Impossible Foods – Apprenticeship Week 10
Every week through (at least) April 2020, I will be outlining my apprenticeship experience as an Inside Sales Rep for Impossible Foods. Each week’s post will recap what I’m learning, what I’ve accomplished, and overall how I am growing and progressing as both a professional and an individual. Writing these posts is not only a great way for me to document my experience to look back on in the future, it also allows me to publicly share my successes and failures during my first venture into the professional tech world. Let’s do this.
Week 10
What I am learning at work:
One thing that has become incredibly apparent to me recently is the importance of quality documentation. Now, having gone through Praxis and traditional schooling before that, it’s not like I thought documentation was unimportant — especially for someone like me who has trouble remembering someone’s name after 10 seconds (although for some reason I can remember lyrics to a made-up song from over 15 years ago, thanks brain for knowing what’s important).
With the amount of variables I encounter on a daily basis, taking quality notes is absolutely crucial to success in the workplace. Whether it be keeping track of how a conversation is progressing over weeks or even months at a time, taking note of things being discussed in meetings or group chats, or just writing down the things I accomplished each and every day — having more well-constructed information that is concrete as opposed to “abstract” (just anything I haven’t written down) makes a night and day difference when it comes to the quality and accuracy of my work.
What I am learning outside of work:
How to best manage my finances going forward. I am still 100% reliant on my small, hometown bank, and for a while have known that I will need to take steps to prepare myself for the future, and I’m finally getting the ball rolling. I’m currently evaluating my options when it comes to banking, various applications, and all things credit-related. I’m also learning that there is quite a bit I don’t know in this area, so I’m excited to start painting a full picture.
What I’m creating:
Not creating per se, but I will be spending time over the next few weeks poring through our conversational content to see if there are areas that need improvement, if we need to shift our vernacular, or even our entire approach. Our content hasn’t changed much (if at all) since I began, and maybe even since the inception of Inside Sales here, and could likely use a tweak here and there.
What I’m currently working on at Impossible Foods:
Mainly the same tasks that I’ve been handling since joining Impossible Foods. Right now my main responsibilities are to handle as many leads that are in our qualifying/closing stages as I can with speed and excellence, while remaining aware of how our process is functioning both in broad terms and at a minuscule level. Additionally, I am responsible for a weekly side-task where I compile and complete information to be sent to a third-party group that helps us with our process.
How I’m improving myself:
While there is no groundbreaking New Year resolution for me to announce, lately I have been making a conscientious effort to read more — and not just sales books, either (although they make appearances). I’ve been reading books from all corners, just for some examples:
- A Brief History of Time
- In Cold Blood
- A Clash of Kings (ASOIAF)
- High-Hanging Fruit (shoutout fellow Willmarite Tim Chermak)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Maybe not as much variety as I thought, but changing books/scenery after a while is a nice breath of fresh air. Each time I sit down to read is just a bit easier than the time before — a trend I look forward to continuing.
Weekly Praxis Monday Recap:
Due to the timing of last week’s layout, there was no Praxis monday meeting; however, this upcoming week features a guest speaker that I’m really excited to hear from, so check in to this spot next week to read some of my takeaways.
What’s Next:
After a lull period that took place over the holidays, things are about to turn up a notch (or 5). Impossible Foods will be making a splash at the CES convention in Las Vegas. According to the CES website, “CES is the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies”. Our founder, Pat Brown, along with a team of Impossible brand ambassadors will be running a booth in an effort to create some buzz around some upcoming products & innovations as we look towards 2020 and beyond. I fully expect an increase in the volume of leads, and I’m taking full responsibility to be prepared to not only be able to handle the heavy workload, but be 100% in all new information so that I can be ready for any situation.
Until Next Week!