Kent State University College of Business Administration Students Compete at Sales Competition

KENT, Ohio - April 7, 2016 - PRLog -- Three College of Business Administration students participated at the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition (UTISC) last month. Thirty-one universities competed and Kent State made the top ten, placing ninth overall, with two students competing in the final rounds.

Randy Roland, a sophomore with a double major in entrepreneurship and marketing, made it to the semi-finals. Roland is studying for his Professional Sales Certificate and is president of the Kent State Chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), a professional fraternity specializing in the advancement of sales, marketing and management professions. Roland is currently in contention to qualify to compete at the 2017 National Sales Competition in Orlando, Fla.

"My experience was something I'll remember for the rest of my life," said Roland. "Representing Kent State, receiving multiple job offers and developing my skills in professional sales are just a few benefits from attending the UTISC."

Tim Hrich, junior business management major, made it to quarter-finals. Hrich is vice president of professional development of PSE and is a marketing intern at Clear Choice Custom LASIK Center. Hrich is graduating in Spring 2017 with an ultimate goal to achieve an executive leadership position with a Fortune 500 company.

"The UTISC was a fantastic opportunity to grow professionally and network with sales professionals," said Hrich. "There were a total of 31 universities with more than 80 students participating, as well as many nationally recognized companies, making it a great way to meet peers and potential employers. It was a very rewarding experience."

The three-day competition consisted of a networking reception, career fair, coaching and interview sessions and a hockey game with dinner, in addition to the five rounds of sales competition.

The UTISC Career Fair provided opportunities to meet corporate recruiters who may not have had the opportunity to participate in Kent State Career Fairs. Several past Kent State competitors are now working for companies who do not traditionally recruit at Kent State from California, New York, Washington D.C. and Florida.

Jordon Marich, sophomore entrepreneurship major, attended as a coach and Ellen Daniels, marketing and entrepreneurship instructor at the College of Business Administration, attended with the Kent State students.

"These types of competitions allow students to showcase their sales skills in a competitive setting not unlike what they will face after graduation," said Daniels. "The feedback they receive from the corporate judges is invaluable toward preparation for the business world."

The UTISC is hosted by the Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales (http://www.utoledo.edu/business/ESSPS/) (ESSPS). The mission of the ESSPS is to provide world class educational programs in sales and sales leadership, to enhance the world of business practice related to professional sales and to become a recognized global leader in sales learning, discovery and engagement.

Kent State's College of Business Administration sales program is ranked in the top 100 by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF). For more information about the College of Business Administration's Professional Sales Certificate, visit http://business.kent.edu/departments/marketing-and-entrepreneurship.

For more information about the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition, visit http://www.utoledo.edu/business/essps/utisc/.

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Kent State University's College of Business Administration is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) and one of the largest colleges of business in Ohio.  The college has more than 4,300 students representing 50 countries with over 89 full-time faculty from 16 countries.

The college grants undergraduate through graduate degrees, and is one of only three colleges in Ohio with a comprehensive Ph.D. program.  The MBA program is offered with nine concentrations and five dual degree options. The Executive MBA program offer two tracks: one targeting corporate professionals and the other healthcare executives.  The M.S. in Accounting and M.A. in Economics are specialized master's degrees for those seeking advanced study in these disciplines.  The college boasts nine undergraduate majors, 12 minors and a Professional Sales Certificate program.

The college is listed as a Best Business School by Princeton Review, ranked as a Best Business College by U.S. News and World Report, one of only 23 accounting programs worldwide to be endorsed by the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), ranked Top-Tier for Executive Education in North America by CEO Magazine and ranked fourth by the SEF (Sales Education Foundation) in Ohio for Professional Sales Education.

The college boasts an onsite Career Services Center and International Programs Office dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Media Contacts:

Michelle Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, mparris3@kent.edu, (330) 672-2717

Ashley Cowles, Marketing Communications Specialist, acowles1@kent.edu, (330) 672-1279