When starting a new career, internships and training programs are invaluable experiences. A good internship can be the catalyst someone needs to pursue the field in question; a great onboarding experience can be the confirmation that you’ve picked the right path and company. For Jared, a senior regional account executive at The Hartford, both of these experiences confirmed his choice to pursue a career in sales.
“After my junior year in college, during an internship, I was included in a presentation from a vendor who came in to pitch his company,” says Jared. “As I sat there watching him, I realized that sales was the career for me.”
These innocuous moments can change the course of someone’s life. Shortly after the internship concluded, Jared joined The Hartford and began his career in their sales training program, which provided the foundation for a long and fruitful career.
“The sales training program at The Hartford is an investment in the future generation of The Hartford representatives,” he says. “It showed me how committed The Hartford is to the full development of each of their representatives before we ever go into the field.”
That investment proved to Jared that he was in the right field, with the right people, and at the right company—ever since then, he’s been trying his best to pay it forward. Now, Jared has been with The Hartford for over 17 years. Here, he discusses the importance of career development, describes his current role supporting The Hartford’s sales training program, and offers helpful advice to those looking to start a career in sales.
What led to your job at The Hartford? How did you know the company would be a good fit?
On the last day of my internship, the head of the college intern program at that company asked me, “How do you envision your career, ideally, 20 years from now?” I told her that, while I was originally interested in marketing management, I loved the idea of being a top sales representative that a company depended on to bring in revenue for the organization. She recommended I find a group sales school training program to kick start my career. After a series of interviews, The Hartford stood out in a league of its own for one reason: the people. Everyone I spoke with, from current reps to executives, was down-to-earth, kind, and generous with their time. I felt they truly wanted to devote energy to the next generation of representatives. I knew then that I wanted to be on The Hartford team.
What are you responsible for in your current role? What is the most rewarding part about it?
I’m responsible for new business sales and the retention of current clients with our strategic consulting partners in the mid-Atlantic region. I work with our internal team to provide responses to proposal requests and identify long-term solutions for our potential clients. The most rewarding part of my job is working as a team to accomplish our goals and celebrating as a team when we reach those goals. From our client relationship team to underwriting, it takes our entire organization to foster retention successes. To work with such dedicated professionals and to succeed together is truly rewarding.
You’ve been at The Hartford for 17 years, initially starting with The Hartford’s sales training program. How does the company encourage professional development and career growth? How have you been personally supported and empowered?
As my career interests have progressed, I’ve been intentional in speaking with leaders throughout our organization about those interests and how I can develop my skills to meet my goals. Without exception, every leader I have spoken with has been generous with their time and provided me with guidance and support to achieve my personal goals. The opportunities I’ve been presented with are extraordinary and are directly the result of the support from these leaders.
Tell us a little more about The Hartford’s sales training program. How did it help shape your career at The Hartford?
The sales training program an investment in the future of individuals. It’s a detailed course in company products and services and provides an opportunity to meet with successful sales representatives, sales directors, underwriters, product managers, and team members from cross-functional areas.
We understand that you now serve as a mentor for The Hartford’s sales training program. How does your experience impact your mentorship style, and what do you like best about being a mentor?
I recently had the opportunity to meet most of our training program class and I couldn’t be more optimistic about our team’s future. They were truly remarkable. As a mentor it’s important to be nimble, understand where each representative is in their growth, and hope to provide additional coaching they need to help them progress. My favorite part of mentoring is providing advice that can make all the difference starting out. I share things I wish I had known from the beginning and help put our newest representatives in the best position to maximize their potential from day one.
Why is The Hartford an exciting place to work, especially within sales?
The organization’s commitment to our growth and success makes this a special place to be as a sales professional. Our internal partners are continuously looking for feedback on how we can improve our processes, focus our efforts, and drive sustained, profitable growth. More than anything, our organization pursues objectives to positively impact the customer and claimant experience—in my opinion, that’s our North Star. With that focus, it means we’re consistently able to provide new services and features that are impactful and meaningful to our customers.
What advice do you have for people just starting out in a sales career? How can they thrive at The Hartford and in their careers?
When going into sales, it’s important to find a company invested in you and your growth. There should be a training program and a mentor available to you. Any company expecting you to invest your time and energy should be putting time and energy into you. During your training and into the first months of your career talk to as many people as you can. Learn about your products and services, the entirety of the business you’re in, and the businesses you’re selling to. Understand what’s important to all your partners, internally and externally, and provide solutions that meet their goals.