Starting My Career: Arliegh Boswell, Finance Alumnus

Arliegh Boswell, Class of 2020

Even with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent graduates from the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University have continued to find success as they transition from the classroom to their chosen careers.

One of these recent graduates is Arliegh Boswell, who earned his finance degree in May 2020. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Fresno, California native, but lessons he learned during his career search taught him how to stand out during his interview for a part-time position at a local software start-up company while he was an SDSU senior. His part-time job blossomed into a full-time account executive position after graduation and set him on his way to being a business development professional.

Name: Arliegh Boswell
Current Position: Account Executive, GoSite
Major: Finance
Graduation Year: 2020

Q: Why did you choose to major in finance?

I chose to get my degree in finance because I was always good with numbers. I originally had chosen to major in marketing but after working at a digital marketing firm for two-and-a-half years, I knew I wanted to do something else. Finance was always something that I was drawn to whether it was the stock market, analyzing the internal affairs of a business, or simply learning the mechanics behind a business. Not only that, but having a financial background was something that I knew would be a necessity throughout my entire life. Having a financial background was the perfect starting point to have a successful career in my eyes.

Q: How did you first learn about your first position at GoSite? What led you to apply for it?

The company I was working at during the fall semester of my senior year at SDSU had been broken up and I needed a place to work in order to finish my time out at SDSU. One of my former co-workers told me about a part-time position as a sales development representative at a software startup in San Diego called GoSite. He was loving his experience there and urged me to apply. I decided that this was the jumpstart I needed to get back on track, so once he referred me over to his hiring manager I applied immediately. I knew a start-up environment would be a great place for me to be if I wanted to start my own company one day. Getting myself into the ground floor of a startup company was one of the best things I could do to begin my professional life.

Q. How did you prepare for your first interview with GoSite?

Arliegh Boswell, Account Executive with GoSite

I researched the company, the industry, and the position so I came in knowing as much as possible about what I was getting into. I spent quite a lot of time doing this, but the more prepared you can come into an interview, the better chance you will have of making a great impression on the potential employer.

Q. What were some of the factors that led to your successful interview process?

Upon entering the interview I learned that it was a group interview and, in order to be successful, I wanted to ensure I stood out amongst the other candidates by demonstrating my knowledge of the company and the industry. I was also making sure to speak with the utmost confidence about myself, as well as my past, to show this was the right spot for me. The most important issue was for me was to show how my past experiences and internships had prepared me to excel at the position at hand.

Q. How did your part-time position evolve into a full-time career?

When COVID-19 hit us back in March, my post-graduation internship at a commercial real-estate company was cancelled. At the time, I had been working part-time at GoSite to pay my way through school and I was doing very well as a sales development representative there. GoSite was able to extend me to a full-time position upon graduation.

During that time, I decided that a career in sales and development would give me the opportunity to have a very high-income level at a young age. I also felt that I had personality and background to be successful in a sales and development career and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity at hand.

Q. What advice would you offer today’s SDSU students who are currently in the career-start mode?

Never give up, no matter how many job applications you have sent with no responses and no matter how many times you have failed, you must persevere and keep going. Eventually, you will find that position that is just right for you, so no matter how hard it may get day-in and day-out, continue to think big picture and better yourself every day.