Graduate Highlight
Brittany Mcunu (Cohort 1), a former physician, graduated from PreSales Academy in November 2021 and started in a Solution Engineer position at Quickbase in January 2022! Learn more about her inspiring story below:
Tell us about yourself:
I am a former physician with a background in Internal Medicine and Cardiology who had the privilege to successfully complete a career transition into the PreSales space as a solution engineer with the guidance and training provided
through the PSA.
What made you want to get into PreSales?
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and impacted all industries with medicine particularly affected. The challenges I faced in my daily interactions with my patients were exacerbated by technology gaps that sparked my interest in being part of the solution in improving customer and employee experience through technology. If the right or wrong solution could make such an impact on my ability to perform my expertise and provide the best experience I could on the small scale of my 20-25 patient encounters a day, imagine that magnified on the B2B side. As a forever learner who loves a challenge and maximizing my contribution to society, I was determined to grow my impact account and saw PreSales and technology as the best way to do just that. I was fortunate during that time to see the day-to-day life of my partner who is a senior solution engineer. The overlaps between the foundation skills I learned in medical school about forming assessment and plans and that of discovery and demo gave me the confidence to pursue a career in PreSales as a logical evolution of my career in light of our rapidly evolving world.
Why did you choose PreSales Academy?
I attribute most of the success I have had in my life and career to having the right people in my corner. As a byproduct of how who you know can often matter far more than what you know, I knew the importance of finding people willing to guide me in my career change. The PreSales Academy represented just that to me with the top experts in PreSales willing to support, prepare and encourage me to accomplish my goals. Without Yuji, James, my coach and mentor in the PSA, my journey into PreSales would have been a much more uphill and unsure journey so I believe that my participation in the program was well worth the ROI.
What would you recommend to someone considering the PSA?
I would absolutely recommend and advocate for anyone looking to break into the PreSales space to participate in the PSA!
How did PSA help you in ultimately landing a PreSales job?
The PSA provided me with the foundational skills and confidence in my transferable talents that ultimately helped me land my role as a solution engineer. The opportunity to roleplay with my peers and expert SEs sharpened the tools that I developed through studying the resources they provided through didactics, self-assessments among others. This experience gave me the confidence to prepare for and knock out a panel interview, demo, and presentation for a company that was so impressed with my preparation that my role was bumped up from an associate solution engineer to reflect the skillset that I demonstrated.
Anything else to add about your experience with the program?
One of my favorite experiences with the PSA was meeting like-minded individuals who are motivated, hard-working, and ambitious experts from all different backgrounds and professions. I am grateful to have formed friends and connections through this program that are even more invaluable to me than the knowledge imparted to me.
Where do you work now?
What are you most excited about in your new job? I work at Quickbase as a Solution Engineer. I am most excited to join the culture of a team that is winning yet humble and eager to change to add even more value to the space in 2022. I absolutely feel encouraged and content to be an A player on an A-list team which would not have been possible without the preparation and confidence the PSA helped me to master.