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From the Q-mmunity
Breaking the Bias – Beth Neighbors builds her personal brand
As a part of our Women’s History Month celebration, we are elevating the voices of women at Qualtrics who have Broken the Bias by seeking nontraditional career paths. We sat down with Beth and other women at Qualtrics to hear their stories and we'll be sharing them throughout the month. You can check out the rest of the series here.
I received my bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and then made a very natural career move… into sales. Totally kidding about "natural career move" of course. While most of my classmates went to med school, I decided to go right into the workforce selling Scientific/Research staffing solutions.
I spent the next 9 years in various sales roles at companies like Salesforce, Gartner, and CareerBuilder, but my science background always gave me that itch to move over to the technical side of the products.
Q-mobility has been instrumental in reaching those career goals. I started at Qualtrics in a sales role in early 2020, and regularly had conversations with my manager about career goals, aspirations, and where my skill set could be the best fit. Our solution engineering team expanded in 2021, giving me the opportunity to interview and secure a brand new career path on the revenue operations side of our business. Qualtrics' acquisition of Clarabridge opened up additional opportunities, and I'm excited to make another move over to the XM Discover (formerly Clarabridge) team this year!
How did you decide on your career path?
My initial career path into sales was driven by my competitive nature and the desire to work with customers on solving business challenges. As I worked with more and more customers, I began to realize that the consultative/technical side of the business was a better fit for me. Thus, my move over to solution engineering!
Tell us about the importance of leadership / mentorship in your career journey.
I wouldn't be where I am today without some of the leaders and mentors that I've had along the way. In my early sales career I had a leader/mentor that truly cared about me as a person, advocated for me, and helped me reach my potential through various promotions and roles at that company. This also set me up for success in future roles.
My leaders and mentors at Qualtrics have been amazing, especially when it came to making career changes. I have mentors that have helped with everything from account strategy to having real, transparent conversations about my career goals and the best path for me.
What’s the best career advice you have ever received?
Your personal and professional brand are everything! Be easy to work with. Go above and beyond what's listed on your job description. Make your manager and your team look good. More doors will open when you've built a strong professional brand and networks across your company.
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Beth Neighbors alumna of University of Illinois and works as a Senior Principal Solution Engineer in Chicago. She is an active member of Women's Leadership Development, a Q Group (employee resource group) with the charter of elevating and supporting all women at Qualtrics so they achieve personal & professional wellness and impact. |
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