Austin McDermott

Background

About Austin McDermott

Growing up, sports played a major role in my personal development. From a young age, I had big dreams of one day playing at the highest level of professional soccer. That was until I realized that I had more of an interest in coaching than I did competing. For a while, the goal was to ultimately become a coach at a major Division I university and win national championships. But once I realized how demanding and time-consuming a career like coaching could be, it became apparent that the life I wanted was not going to be attainable following that dream. When I broke into the tech industry, I quickly realized that there were alternative career paths that would provide me with plenty of opportunities to exercise my strengths.My brain strategizes like a coach, my personality is shaped by my "team-first" mentality, and my work ethic is derived from years of successes & failures that allow me to get better every single day. When you lose, there's little time to reflect but an endless amount of time to learn - and that's exactly how life has been since graduating from college.My short 6-year career has been about as diverse as a resume can get. Some people may view it as a red flag, but I see it as a differentiator. I have been able to learn the intricacies of pitching products, closing deals under pressured timelines, onboard brand new customers, manage a diverse book of business, strategize with enterprise-sized businesses, and develop lasting relationships with customers & partners. Fortunately, my array of experiences has landed me the job I was meant to be in.I've felt like I have won a championship by working in an account management role, but great coaches don't stop there. Enjoy your championship until it's time to start planning on how you're going to win your next one. I'm not satisfied - but in a good way. I remain committed to developing my talent so that I can be a part of many more championships in the future.