An unparalleled education

Joey Berlin

Joey BerlinAs Joey Berlin started his college career, he knew what he had enjoyed in high school: business marketing classes, competing as part of DECA, working with nonprofits in Detroit and coaching youth basketball. But he didn’t know what he wanted to study in college.

When he found his first major—sales and business marketing—he saw a lot of alignment between what he enjoyed in the past and what a career path in sales could offer for the future. 

Selling at its finest is about finding solutions for customers. “Problem solving in order to make a difference had been a big part of my nonprofit volunteer experiences, and many DECA competitions also focused on solutions,” Berlin says. “In addition, the competition against yourself and others in order to strive for peak performance synced with my background in athletics.” And what closed the deal on his major choice was the fact that the sales program at the Haworth College of Business boasts one of the best post-graduation success rates at Western Michigan University. In the latest report, 100% of sales students secured a job or were in graduate school within three months of graduation.

Then, came a second major—the new co-major in leadership and business strategy—which focuses on business consulting, strategy and leading teams for real company projects, with real results. Berlin saw the program offering an experience that “no other school in the region was offering.” He decided the competitive advantage the program offers would help him compete for jobs.

Extremely involved on campus, he places heavy emphasis on doing things outside the classroom that enrich him professionally and personally. A resident assistant at Western Heights, director of mentorship for the Sales and Business Marketing Association and a peer mentor with the Business Association of Mentors, Berlin finds fulfillment in helping others and making connections. 

And making connections has been key to his experience so far in the Haworth College of Business. Recently, he represented WMU at the Thomson Reuters Inside Sales Competition in Ann Arbor. “I was able to compete against students from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Central Michigan University and Purdue University, and I came away winning the competition. It was so rewarding knowing that the skills I am learning are recognized by employers.” 

Berlin feels good about his educational investment because of all of the value-added experiences he has had. “The sales education I have received from WMU is unmatched. And that, along with the leadership and business strategy program, is giving me a top-of-the-line education,” he says. “I am confident that every day I enter Schneider Hall I am one step closer to getting a full-time job.” And with an internship completed with Quicken Loans, an upcoming internship at Whirlpool over this summer, and business consulting experiences for companies in the areas of artificial intelligence and video production, Berlin is setting himself up for future success.

For current students his advice for a rewarding college experience is simple; get involved. “Joining a student organization and finding a good circle of friends helped me to have a great outlook on college,” he says. “I have a group of friends to bounce ideas off and to support me through the highs and lows.” 

Berlin’s definition of success after graduation definitely focuses on relationships as well. “When I am retired, if I am able to look back on my career knowing that I made at least a few positive impacts on the people, have a great support system around me, and wake up and go to sleep excited about every day, then I will consider my professional career a huge success.”