Name:
Ilya
Career:
Business Development
Company Field:
Enterprise Software (Acxiom - Big Data)
Located In:
São Paulo, Brazil
Grew Up In:
Vancouver, Canada
Graduated From:
Cornell University
Majored In:
Applied Economics and Management
Graduated In:
2010
After College Lifestyles
Sales
Brazil
Cornell University
Ilya is a Business Developer/Seller for Acxiom Big Data in São Paulo, Brazil. Ilya's job entails sourcing deals, pitching clients, creating proposals, and negotiating contracts. Ilya grew up in Vancouver, Canada and went to Cornell University. Learn how he made the transition to Brazil..
Overview:
Name:
Ilya
Career:
Business Development
Company Field:
Enterprise Software (Acxiom - Big Data)
Located In:
São Paulo, Brazil
Grew Up In:
Vancouver, Canada
Graduated From:
Cornell University
Majored In:
Applied Economics and Management
Graduated In:
2010
Quick Stats on Selling Enterprise Software:
Work Hours/Week:
50 hours
Work Hour Flexibility:
Medium
Quality of Lifestyle Outside of Work:
High
Work Stress Level:
Medium
Level of Routine Work:
Low
Interaction with Co-Workers:
High
Pay Level (out of 5):
$$$$
Life of a College Grad Business Developer:
I work for Acxiom in São Paulo, which is an American Big Data company with offices all over the world. I'm in a business development role, which means I am responsible for sourcing deals, pitching clients, creating proposals, negotiation contracts and upselling after we've executed. I also work closely with the consulting and delivery team in order to make sure the projects are on track and our customers are happy.
Sales Person's Daily Routine:
8:30 AM Wake up
9:00 AM Metro to work
9:30 AM Arrive at work and write emails
11:00 AM Client meeting/call
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM Meeting/calls
4:00 PM emails/team meeting
6:00 PM Finish work
7:00 PM Dinner with friends
11:00 PM Personal emails/projects
12:00 AM Sleep
How To Get Into The Field
After graduating from the department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell, I got my first job in Brazil with Vale, the world's second largest mining company. I had what I call the Best First Job Ever, as I got to live in a hotel for free in Brazil for 8 months, 6 of which were on an island. I learned Portuguese, travelled, and had a great time both in and outside of work. After that, I moved back to Canada and started really missing Brazil. After another 8 months working in Toronto and St. John's with Vale, I decided to leave and work for a startup from Stanford that was doing market research in the favelas. It was a huge life change and I was never 100% sure that it was the right decision, but I went with my gut. I worked at two other startups in the education space, helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in seed investment and learned all about building online businesses. I used a lot of the skills I learned in school, especially the leadership and interpersonal skills. I was outside of my culture and comfort zone for most of my post graduate life and had to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Cornell prepared me well for that.
What Do You
Really Do?
I send a lot of emails, attend meeting, create pitch desks, get quotes / proposals and sell, sell, sell! My job is to meet the right people in the company who have the power to make a large purchase. Usually these are the CMO, or the top level marketing person in the company. The trick is to build relationships and show them how your product will help them do their job better and they need to use it. It's fun because you're constantly dealing with top level managers and helping them use cutting edge technology. There is a lot of networking involved.
Pros/Cons of Your Job
I really like the sales and business develop mixed with leading technology solutions. I get to be both a huge nerd and a used cars salesman (just kidding) at the same time.
Tour My Life in São Paulo, Brazil
Quick Stats on São Paulo, Brazil
Job Opportunities:
High
Competition for Housing:
Medium
Housing Cost:
Medium
Population of Young People:
High
Nightlife:
High
Safety:
Low
Biggest Industries:
Finance, Technology, Fashion
The Life of a College Grad In São Paulo, Brazil
What's it Like to Live Here?
Well, generally living in Brazil is an adventure for everyone. My life here is very much the same. The country is going through a huge transition in many aspects, economic, technological, cultural, social. People here want a better life, but unfortunately not everyone is so lucky. My life is full of events, people and time spent thinking about how to make that change happen faster. I live with a manager of a local accelerator and a programer who happens to work at one of the startups there. Most of the people I hangout with are also expats in the startups space, so I have a lot of fun sharing the experience with them. São Paulo is a massive city, larger than New York by population, so there is plenty to do on a given night. A couple downsides are the traffic, safety (I haven't had a problem in 3 years though) and general inefficiency of things.
How Did I End Up Here?
I'm from Vancouver, went to school at Cornell, worked in Brazil for a bit, went back to Canada and decided to continue my time here in Brazil. There is a lot of culture shock living here, especially at the start, but now I feel comfortable.
My Set-Up
I live with 3 guys, each with their own room. The apartment isn't too big, but we all get along and I never feel cramped or out of place. I got the room through a friend and am living here because it's close to the metro, within my budget, has a good shower and a big bed (very key!).
Closing Advice
Take risks. Now is the time to do it. Go live abroad, go have some fun. I am really glad I did. And most of all, remember that your real education starts the moment you graduate. Keep learning new skills in diverse areas, that'll give you the most advantage over others in the job market.
Here is a link to my website: IlyaBrotzky.com.
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