Already mastered the fundamentals of relationship-based selling? Transform your sales fundamentals into strategic, client-ready expertise during this Professional Edge training. Take your skills to the next level with the Intermediate Sales training program, a hands-on, scenario-driven experience that transforms foundational knowledge into applied expertise.

This training is ideal for students preparing for roles in sales, marketing, consulting, or entrepreneurship who want to move beyond theory to practice the kind of advanced communication, persuasion, and problem-solving that define top-performing professionals. Designed for participants who have completed Sales Essentials, this program challenges you to think strategically, communicate persuasively, and close confidently.  

Prerequisite Training: Sales Essentials

To participate in this training, you must have completed the Sales Essentials training program and earned the microcredential.

If you are registered for the Sales Essentials training this term, you may register for this program concurrently, pending successful completion of Sales Essentials prior to the start of Intermediate Sales.  

Schedule

• Week 1: Friday, February 13, 9:00–1:00 p.m. (in-person)
• Week 2: Friday, February 20, 9:00–1:00 p.m. (in-person)

Participants who attend both days of this program and fulfill all requirements are eligible to earn a digital microcredential.

This portable, verifiable credential can be shared on platforms like LinkedIn, showcasing your expertise to potential employers and offering tangible proof of in-demand competencies.  

Why Participate

In this 8-hour, two-day program, you'll deepen your understanding of the sales process through interactive simulations, roleplays, and peer collaboration. You'll learn how to define an ideal customer profile, conduct effective discovery conversations, and tailor value propositions that resonate with specific decision-makers. You'll also create and deliver a professional solution pitch deck and practice overcoming common objections using industry-informed tactics.

Through realistic, technology-enhanced exercises, you'll refine your ability to think on your feet, read your audience, and position solutions that drive results.  

What You'll Gain

• Earn a marketable skills microcredential: Advance your professional toolkit by earning the Intermediate Sales microcredential from the Lundquist College of Business, proof of your ability to engage in complex sales scenarios with strategy and confidence.  
• Build strategic sales competence: Develop advanced skills across the full sales cycle, including defining customer profiles, crafting value propositions, creating solution pitches, and closing the sale with actionable follow-ups.  
• Practice sales scenarios: Engage in realistic discovery conversations, handle objections effectively, and adapt your messaging to different client roles and needs.  
• Create a portfolio of applied work: Leave with tangible artifacts—including an ideal customer profile, discovery transcript, value proposition, pitch deck, and action plan—that demonstrate your readiness for client-facing sales roles.  

About the Instructors

Jason Ford has more than 30 years of experience and a notable track record in assessing and recommending complex technology solutions and products across various sectors, including Fortune 500 companies, the public sector, healthcare, education, and small and medium businesses.

Craig Tiffany is a seasoned enterprise sales professional with more than 25 years of experience at both large corporations and small companies. He specializes in building strategic relationships and driving growth in complex business-to-business environments. He also serves on the CASA of Clackamas County board of directors, advocating for children in foster care.

REGISTER HERE!

Unsure how to launch your career after graduation? We can help with that. Learn how to navigate the professional world and prepare for a successful job hunt at SOJC Career Camp. This one-day conference offers professional coaching and hands-on learning experiences designed to strengthen critical soft skills that set job candidates apart.

Choose the sessions that interest you and spend the day getting career-ready. You’ll gain practical insights and guidance from SOJC alumni and industry professionals who’ve been where you are and leave with skills you can apply immediately as you take the next steps toward kickstarting your career. ---------------------------------------------------

Registration is free and open to all UO SOJC majors. You are not required to attend the entire conference, though we recommend going to as many sessions as you can to get the most out of the event. You are welcome to attend any session that interests you. Some sessions require attendees to sign up in advance due to limited seating. New sessions will be added to the schedule as speakers and portfolio reviewers are confirmed. All sessions will take place in Allen Hall.  Find the digital version of the program here. Printed copies will be made available at check-in. You can also view the schedule below. --------------------------------------------------- Preliminary conference schedule: 9:00am: Check-In / Coffee, tea, and pastries served until 10am - ALLEN ATRIUM

9:30am – 10:00am: Keynote: Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta (Public Relations, '21) - ALLEN 221

10:00-10:50am: Session 1

• Mastering Essential Soft Skills: Slavka Eberhart-Garah - ALLEN 304 Soft skills are the foundation of career success. This session explores essential skills like communication, time management, organization, emotional intelligence, and collaboration, and how to apply them in real workplace situations to work effectively with others.  
• Panel: Alternative Career Paths: So Many Places To Go! - ALLEN 130 This dynamic panel brings together experienced professionals who have leveraged their journalism and media backgrounds to build impactful careers. Learn about diverse career trajectories and how a journalism or communications degree can open doors across sectors. Panelists: -Hayden Kim (Journalism, '16) - Manager of Sales Programming at Bleacher Report -Marin Stuart (MA in Journalism, '21) - Marketing Content Coordinator for the City of Eugene -Casey Lombino (Journlism and Environmental Studies, '15) - Director of Marking and Communications at United Way of the Colombia-Wilammete -Polly Irungu (Journalism, '17) - Founder or Black Women Photographers and former Photo Editor for Former Vice President Kamala Harris  
• Special Session: Advertising Industry Insights Q&A: Sarah Sharp and Tin Mai - ALLEN 221 (10-11:30am) Join 2015 SOJC advertising graduates and creative workshop instructors Sarah Sharp and Tin Mai for an extended Q&A about the advertising industry. Ask your burning questions and get the scoop on where the industry is at right now and how it's changing. Drop in anytime between 10–11:30am or stay for the full session.  
• Winning Portfolios: Bob Rickert - LAWRENCE 115 Few portfolios stand out from the rest. Learn why and how yours can be one of them. How much of your personal self should you put into it? How can your portfolio land you the interview or keep you out? What platforms should you use? Learn how you can have your portfolio remembered.  
• Developing a Point-of-View: Deb Morrison - ALLEN 303 How you think, what drives you, and why shapes the work you’re drawn to and the impact you want to make. It’s also your professional edge. This session helps you identify the influences and values that define your point of view, understand why your perspective matters in the workplace, and craft your “why” into a mission statement that can guide your career choices.  
• Mock Interviews - Register Here - ALLEN 213 Mock interviews are a great way to practice interviewing in a low-stake environment. Each mock interview will last about 20-25 minutes. You do not need to submit or bring a resume to sign up for a mock interview. During the mock interview your interviewer will chat with you about your career goals to set the stage. They will then ask you 3-5 questions that you might be asked during a real interview. Your interviewer will then give you feedback and coaching. SOJC Academic and Career Advisors Vanessa Truelove and Hailey Nailor will be leading mock interviews.  
• Portfolio Reviews - Advertising - Register Here - ALLEN 308 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Portfolio Reviews - Public Relations - Register Here - ALLEN 106 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Portfolio Reviews - Journalism - Register Here - ALLEN 332 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Professional Headshots - ALLEN 133 Stop into Allen 115 to get professional photos taken that you can use in your portfolio, LinkedIn profile, and slide decks. Your photoshoot will take 3-5 minutes. No sign-up required. Arrive dressed how you would like to be photographed.

11:00-11:50am: Session 2

• Your Story, Your Strength: Interviewing with Confidence: Emily Henkelman-Parker - ALLEN 130 Turn your experiences—academic, professional, and personal—into compelling interview answers. This session focuses on building confidence, articulating your value, and telling your story effectively and authentically so you can stand out to employers. You will leave with practical strategies you can apply in interviews to show employers what makes you you!  
• Special Session: Advertising Industry Insights Q&A: Sarah Sharp and Tin Mai - ALLEN 221 (10-11:30am) Join 2015 SOJC advertising graduates and creative workshop instructors Sarah Sharp and Tin Mai for an extended Q&A about the advertising industry. Ask your burning questions and get the scoop on where the industry is at right now and how it's changing. Drop in anytime between 10–11:30am or stay for the full session.  
• Panel: Finding Your Voice in Sports Media - LAWRENCE 115 Explore how to build confidence, credibility, and authenticity in the fast-paced world of sports media. This panel brings together professionals who will share how they developed their voice, navigated challenges, and found their place in sports storytelling and communication. Moderated by Charlie Butler, Professor of Practice at the SOJC. Panelists: -Collin Romer ('02), Chief Communications Officer at Portland Timbers and Providence Park -Sarah Lorge Butler, Deputy Editor of Lookout Eugene-Springfield and Writer and Editor for Runner's World -Karen Ramming (Public Relations, '15), Chief Content Officer for TrackTown USA -Joey McMurry (Journalism, '14), Assistant Teaching Professor at the SOJC and Director of Broadcasting for Oregon Sports Network  
• Doing Your Homework: How to Demonstrate Company Knowledge in Interviews - Melanie Kennedy - ALLEN 302 Learn how to research employers using free online tools, demonstrate preparation in interviews, and connect your strengths to company needs—while projecting confidence, curiosity, and honesty, and showing enthusiasm for learning and growing within an organization.  
• Mock Interviews - Register Here - ALLEN 213 Mock interviews are a great way to practice interviewing in a low-stake environment. Each mock interview will last about 20-25 minutes. You do not need to submit or bring a resume to sign up for a mock interview. During the mock interview your interviewer will chat with you about your career goals to set the stage. They will then ask you 3-5 questions that you might be asked during a real interview. Your interviewer will then give you feedback and coaching. SOJC Academic and Career Advisors Vanessa Truelove and Hailey Nailor will be leading mock interviews.  
• Portfolio Reviews - Advertising - Register Here - ALLEN 308 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Portfolio Reviews - Public Relations - Register Here - ALLEN 332 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Professional Headshots - ALLEN 133 Stop into Allen 115 to get professional photos taken that you can use in your portfolio, LinkedIn profile, and slide decks. Your photoshoot will take 3-5 minutes. No sign-up required. Arrive dressed how you would like to be photographed.

12:00-1:00pm: Break for lunch

1:00-1:50pm: Session 3

• Turning Scrolling into Strategy: Leveraging Social Media as a Networking Tool: Rachel Allen - ALLEN 130 This session will show you how to use social media platforms you already spend time on to build genuine professional connections. Learn practical techniques for outreach, message crafting and active engagement that can turn into internships, jobs and meaningful relationships in media and communication fields.  
• Special Session: Creative Pitch Workshop Part I: Sarah Sharp (Advertising, '15) and Tin Mai (Advertising, '15) - Register Here - ALLEN 221 (1-3:30PM) Whether you’re an emerging copywriter, art director, strategist, designer, producer—or still figuring out your path—this 2.5-hour workshop will help you sharpen and expand your creative skillset. The session is led by Sarah Sharp, Copywriter and Creative Director at Barbarian, and Tin Mai, Designer and Founder of Aethership. Advance registration is required. Session goes from 1-3:30pm. Sarah and Tin will also lead Part II of this workshop on Saturday, February 14, from 1–4pm in Allen Hall. While Part II is optional, attendance of Part I is required to participate in Part II.

• Portfolio Reviews - Public Relations - Register Here - ALLEN 332 Sign up to receive helpful feedback and advice on your portfolio work from an SOJC faculty member or alumni. These portfolio reviews are 10-15 minutes each and primarily focused on content rather than website design and layout. Have your best work samples ready to share or submit your portfolio site when you register.  
• Mock Interviews - Register Here - ALLEN 213 Mock interviews are a great way to practice interviewing in a low-stake environment. Each mock interview will last about 20-25 minutes. You do not need to submit or bring a resume to sign up for a mock interview. During the mock interview your interviewer will chat with you about your career goals to set the stage. They will then ask you 3-5 questions that you might be asked during a real interview. Your interviewer will then give you feedback and coaching. SOJC Academic and Career Advisors Vanessa Truelove and Hailey Nailor will be leading mock interviews.  
• Creative Freelancing: Nickolaus Sugai (Journalism, '12) - ALLEN 302 Interested in freelancing in a creative field? This session covers the essentials, including defining your services, building an online brand, setting rates, handling contracts and taxes, finding quality clients, networking effectively, and pitching your work with confidence.  
• Career Resiliency: Symone Sparrow (MA in Strategic Communication, '20) - ALLEN 211 Careers rarely follow a straight line. This session focuses on building career resiliency—navigating job changes, transitioning into new roles, planning your next move, and staying prepared to seize opportunities as they arise in an evolving professional landscape.  
• Portfolio Essentials: Maya Lazaro - ALLEN 303 A strong portfolio opens doors. This session covers portfolio-building essentials, including choosing the right platform, organizing and presenting your work, personal branding, and key elements employers expect to see.

2:00-2:50pm: Session 4

• Making Professional Conversation: Slavka Eberhart-Garah - ALLEN 302 Professional conversations don’t have to feel awkward. This session covers small talk, in-person networking, starting and ending conversations, and showing up authentically. Learn how to make strong first impressions, build rapport, and communicate confidently in professional settings.  
• Special Session: Creative Pitch Workshop Part I: Sarah Sharp (Advertising, '15) and Tin Mai (Advertising, '15) - Register Here - ALLEN 221 (1-3:30PM) Whether you’re an emerging copywriter, art director, strategist, designer, producer—or still figuring out your path—this 2.5-hour workshop will help you sharpen and expand your creative skillset. The session is led by Sarah Sharp, Copywriter and Creative Director at Barbarian, and Tin Mai, Designer and Founder of Aethership. Advance registration is required. Session goes from 1-3:30pm. Sarah and Tin will also lead Part II of this workshop on Saturday, February 14, from 1–4pm in Allen Hall. While Part II is optional, attendance of Part I is required to participate in Part II.  
• Telling YOUR Story With Your Resume: Annie Reiva - ALLEN 130 The SOJC is full of great storytellers. This workshop will be about using those storytelling skills to strengthen your resume and ensure that potential employers understand the strengths and skills you have gained through past/present experiences. Bring your resumes (and your questions!) for this interactive workshop.  
• Nailing Your First 6 Months on the Job: Lily Teague (Advertising, '22) - ALLEN 211 Starting a new job sets the tone for everything that follows. This session covers how to build trust with your supervisor and collegues, skill-up, learn workplace norms, network within your workplace, and make a good impression in your first six months on a new job or internship.  
• Mock Interviews - Register Here - ALLEN 213 Mock interviews are a great way to practice interviewing in a low-stake environment. Each mock interview will last about 20-25 minutes. You do not need to submit or bring a resume to sign up for a mock interview. During the mock interview your interviewer will chat with you about your career goals to set the stage. They will then ask you 3-5 questions that you might be asked during a real interview. Your interviewer will then give you feedback and coaching. SOJC Academic and Career Advisors Vanessa Truelove and Hailey Nailor will be leading mock interviews.

3:00-4:00pm: Networking Mixer (refreshments provided) - ALLEN ATRIUM This culminating event brings together students, faculty, alumni, and local industry professionals for casual, low-pressure conversations to spark connections and confidence. Whether you’re new to in-person networking or looking to sharpen your communication skills, this is an opportunity to practice making small talk and conversing with established and emerging professionals.

Prior to the mixer, we encourage students to attend the 2pm session Making Professional Conversation, led by SOJC Pro Tem Advertising and Public Relations instructor Slavka Eberhart-Garah. This session will cover everything from small talk and introductions to navigating professional and relaxed social settings.