Andrew Sweny

Senior Account Executive | Pittsburgh PA

The best part about my job is the people I work with and the fact that you don’t sit around for years waiting for a promotion or pay raise, you get paid based off your job performance.

PLS stuck out to me while I was job searching because I could tell there was a lot of opportunity within the company that would allow me to grow and be successful quickly if I gave it my all. I’ve always been into sports and seen myself as a competitive individual, so I liked that PLS was a competitive sales environment as well. On top of that, I liked the fact that with this opportunity, I was going to get out of it what I out in. It’s a great feeling when you see all of your hard work pay off and reap the rewards of it.

When I first started at PLS, I had an outgoing and experienced sales manager that made a huge difference in my perception of the job and outlook on the industry. I looked up to him and the other seasoned account executives that I was working with to learn as much as I could and gain as much exposure as possible. I felt very fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of great influences when I first started. They were always there to lend advise or give me a hard time when they saw me slacking to keep me headed in the right direction. I believe a huge reason why I’ve had my success at PLS is that I’ve been surrounded by people who have continuously motivated and encouraged me. At the same time, ultimately this job comes down to self-motivation and a long-term/positive mindset.

The best part about my job is the people I work with and the fact that you don’t sit around for years waiting for a promotion or pay raise, you get paid based off your job performance.

The fact that I get to control my own destiny makes coming to work every day worth it. On top of that, I’ve made some great friends here at PLS and made a lot of good connections with people from offices all over the country.

There are times in this job that can be frustrating just like any job, but keeping yourself motivated and focused on long-term goals is very important and helps me to stay motivated. If you get caught up in the day-to-day, week-to-week or even month-to-month processes, you can get discouraged and worn down very easily. I have goals like buying a house, getting a new truck and traveling to new places, and remaining focused on these helps me to overcome some of the stress and difficulties that can come with this position. When I started sales, I had a manager that told me the way to view your success here is to project yourself into the future and view your success from a long-term perspective, focusing on “where you’re going” and the “direction you’re headed” instead of getting caught up or discouraged with where you’re currently at. Not getting caught up in the highs and lows of this job and remaining even keel is a big part of it as well.

My favorite part of my day is coming through for our customers when they need it most. There are often times that our customers are in tough situations where they have no other options but to rely on us to help them be to achieve their objectives. Being able to come through for a customer who needs my help and knowing I was able to provide them a solution can be very satisfying.

PLS has helped me learn how to tackle a wide variety of issues every day. My organizational, communication and strategic planning skills have improved tremendously since starting this position. I talk with hundreds of people each day, so it is important to get my message through to customers in a concise and professional way. I am confident that I can take the professional experience I’ve gained here and applied to other aspects of life or whatever professional experiences I have in the future.

My advice for anyone going into a career in sales is to find your internal drive and motivation.

You have to be a go-getter in this industry; it’s a grind and it’s hard work, but it will pay off if you go at it and play your cards right. Simple as that.

You need to have a competitive nature and positive outlook, but also remain realistic. Early on in my career, there were many days I questioned if I was in the right career field, but I put my head down and kept working hard. Now, seeing all my hard work pay off has been a very rewarding and satisfying experience. There are going to be some tough days ahead of you, but there are also going to be some of the best days of your life. If you keep those long-term goals in mind, you will continue to move upward and in the right direction to success. If you’re ready to grind and work hard right out of the gates, you’ll have a great shot at success here.

‍

‍