“I never thought I’d be standing here as one of the SAM speakers,” Matthew Larry ‘16 said to a roomful of business majors and minors at a recent Society for the Advancement of Management lecture.

Larry returned to Jacobs 108 to share his story about what he’s done since graduating from PC with a business degree.

“I was in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) in high school,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity in business because it’s so broad. You can do sales, marketing, accounting, economics. There’s so much to do I figured I would find a niche somewhere.”

Larry has found his niche in sales with UPS. He shared insight about what he’s learned since being at the world’s largest package delivery company as well as stories of his experience on the job. Like one of the times he convinced a skeptical customer to switch from a competitor to UPS. And the time he had to explain to another customer, who wanted Larry to give him a rate that wouldn’t even allow UPS to cover the cost of fuel, that his offer didn’t make business sense.

Larry provided students with practical advice throughout. He advised students to always keep their resumes updated and to get involved in organizations to make them stand out. When he was at PC, Larry was a member of SAM and of Student Government Association and was also a Resident Assistant.

“Courses like Managerial Communications and Operations Management taught in the business department have prepared me to be successful as an operations supervisor and now in my sales role at UPS,” Larry said. “Those two courses have stood out to me, allowing what I learned to come full circle with real life.

“Also there are students of many different backgrounds represented at PC, and I feel that it’s made it easier to communicate with different kinds of people on a daily basis.”

He passed along internship opportunities with UPS, and reassured the students that what they’re learning at PC will prepare them for any career path they choose.

What’s next for Larry? He said he enjoys the challenge his current position presents, but he’s leaning toward a position involving data analytics in the future.

Check out the business administration page to learn more about Larry’s major. Want to learn more about the field that Matthew Larry wants to get into? Visit our data analytics page.