Guest Speaker Bob Williston, From a Students Perspective

Bob Williston, PSU alum and Sales Executive at Cisco gave tremendous presentations in two classes on March 15. He was highly engaging and extremely well recieved by our students. Here is just one students experience.

Brandon Kingsley

Professor Nadeau

Guest Speaker: Bob Williston, Cisco and  PSU alum

Out of all the speakers that we have had in Professor Nadeau’s class this was by far the most engaging and someone that I felt I could relate to. He was a Plymouth State University alum as a English Major in 1994. Who would have thought he graduated with that, seeing the position that he is in today. This was very comforting to hear, because I along with many of my fellow students don’t have a good idea what we want to do after college. This gave me a piece of mind that I can work hard in college in a degree that I enjoy and not necessary have to worry about the exact job I will want or think I will have after college, because as Mr. Williston said “ I had no clue when I was at Plymouth State College”. He did not have a career job right after college he worked for his father’s funeral home and that is when he met the CEO of a Sales company, and got offered a job. Since then he has had a number of sales jobs and for the past 14 years he has had many positions with his current company Cisco.

            What I took away from Bob Williston presentation today is not how great Cisco is, but how great you can be as a person and how you can be successful in careers after college. He spoke many times about how you need to find a job or thing that you are phenomenal at and go with it. Don’t try and be someone you are not, I feel that many of us fall into this trap at some point, I know I do. When someone talks to you about a position or career in a company and you think that would be so great. But we think that sometimes in the wrong way. You could think that “wow” sales people make big bucks and seem to live a life that you would want, when that really isn’t your ‘rock star’ talent.  I personally don’t think that I would want to have a job like Mr. Williston has, but we all have to be a sale’s people in no matter what type of business we are in. He explained that we are constantly having to sell ourselves to our professor or are bosses. With that he taught us some great things, for example working around the dreaded ‘NO’, networking with people and business. The three big keys in business are: relationships, trust, and listen, these three topics are the foundation to our success out there in the business world.

            In concussion I learn some great foundational idea’s that I will be able to apply in everyday life. When it comes down to it be yourself, find something you love and are phenomenal at and don’t be someone you are not.