How a Master of International Business is propelling this alumna’s career
Erin Crowder (MIB ’13) is a medical device sales representative for Boston Scientific. We spoke with Erin about her experience in the Master of International Business (MIB) program, challenges she’s faced in her career and how she overcame them and advice she has for others interested in a master’s degree in international business.
Q: Tell us about your journey after you graduated from the Master of International Business program.
Crowder: “Sales always appealed to me; I admired the dynamic layers and diversity involved in sales. To be successful, you must understand people and psychology just as much as you need to know your products, be able to problem solve and analyze your business. After my MIB, I moved to Houston, Texas to accept a position with United Technologies Corporation’s Otis Elevator. UTC provided a wonderful training program. I will forever be grateful for the education I received in this role. From UTC I moved to Altria which took me to Albany, Georgia. Altria’s training and development programs were superb. Towards the end of 2018, I received a message from a recruiter on LinkedIn that led me to the position of a medical device sales representative with Boston Scientific in South Georgia. In this role, I teach new technology and its impact on a variety of disease states. I also get to support cases as the medical technology is being implemented. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of learning an entirely new industry and feel fortunate to have found such a wonderful company to support.”
Q: How did the MIB program help you to face any challenges you’ve had in your journey?
Crowder: “First and foremost, the education that came from the program undoubtedly propelled my career and continues to do so. The career center and the UF advisors played a tremendous role in helping get my foot in the door for most of my interviews.
I was immediately inspired by the international students in my class. They knew so much about the United States, our government, policies, corporations, etc. I couldn’t come close to rattling off parallel knowledge of their home countries. Collectively, they inspired me to expand my knowledge through experiences. I set a goal for myself to be able to find a connection with every single person I meet – no exceptions. Listening might be the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to learning about people; you can learn something new from everyone you meet. This has absolutely helped me in my career as it’s helped build relationships at a faster rate. People do business with people, not businesses; relationships matter. The world’s not as scary as it may seem once you branch out and learn a little bit more about it.”
Q: What is your best Warrington memory?
Crowder: “My most treasured MIB program memory was our study tour to Berlin. Exploring Germany with my MIB peers is an experience I will always cherish; from getting lost on our city scavenger hunt, navigating public transportation to becoming a bandwagon fan of the German Soccer Team. Many of the lectures we attended were at some of Germany’s most respected corporations: Bayer, Volkswagen, DB and Siemens, to name a few. I was also a student Ambassador for the MIB program & I really enjoyed working with and getting to know my fellow ambassadors.”
Q: Any advice for current MIB students?
Crowder: “I consistently remind myself and others, “Things can’t get better if they stay the same.” It sounds simple (and it is) but, far too often I see people resist change because of the endless list of negative “what ifs” racing through their mind. It’s easy to become frozen by analysis paralysis. I graduated from the MIB program about six years ago. Since then, I’ve held six different roles across three companies in three completely different industries. I moved to three cities spread across three states & lived out of a suitcase more nights than I care to count. It was all the experiences and learnings that built me up to where I am now and prepared me for the role I’m in and love today.
Put your best foot forward- even if you don’t love your job, you’ll need that job to build your resume, then don’t be afraid to try something else. Your desire to succeed must outweigh your fear of failure. Focus on the positive potential and keep stepping forward.
One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can, or you can’t, either way you are right.” You may not have gotten the grade you wanted or the job you’d hoped for or whatever it may be, but it’s up to you to decide when to call in the final score – keep plowing through until you’re happy with the outcome!”
Q: Anything else you would like to share with us?
Crowder: “I love hosting and entertaining with my fiancée, Michael, and spending time with our dogs (we currently have four: three of our own and one foster puppy).
Most of my hobbies revolve around self-care: physical, mental and spiritual care for myself and others. I run to keep myself in shape both physically and mentally. I’m running my first full marathon this spring! I thank God for everything – especially my shortcomings and disappointments because in time, they always lead me to something better. In an effort to ‘pay it forward’ I discovered a passion in volunteer and humanitarian work. This passion has brought me to New Orleans, Morocco, Peru and most recently a Middle Eastern refugee camp in Greece.”
