Sylvania Harrod moved from Big Tech into private equity in Virginia by leveraging years of technology sales and leadership experience. He joined the Army at 18 and served nearly five years, then entered tech sales without a college degree after networking at a gym and joining CDW in 2008. He progressed through roles at SHI, Dell, Nimble (acquired by HPE), Cisco, and Amazon, gaining mentorship, tuition reimbursement, and corporate perks while noting varying pros and cons across employers. Dell supported degree completion and veteran-focused leadership programs, and HPE provided car perks and tuition benefits.
I didn't go to college. I joined the Army at 18 and served for nearly five years. After I got out, I worked the front desk at a gym. I kept seeing a group of guys who wore nice clothes and drove nice cars. I asked them what they did for work, and they told me they worked for CDW. Even though I had no experience working in tech, they helped me get hired in tech sales. I went to work for CDW in 2008.
I left CDW to work for SHI International Corp., and then Dell I worked for SHI International Corp. for one year. As a result of my experience in the roles at CDW and SHI, I was hired as a sales manager at Dell. Dell supported going back and getting your degree. It also had different mentorship groups to learn about public speaking and leadership development, especially for veterans.
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