From a bump in the road early on in her career path to a major bump up the career ladder, Michaela S. proves the fastest way to career success is hard work and perseverance. She’s a Yelper through and through, embodying the spirit of our Yelp Sales family and helping her teammates reach their goals month after month. Want to follow in her footsteps? Read on for her tips on becoming a part of the Yelp Sales team.
What did you do before coming to Yelp?
I was a Corporate Event Planner. As an event coordinator I was responsible for planning, organizing, and executing events throughout the Bay Area.
How did you first hear about Yelp and the job opening?
Given the state of the economy in 2008, finding an entry-level position in any field was extremely difficult. The event planning firm I was working for at the time went under and therefore left me unemployed. I felt like I was living in the 21st century version of the Great Depression. It seemed as though every organization was on a hiring freeze or having to let go of some of their best employees. For someone like myself with less than a year of experience in the workplace, and in a field that wasn't growing, I found myself in a very frustrating and difficult position.
I started by making a list of all websites, brands, and companies that I either used, liked, or admired. From there I looked at their career sites to see if there were any job openings. For many years I have had family and friends tell me "you really should consider going into sales." I never thought much of it until I stumbled across this little website called Yelp. I had heard of Yelp, but hadn’t really used it. I did my research, read up on the product and mission of the business model and decided to apply for the Account Executive position. The rest is history….
What's your title at Yelp and how long have you been with the company?
Associate Director of Sales, SF. I started in September of 2009, coming up on 4 years.
What comprises a typical day for you?
Every day is different. A typical day includes walking around the sales floors, talking and game planning with reps about pitches that they have lined up for the day. I meet with different managers, reps, and others within the company to talk about ways we can improve productivity and best practices for selling Yelp.
What's the best part of working for Yelp?
My favorite part about Yelp and working for Yelp is that you determine your own success. Positions are not given, they are taken. We provide an environment for sales professionals of all backgrounds to grow their career, make money and have fun while they do it.
What is your favorite perk at Yelp?
I don't know if you would categorize this as a "perk" but I love how much we support our employees. The people leading this organization genuinely care about our employees and I think that is a very rare and special thing. We are a family and we all have one common goal: to succeed.
What has been your favorite memory at Yelp?
President's Club. Getting to hang out with the top sales reps from all the different offices and of course, watching Jeremy get down on the dance floor 🙂
What separates Yelp from other places you've worked?
You can't compare Yelp to any other organization.
Finally, what would be your one piece of advice for someone interested in your role?
If you are ready to work hard, play hard, and work harder, then this is the place for you. There is nothing better than winning and Yelp is a company that wins and celebrates those wins, everyday.
