interns launch into our workforce post-grad and continue to grow is easily the most satisfying part of this job. I have been able to mentor many people who have gone on to achieve not only their personal financial goals but also make a significant impact on our culture.
TJ: My favorite part about the job is teaching and inspiring the Interns to love ALKU and staffing in general. Then, watching them succeed and have an impact after we launch them full-time into the workforce is something that is also super special to me. I love my job and love teaching every Intern the ALKU culture.
What is the atmosphere like at the Training Center?
Taylor: Our physical Training Centers are always buzzing and truly mimic our offices in Andover, Herndon, Charlotte, and Nashville. Interestingly enough, our Virtual Training Centers rival this idea. Over 100 different colleges have been represented in our Virtual Training Centers, so you can imagine the chatter and comradery that is generated when like-minded college students have an opportunity to grow their network with a population of people whom they will likely begin their post-grad career with.
TJ: Within the Virtual Training Centers, the atmosphere is definitely a Have Fun Working Hard® mentality. We have students from all over the east coast within our virtual space, and everyone always becomes super close as they learn the job together, which is amazing to see. We like to do contests in the virtual space where Interns compete head-to-head for some awesome prizes.
How does ALKU’s Have Fun Working Hard® culture display throughout the Training Center?
Taylor: Our goal of this internship is to generate fully functioning salespeople post-grad. While that is the number one priority, we also realize so much of your career is built around the social aspects of working alongside dedicated and career-driven professionals. Finding opportunities to do contests, trivia, competitions, and awards will always be part of why ALKU is an incredible company.
TJ: Everyone in each Training Center, from the Managers to the Interns, is implementing the Have Fun Working Hard® culture each and every single day.
What can an ALKU Intern expect to learn and experience throughout their internship?
Taylor: Our Interns are given the tools to actually do this job. We are not tasking them with grabbing coffee or filling out paperwork. Instead, they are given training and set off on a path that will give them a real look at what this job is. This way, when they consider if ALKU is the place for them post-grad, they are aware of all of the factors that will lead them to a successful career.
TJ: Our Interns are given the keys to the car right out of the gate! From the very first day, our Interns are learning the basics of sales at a fast pace- think on your feet environment. As the job goes on, within a month, Interns will have learned everything that our full-time people in our offices do on a day-to-day basis and be doing the same exact thing. This helps our interns when they go full-time because they have been doing the exact job while in college, as well as growing their own books of business.
What is one piece of advice you would give an individual looking to pursue an internship at ALKU?
Taylor: Welcome failure. In sales, you will almost always hear “no” more than “yes,” regardless of your tenure and level of success. If we can fail and understand how to avoid this in the future, we will grow and begin to welcome objections we have seen before. I want Interns to get their confidence not from their success but rather be confident that they will eventually succeed if they can be diligent.
TJ: Be a sponge. From your initial call with your Internal Recruiter to an interview to starting the internship, be a sponge. Absorb all the information you are hearing and apply it going forward. Other than this, come in with some energy and confidence! Sales can have its ups and downs, but if you have the right attitude and trust our process, you will succeed.
Are you interested in kickstarting your career at ALKU? Take a look at our internship opportunities and submit your application today!