Making the most of an RGME Internship: Brennan Paderanga
“How do businesses work? Why do they do the things they do? What is the psychology of sales?” – these and other questions were what motivated Brennan Paderanga, an intern at R. G. Miller Engineers, to pursue a degree in business administration, with an emphasis on sales and marketing.
Brennan, who graduated from the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business in December, is currently looking at a number of different career options, including marketing strategy and sales.
He has the credentials – both academically and professionally – to succeed in these ventures.
While at college, Brennan was accepted into the Program for Excellence in Selling (PES), an undergraduate professional sales program that is part of the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute in the Bauer College School of Business. Founded in 1996 and regarded as the nation’s premier sales program, it is very selective, accepting only 50-60 students per semester. Brennan not only got accepted, he also was accepted into the Key Account Selling class, which consisted of the top 19 students who handled the 30+ corporate partners. He was also appointed as 1 of 5 team leaders, with his team generating the most revenue by exceeding their $70,000 quota by 577% and closing the largest single deal in program history program.
“We carried real sales quotas and sold real solutions to problems, and most of our activities happened outside of the classroom,” he said, noting that class partnerships were managing up to $400,000 in deals.
Brennan’s outside experience included working in the marketing department at RGME, starting in his freshman year during the summers. In this position, he has handled a wide range of assignments, including keeping the company’s website and social media sites current, representing the company in a professional capacity in a wide-variety of community outreach programs, and maintaining an open line of communication with RGME’s vendors, consultants, and both public and elected officials in the Houston metropolitan area.
He has also served on RGME’s Real Estate Services Committee, assisting in the development and procedural implementation for RES data retention.
“Being a part of the RGME team has really helped me gain business acumen,” Brennan says. “I am fortunate to be able to be a part of the marketing process, get a lot of one-on-one exposure to our clientele, and basically just learn how business works.”
Leslie Prejean, RGME Marketing Coordinator and Brennan’s mentor and supervisor, believes his internship has been mutually beneficial. “Brennan came on board with excellent written and verbal skills and an ability to work both independently and in a team environment,” she says. “He’s well-organized, detail oriented, and can shepherd through many projects at once, making sure they are completed accurately and on time. He has been an asset to our company.”
As far as the future is concerned, Brennan’s real interest is problem-solving, which he sees as the real basis for sales and marketing.
“What I’ve learned is that if there isn’t a problem, there won’t be a sale,” he said.