Ian A.

In high school, Ian built sets for musicals as part of the backstage crew. “I always had a DEWALT® Impact Driver on my belt,” he says. He grew up only forty-five minutes from Stanley Black & Decker’s Towson offices and had the opportunity to visit the facility. This visit showed Ian what a career at Stanley Black & Decker might entail.  

“Being in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my summers, let alone my career,” he shares. “I saw people working in the kind of office you’d see on TV shows, doing the behind-the-scenes work that wouldn’t be seen for months or years.”

He relates this experience to his work in the theater. “As a backstage crew member for theater, this was the kind of work I loved. The little things no one appreciates, but without them, the show would fail,” he explains. “Stanley Black & Decker clearly put in the rehearsal time. So, I figured, ‘Why not apply for an internship and work backstage with the tools I love?’”

On Being Given Freedom As An Intern

As an intern, Ian was surprised by the autonomy he received with his work. “It was an entirely different world than I’d experienced in college or at other jobs,” he says. “Rather than being given a rubric or to-do list, I was trusted to determine the best methods for completing my assignments.”

Initially, Ian was tasked with understanding the features and accessories automotive vacuums should include. However, while working on the project, he discovered a need for the industry outside of the parameters of his original assignment, and his manager encouraged him to pursue it further. “Giving that power and freedom to an intern spoke volumes,” he says. “If I had an idea, I could shape my entire summer around it. That’s what made me love working here.”

The following summer, Ian accepted an offer to return for a second internship. “I was given almost free reign over my project,” he shares. “This experience showed me how much this company values new ideas and its employees. I hadn’t even graduated college, but I was presenting to Vice Presidents and Directors.” 

Going Full Time

Ian now works as a Sales Coordinator, collaborating with large, national stores to promote DEWALT’s® tools and products. “Instead of providing a strict set of instructions, I try to partner with a store at a personal level, bringing empathy and passion to a corporate relationship,” he explains.  

His favorite part of his job? “The truck. What other job offers you use of a 4WD truck?” he jokes. “But seriously, my favorite part of the role is the events, where we demo tools and answer any questions our end-users or customers might have.”

He enjoys the relationships he’s built with the people buying and using our tools and solutions. “I love interacting with our end-users, understanding the way they use our product. Because of this personal connection, I know I’m having a direct, quantifiable impact.”

Building His Career…His Way

Ian is part of the Stanley Black & Decker Sales & Marketing Development Program (SMDP). Participants in the program start as sales representatives. As they progress in the program, they select a personalized rotational path based on their goals and career interests. Areas of focus include marketing, eCommerce and several sales fields. Not only does this program give participants an in-depth understanding of our business, it also can provide direction and guidance for people early in their careers.  

An extensive training program prepares SMDP participants for their roles, including instructor-led education and e-learning opportunities. “We have tons of learning opportunities here,” Ian states. “There are weeks-long courses teaching us to be better salespeople and product experts. Not only is the training team 1000% dedicated to making sure we can apply the skills we gain, but also that we enjoy the process.”

Opportunities and Connections: The Building Blocks of Career Success

As participants move through the program, they have opportunities to make an impact at the Company, leading to numerous career highlights. “In the SMDP, there are tons of resume-building opportunities; I’ve held events totaling over $165k and had some of the largest sales in the country.,” Ian says.  

He continues, “But it goes beyond numbers. The personal element of my job — my teammates, the customers I work with daily — has been a highlight of my tenure. As my mentor says, ‘You don't get this everywhere,’"

This personal connection has led to the creation of meaningful relationships with the people in his cohort in the program. “I regularly call other members of my SMDP class for hours at a time; I don’t even do that with people I went to school with! That, to me, really says something about the culture and the people who are working here.”