Executive Order #1

Sales and marketing powerhouse Alan Patty knows why distance learning grads have what today's execs are looking for.

by Shawn Cohen

“Once a person has a job, their degree doesn’t matter much—it’s how they perform that counts.” So says Alan Patty, a former sales director at Oracle Corporation and a former vice president of an internet software division at Sun Microsystems. And since 2005, he has served on the board of directors for CollegePlus!. During his tenure at these corporations, however, Patty oversaw the hiring of thousands of employees. “Certainly a college degree opens the door to an interview,” he said, “but even if a salesperson graduates from Harvard and doesn’t meet their monthly sales quota, it doesn’t matter what university they graduated from.”

The Winners and the Duds—What Made the Difference

Patty, who not only hired salespeople but software engineers and marketing and administrative personnel as well, said that he employed college grads from many of the best schools in the country—and the world. But although these first-time employees graduated from universities like Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, Patty said that some of them became very effective and innovative while others turned out to be simply mediocre.

“I was stunned,” he said. “These graduates had high IQs, phenomenal backgrounds, and were from prestigious schools but weren’t able to think on their own, outside of the classroom setting.”

According to Patty, those who did not perform well at their job were not able to think creatively and seemed to be programmed to only follow the instructions given to them in a book or from a professor. Patty, who has over three decades of sales experience, noted that although scientific methodology is an important ingredient in training productive salespeople, “those who succeeded knew how to think and not only what to think." The effective employees were able to assimilate the facts they had learned in business school with their life experience in a manner that was both intuitive and creative, enabling them to meet their sales quotas.

What CollegePlus! Means to Employers

Patty sees that CollegePlus! students are learning how to think effectively because of the tailor-made bachelor’s degree they are studying for. This is one reason he decided to become a member of the CollegePlus! board of directors. “CollegePlus! students have an advantage in seeking employment because their résumé shows that they have taken control of their education,” Patty said. He likes the idea that CollegePlus! students earn their bachelor’s degree efficiently—in less time and for a smaller cost than traditional education—because it shows an employer that they are resourceful and determined to achieve their goals.

“Employers want to hire people who can solve problems,” he noted. “They hire those who want to be part of the solution to problems and who are willing to take risks to meet their objectives.” He feels that CollegePlus! students are strategically positioned to be hired by employers because they have taken control of their own education. Patty added that companies are looking for college graduates who are motivated and enthusiastic as well as those who are of high moral fiber and have a vision for success already mapped out in their minds. “If I saw a résumé from someone who got an online degree at an accelerated rate, I would put them on the same level as the grad from Harvard—it would be intriguing to me,” he said. “It would show that the young person was on a mission and they were not satisfied with the status quo.”

Owning Your Education

As a hiring executive, Patty looked for people who were self-motivated, who “owned” their education and didn’t get a college degree simply because their parents wanted them to. “They wanted an education for the right reasons,” he noted. “And CollegePlus! students show that they want to get as much education as they can as fast as possible.” While levels of self-motivation vary by individual, Patty, a believer in Jesus Christ, recognizes that the Lord can fill any Christian with His creativity and innovative potential. “This ability cannot be taught,” he said, “but it can be acquired through the Lord’s work in a believer’s life.”

Another advantage that Patty sees with CollegePlus! is that its graduates are not saddled with exorbitant student loans like the typical college graduate. “Although college graduates are getting good jobs,” he said, “they have tens of thousands of dollars to pay back in student loans and this creates a tremendous burden for them.”

Shawn Cohen is the editor of Acceleration and Public Relations Manager at CollegePlus! He lives on the shores of Canyon Lake, TX and stares longingly at his wakeboard from time to time.

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