David Villa, Sherwin-Williams

David Villa is a relationship builder. It's a skill he fine tuned through his NIU College of Business, Bachelor of Science in business administration program. It's also a skill he puts to use daily as an assistant manager and campus recruiter for Sherwin-Williams.

Each day, David uses the well-rounded education he received from the NIU College of Business to meet the needs of his diverse customer base. He uses his foundation in sales and marketing to match customers' needs with products that keep their businesses and DIY projects running smoothly. He pulls from his solid background in accountancy and finance to maintain the store's financial information and reports. And, he ensures products are available to customers by applying principles of operations to manage store's inventory. The diverse course requirements, along with electives and the best professors from each academic discipline, prepared him to excel at every task the retail environment requires.

English, Spanish and Polish are the dominant languages in the U.S. painting industry. Because of this, David is also building relationships and recruiting prospective Sherwin-Williams employees who are bilingual, like himself. He represents the company at campus job fairs and information sessions. In addition, he has established a relationship with the NIU Latino Resource Center and has plans to provide resume workshops and mentoring for these high-demand students.

David's advice: Expand your personal and professional networks. Participate in activities within the college and throughout the university. Start interviewing for internships and full-time employment early. You can never have enough interview experience. And, present to groups as much as you can.

Learn how you can begin your success story. Fill out the form to the right for more information.

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