Student Success Stories: Cole Frost
Cole Frost is a junior at UW Oshkosh pursuing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in sales. During his time on campus, Cole has been a member of the fraternity Sigma Pi, which helped expand his opportunities. “It allowed me to build relationships and make connections that will go past just our time here at UWO,” he said.
Cole was recently awarded an internship with Vivint Smart Homes and, out of the 20 people the company interviewed, he was the only applicant that made it to the next step. “I had the opportunity to go to Houston, Texas for a week long training, and they essentially ‘throw them at the wall to see what sticks,’ so they kind of tested me in a few different ways,” Cole said. “I was awarded the internship later in the week and the opportunities have not stopped.” He said the internship has been beneficial in many ways, especially being able to surround himself with people he looks up to. “I’ve met a lot of people, made a lot of great connections and relationships in just the short time I was down there and actually built a lot of trust, which is why I was awarded the position and was able to keep recruiting,” Cole said. “I’ve been taking away a lot of very, very important skills — not only in sales, marketing and business — but also in life and just bettering myself as a person. It’s been one of the best things to happen to me.”
Cole said that he is incredibly thankful for what he learned in Business 240, a professional skills course that introduced him to the valuable resources offered by the Career & Professional Development office. The course provided him with useful skills and tools that helped him stand out to employers, such as help with resumes and cover letters, interview tips, professional etiquette and more. “It has allowed me to get my foot in the door — it’s given me a chance, something I never thought was possible,” Cole said. “Every little thing I learned in that class allowed me to step away, separate myself from the rest of the applicants and it paid off in a great way.”
In five years, Cole said he sees himself working for Vivint Smart Homes as a district manager. “I see myself living in Texas, financially stable with a house and family,” Cole said. “I think five years is a bit of a stretch. Actually, after several conversations with my manager, he sees me in his position in three years, so I’m keeping my dreams high and shooting for the moon.” Some advice Cole would offer to students is to take the professional skills course seriously because you put into it what you want to get out of it. “The skills you learn will be the foundation to everywhere you go from there, and first impressions are everything — interviews, to your LinkedIn profile, to your resume,” Cole said. “Those are all important tools you can use that employers deeply consider.” He also recommends students to pay attention to detail. “When you think nobody’s looking, somebody is and that detail says a lot about your character, and it can also say a lot about your work ethic if you use it the right way,” Cole said. The last piece of advice Cole has to offer is, “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side — it’s greener where you water it, so you got to work for it.”
Congratulations, Cole on all of your accomplishments! We wish you the best of luck moving forward!
If you are interested in taking a professional skills course, you can register on Titan Web.
Look for:
- PRF CNSL 202 – Career Planning & Implementation – 1 credit – online – offered Summer, Fall, and Spring (open to all majors)
- BUS 249 – Professional Skills in Business – 2 credits – 2 sections Fall & Spring Wed 12:40-2:10 and Thurs 1:20-2:50 (pre-business majors)
- INTRDSCP 208 -Professional Skills in Math & Natural Science – 1 credit – 1 section Fall & Spring – Wed 4:10 – 5:10
- EGRT 284 – Professional Skills in Engineering – 1 credit – Thurs 3:00 – 4:00
Professional skills course are ideally taken as a sophomore or junior prior to taking an internship or job searching.