Fowler College Class of 2022 Career Spotlights: Fiona Stemmelin, Business Development Representative at Okta
Marketing Sales Graduate Utilizes Campus Involvements to Obtain Role at Okta
Fiona Stemmelin, Class of 2022 Graduate.
When she first started at San Diego State University, Fiona Stemmelin was originally a Management Information Systems (MIS) major but quickly learned that her passions lay in marketing and sales. After making a major change, Fiona felt more confident in her studies and was eager to gain experience in the marketing sector.
Fiona’s passion for getting involved on campus led her to organizations where she was able to grow her confidence. With these new acquired skills, Fiona was able to secure a Business Development Representative role at Okta after completing an internship with them in the Summer of 2021. Okta is a software company that helps companies manage and secure user authentication into applications. She’s looking forward to beginning her career in a new city and reflects on how her time at SDSU prepared her for this new opportunity.
Q: Can you describe a little bit about yourself and how/when you decided to pursue Marketing as an area of study?
I was born and raised in Los Altos, California by two French-American parents. From a young age, I spent most of my time horseback riding, snowboarding/skiing, or tumbling in the gym. I decided to pursue gymnastics and became an elite gymnast at the age of 10. When I was forced to retire due to recurring injuries, I focused my time mainly on school and working as a veterinary assistant (a field I thought I wanted to enter before applying to college).
When I first joined San Diego State, I was quite sure I wanted to pursue a career in Management Information Systems (MIS), especially as it would have been beneficial to have such knowledge when starting a career in technology in the Bay Area. However, after two and a half years into the major, I realized I did not entirely enjoy MIS and that I had a true passion for Marketing/Sales. Thus, during my fall semester of junior year, I switched my major to Marketing and finally felt like I really enjoyed my studies.
Q: Describe the position you will begin after graduation.
As a Business Development Representative for Okta, my key role is to qualify inbound leads and set meetings that will generate a pipeline for the Sales organization. This means that I will be connecting with prospective clients who have shown some interest in Okta or who have downloaded Okta-related content. I will be attempting to set up meetings for my designated Account Executive (through cold calling, emails, LinkedIn, and more).
Q: When did you receive your official job offer and what was your reaction when you received the offer?
I received the full-time offer in December 2021. I was ecstatic when I received the call and honestly, truly shocked. While talking previously with the recruiter, I was told that all prior interns still had to go through an interview process and that those interviews were to be held in January 2022. Then, when I got the call from my recruiter letting me know that they were extending an offer to about half of the interns, I was in disbelief. I was very proud of myself and felt a huge sense of relief to have secured a full-time position months before graduation.
Stemmelin with fellow Okta interns.
Q: How did you get connected with this company and position?
I first applied to their internship program in January of 2021 through a LinkedIn job application. At this point, while I knew no one currently working at Okta, I had heard amazing things about the company and was determined to get the job. When I received the role of Business Development Representative Intern, I knew that there was a possibility that interns could be offered a full-time position after the summer, so I kept that in mind as I completed my internship and worked as hard as I could. After summer, I kept in contact with my recruiter, manager, and a few other coworkers who were getting ready to prepare me for the full-time interviews.
Q: Did you use any other campus resources to help you acquire this position? If so, describe the support.
While I did not use any campus resources to acquire this position, there are so many great opportunities and resources on campus that I would recommend for students to use when starting their job application process. However, I would give a great shoutout to both Alpha Kappa Psi and Delta Gamma for instilling in me the confidence necessary to apply and interview for this position.
Q: Are there specific skills you learned at SDSU (in class or otherwise) that helped you with the role’s qualifications?
Being a part of two organizations has really helped me learn how to balance my time and work, stay organized, and learn how to properly network with others. By also taking on speaking roles or certain positions both in my organizations and in a classroom setting, I have also learned how to be more confident in myself and be more assertive when speaking in public.
I would also like to give an honorable mention to Professor Ehrich who has truly made my last year at San Diego State so amazing and who has really inspired me to pursue a career in Marketing/Sales. Not only did she teach me valuable content through three of her classes, but she also taught me great life lessons when it comes to starting a career in business.
Q: What advice do you have for fellow students, regardless of their field, looking to jumpstart their career and land their first job post-graduation?
Stemmelin and friends.
The best advice I could give to a fellow student, regardless of their field, is to build your network and start gaining “experiences” as soon as possible. It is never too early to start applying to internships, gain a mentor, or even shadow someone for a day. And when you are ready, start applying for full-time jobs as early as your first-semester senior year, and stick to a consistent application schedule.
I would also suggest dipping your toe in everything and anything you want, as now is the best time to get as much experience as you can! This can also help you narrow down what you truly enjoy doing, and even more importantly, what you do not enjoy or see yourself doing in the future. During these times, you should take in as much information as possible.
It is also important to note that your dream job will most likely not be attainable right out of college. So keep your head up and know that you must start somewhere.
Q: What is it that you are most looking forward to as you kick start this next chapter?
I am beyond excited to start working full time, to start a new life in San Francisco, and ultimately, to continue growing every day. I am very grateful to have this opportunity and to start my career off at such an amazing public company!
Q: What experience at SDSU has changed your life the most?
I believe that being a part of Greek Life and a member of my Business Fraternity are hands down the most impactful moments during my time here at SDSU. Because of these organizations, I have met my life-long friends and also had the opportunity to learn and grow myself personally. It is truly the people that you meet at SDSU that will make your four years worth it.
Q: What is the best advice you have received during your time at SDSU?
The best advice I‘ve received as a student at SDSU is to “feel comfortable with the uncomfortable” and to join clubs/organizations as early as you can. This will help you network in your first few years at SDSU, meet your best friends, get involved, and have great work experience worth mentioning on your resume! Doing this also pushes you to grow and make the most out of your four years at San Diego State.
