Alumni Spotlight: Paul Olver

Name: Paul Olver                       

Hometown: Atlanta

Degree/Minor from Auburn: Marketing

Current Occupation: Business Owner, Medical Software

Current Location: Alpharetta, GA                       

Current Company: Bridge-Tech Medical Inc

        What was your favorite marketing course offered at Auburn and why?   Probably my Sales Management course, it helped me to gain a good perspective in my field of interest.    

Are you currently involved with Auburn? (Organizations, positions, etc.) No

        Do you still keep in touch with any of your graduating classmates? Yes

        As a college student, did Auburn prepare you for the “real world”? Yes

        When you were a student and applying for jobs, what did you do to set yourself apart? At the time, my goal was to just go in confident, know as much about at company as possible, have prepared questions to ask, and most importantly, execute the details.

        Where did you first start off after graduation? Fipps Medical in Atlanta, GA.  Fipps was a medical distribution company servicing the Southeast U.S. 

        Can you give us a day-to-day description of your job? I began in sales and worked my way up into several management positions.  I had a sales territory of existing clients and I was responsible for growing the territory with new clients as well.  I sold for 3 years, and then moved into sales management where I was responsible for 14 sales professionals.  After 2 years, I became the General Manager over all operations, and a year later became the Executive Vice President.  Once I became the VP, I was responsible for overseeing all operational and Sales and Marketing aspects of the company.

        Do you have any advice for current Auburn students on finding employment? It’s a tough job market right now, so you have to be creative and prepared to ensure you get the attention of a prospective employer.  Make sure you are very detailed in your execution of introduction letters, resume’ and follow-up.  Be sure to be yourself, practice interviews with family and friends. Seek advice from as many business professionals as you can.

What does your company offer as far as internships and/or positions after graduation?  Currently we do not offer internships, but we are always looking for good job candidates.  Positions could include, software engineers, electrical engineers, IT related positions, and sales professionals.