Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 4 | March 2017

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14 Inside Hokie Sports
Elizabeth Birle is a senior on the Virginia Tech softball team and graduates
in May with a degree in public relations. She currently is going through the interview
process, but plans on pursuing a career in sales with a major company following her
graduation.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a degree in public relations?
EB: “I decided to pursue a degree in communications because I love talking to
people, forming relationships and writing, so communications would be my thing. I
originally came in as a multimedia journalismmajor with the aspirations of becoming
the next ESPN broadcaster. I quickly came to the realization that, although I love
sports, I wanted to stray away from broadcasting and journalism. During my junior
year, I switched my major to public relations and never looked back. I love what PR
entails and all the opportunities that come with it.”
Q: Have you worked any internships related to your degree? If so, what
did you do?
EB: “I have been the ad sales manager for The Black Sheep, a media company
based on college campuses, going on three semesters now. At first, I was very unsure
of how I would do in sales. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the competitive
and relationship-building nature of sales. I found I was pretty good at it, too, so that
was nice. Ever since that first semester of interning for The Black Sheep, I have been
pursuing a career in sales.”
Q: How did this internship reinforce what you want to do in your career?
EB: “Like I said before, I fell in love with sales pretty quickly. I get to meet with
people face-to-face, build relationships, and eventually help them with what they
need. The competitive nature of sales was also a big sell for me—no pun intended
(laughing). This is something very appealing for me simply because I have been
competitive in every aspect of my life since I was young. I am definitely not made for
a desk job from 9-5. Sales keeps me on my toes, and that keeps it fun.”
Q: What are your plans after graduation this spring?
EB: “Currently, I am interviewing with multiple companies in hopes of landing a job
in sales and leadership roles, so it really depends on what happens from here. I am very
open to relocating, so who knows where I will be. All I know is I am very excited for any
of the opportunities ahead, and I am ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead.”
Q: What is your long-term “dream” job?
EB: “My “dream job” definitely would be to be a very successful saleswoman of a
product that I fully believe in, maybe even my very own product. I don’t think you can
get very far in the sales industry without believing in yourself or what you’re selling.
So if I can make a good amount of money from something that I truly believe in and
something that can help other people, I’m very happy with that.”
2017
ELIZABETH
BIRLE
SOFTBALL
Winter Springs, Florida
by Jimmy Robertson