Herbert Bempah
Company: Shopify
Position: Retail Development Sales
How did the GCSC open up doors for you to connect with Shopify?
I joined the GCSC as an Ambassador for the University of New Brunswick. Initially, my aim was to make some money promoting the competition to students on my university campus. I finally decided to enter the competition myself in 2016 and progressed to the Semi-Final round! I had a lot of fun in this round and gained perspective on the world of technology sales and the exciting companies that exist and sponsor the competition. I decided to enter again the following year and progressed to the Final round at the Google HQ in Toronto and subsequently won the entirety of the competition.
Why did you decide to get involved with the Great Canadian Sales Competition?
100% of the job offers I received after graduation came as a direct result of my participation in the GCSC. I feel fortunate to have had a myriad of options at the very beginning of my career. I started working as an Account Executive with an awesome management consulting firm called Plative, and recently transitioned to a dream company, Shopify, on their retail ambassador team!
Do you have any advice for students looking to land jobs for when they graduate?
If you are considering entering the competition, don't think twice - just do it. It may just change your life and professional career. If you happen to have progressed to the Semi-Final round, kudos - take it seriously and do your best. If you manage to make it to the Finalist stage, relish in this impressive achievement and know that you are already a winner! Ultimately, do your best, work hard and network. I guarantee that it will pay off!