PreSales Academy

I was accepted to Cohort #6 (Oct 2022) for PreSales Academy (PSA). Overall I felt completely supported the whole process.  The classes are only twice per week in the evenings so it worked with my existing work schedule and family obligations. What separates PSA from other Sales Engineering bootcamps is the level of detail and support you get since the cohorts are small in size. Also having the backing of the entire PreSales Collective organization made it easier to network and make connections with other PreSales Leaders which opened doors for job opportunities.

When it came to interviewing, I was told that my demo was even better than other senior level SEs which is a testament to the level of PSA's curriculum and training they provide which is the best in the industry.

In a challenging job market currently with constant tech layoffs, I was able to receive a job offer the following month after graduating PSA. I put a lot of hard work to accomplish that goal but without the PSA Staff, mentors and resources it wouldn't have been possible.

I would recommend PreSales Academy for anyone that has some form of existing customer facing experience, looking for a career switch to tech. PSA will help guide you with training and resources to gain the necessary technical aptitude for an entry level SE role. Understand that a career transition is not a easy process, but if you put in the work and effort PSA is truly the best vehicle to land your first role in PreSales!

I have a background in Physics and worked as a laser engineer for 4 years before making the switch to PreSales. Entry level sales/solutions engineer roles have become hyper-competitive, and PreSales Academy was the best choice I made in order set myself apart. Below is a list of things that stood out when I was looking into the program and that contributed to my success during and after:

Researching and applying to the program:

• Reputable staff 
  • PSA has a huge network of high quality connections in the PreSales community
  • The co-founders used to manage the positions you’ll be applying for
  • The people coaching and mentoring you have experience in PreSales roles (some in leadership/management)
• Active online presence 
  • Frequent posts on LinkedIn and Twitter about graduates who got hired and companies they work for
  • Online reviews from graduates were consistently great
  • Website provides transparency about qualifications they look for in potential students

During the program:

• Lessons were simple and effective. They truly focused on the core competencies that sales engineers / solutions consultants will need in the role.
• Practicing discovery and demos (and getting feedback) was huge! It prepared me not only for upcoming interviews, but helped me visualize myself in the job.
• They provided guidance, documentation, and lessons around networking, interview practice, and job searching.
• Someone was always accessible!

After the program:

• They were quick to connect me with companies they have a relationship with, and they were willing to put in a good word for other companies I was interested in
• Any manager that is familiar with PSA / PSC is EXCITED to talk to PSA grads!
• They provided us with tools to stay organized and effective during our job hunt
• Multiple people were willing to carve out time to help me prepare for my upcoming interviews

I am a graduate of PSA's cohort #4 which started in June and ended in August 2022. I interviewed with several companies and landed a role at the end of September. I started my job in mid October 2022. I have a background in sales, real estate and healthcare. Although not required, I came with a degree in Biology and tech skills in HTML, CSS and Javascript. I also had prior experience with Salesforce CRM. During the program (in my free time), I also learned the basics of APIs and cloud computing. 

PSA only offers the course at one time in the weekday evenings, which was 6pm central time for me. This worked perfectly for me as it was after my 8-5pm workday. The curriculum was a mix of self paced learning assignments and live sessions with guest speakers and role plays. There is a ton of support during and after the program, including being connected with an advisor, coach, and mentor. You'll also have your cohort peers to lean on as well as previous alumni. 

The program emphasizes how important the soft skills such as good communication, relationship building, public speaking/presenting, and organization/time management are. They also go into great detail/teaching on how to be a good solution consultant (sales engineer/solutions engineer/presales consultant) - which is based in collaborating well with your account executive (sales rep), asking good discovery questions of the prospect, value based selling, and demo skills. 

There is support after graduation with interviewing and landing a job. They give a ton of resources to help keep you organized and be prepared for your interviews. They are also always available for questions or practice. They do have hiring partners and if I have to make one complaint, it would be that very few of those partners were hiring at the time of my graduation. Therefore, the job hunt was in my hands completely (understandable in my opinion). But, the program teaches you how to make the most of your LinkedIn network and the PreSales Collective community where there are 1000s of current presales professionals including hiring managers and recruiters.

Overall, I'd recommend PSA to anyone looking to make this pivot in their career to becoming a PreSales consultant. I learned so much about the role and myself. I increased my technical and business acumen. I am SO HAPPY in this career as well, and I don't think I would have been able to do it without PSA. 

PreSales Academy is an amazing program.  I can't recommend it enough.  The live instruction and online learning modules are fantastic, but beyond that, the individual attention, coaching, and mentorship are what make PSA really stand out. I was so supported and encouraged every step of the way. I not only learned the skills needed to land and succeed in an SE role, but I built relationships with mentors, advisors, and peers that I will carry with me. The resources provided are substantial and understandable for someone coming from a non-technical background, and when I did have questions, I knew who to go to for clarification.  Finally, As a queer person and woman, I appreciated PSA's commitment to diversity and creating opportunities for minorities in the tech space.  I was given advice and mentorship that took those particular parts of my identity into account, which was so incredibly helpful.  

This was hands down the best decision I made to help navigate a major career change. PSA followed through on all of their promises. They have a well developed curriculum that is a conglomerate of wisdom and best practices from around the PSC. They are constantly updating and refining materials. The staff is outstanding, and above all, will do anything to support the students. They bring in outstanding lecturers and guest speakers. The mentors and coaches are extremely well qualified to be assisting students and are very supportive will developing critical presales competences through 1:1 practice. The program is hard work, but everybody at PSA wants to see you succeed. I loved the comradery with my peers, as well as the many opportunities to network throughout the presales community. I accepted an offer as an Associate Solutions Consultant 3 weeks after graduating.

PreSales Academy was personally and professionally the best decision I made in my life. I landed an amazing job (Solutions Consultant) with an amazing company (Gainsight!!!) in less than 3 months upon completion. I came from a non-traditional background in construction (AEC sector), and by following the steps laid out by PSA I was able to break into tech industry. Don't let the part-time aspect of PSA be misleading. This academy will make you dig deep and encourage you to constantly be learning/growing/networking. I was enrolled in the first co-hort and thought PSA nailed it! Thank you Yuji Higashi and James Kaikis for giving me a chance to be apart of the PreSales Academy. Forever grateful!!!

If you are looking to break into Presales as a Sales Engineer then this program is for you. My background was in Customer Success and I tried to interview on my own for SE roles, but I was getting rejected after the demo stage. The program pairs you with a coach and a mentor. The coach is the one that you do each demo with and they give you feedback and grades for each one; the idea is that you get better with each live demo; they also act as a mentor while you are in the program ( and after). Solutions/Sales Engineering is all about the demo. Throughout the course, we had 10 demos that we did live and recorded with our coach and peers so, at the very least, you will leave this program knowing how to demo software. Another positive thing about the program is the hiring partners. I received a job offer a month after the program ended due to being introduced to a variety of hiring managers at different companies affiliated with the program. Another amazing aspect of the program is the networking. The sessions and workshops are run by actual sales engineers, so there's a connection to all of those people, but the demo sessions were run by Great Demo! & 2Win! (two widely recognized training programs in Presales Industry) which you can reference on your resume and Linkedin. Overall, I enjoyed the program and left with a complete understanding of the ins and outs of the role and a pipeline of opportunities to explore. 

I was please to be part of the inaugural group of students with PreSales Academy. Thanks to the excellently designed coursework, the familial camaraderie between participants and coaches, and the great networking, I landed a job one month after graduation. My coach was integral to my success: thanks to his extremely helpful constructive feedback and continuous coaching, I was confident in my application to my job and the subsequent vetting process. I am pleased to have made professional and personal connections through PSA as well as grown and stretched myself professionally through this experience. I would suggest PSA to anyone who wants a fresh take on their career! 

I'm a seasoned sales professional with years of experience working in the tech industry, and I initially debated if this program was really going to add any value for someone like me.  I initially attempted to land a Solutions Engineering position on my own, making it through 3 different interview processes and being turned down each time.  After enrolling in the PreSales Academy and going through the extensive training, coaching, roleplays, and mentoring that they provide, I was able to receive 2 offers from great companies to become a solutions engineer!  I can say with 100% confidence that the PSA gave me the extra skills and the network that I needed to get over the hump and really impress the hiring teams throughout my interviews.  I can't recommend this program enough to anyone who is looking to make the transition into Solutions Engineering, even if you think you already have the skills and resume to succeed on your own.  It's the best career decision I've made to date.