Claudia Calonje

Tell me about yourself and your journey into big tech.

I am the oldest of two in my family and both of my parents are immigrants from Nicaragua. I always say my sales career began when I was young, translating for my mom and being the older sister.

When I went to college, I wanted to go into finance because that’s what my dad did, but I was so bad at it. I cried every single day. Eventually, I joined a national entrepreneurship program where I ran a full business, managed a team of employees, and learned so much. My VP there told me I was incredibly good at sales, and that’s what launched my sales career.

I worked at a few startups here and there but decided I wanted a more formal sales training and aimed to get into tech. So, I set my sights on Salesforce, the tallest tower in San Francisco. At the time, I was working in real estate and didn’t even fully know what they did, but I saw their name everywhere and thought, "I’m going to work there." 

I loved it - talking to people, understanding businesses, and helping them evaluate their processes. After several years, I went to Google to run partnerships but missed the culture at Salesforce. So, I came back and have been here ever since.

In your current role, what does a typical day look like and what are your main job responsibilities?

As Account Executives, we’re given a book of business - a group of accounts within a specific region and industry, known as a vertical. Right now, I’m in the media and entertainment vertical, working with sports teams, advertising companies, and more.

Depending on the account, they might have no spend with Salesforce or a significant amount. My job is to increase revenue for the company, which is tied to my quota. Everything I do revolves around that goal. This includes setting up director-level meetings, having in-person meetings (we call them "face-in-the-place"), and helping companies solve internal issues with our products.

My day-to-day involves dinners, presentations, responding to emails, texts, and phone calls - basically anything that moves the needle toward meeting my quota.

What advice do you have for others who want to break into big tech or do what you do?

The strongest tool you have is your network. As a first-generation Latina, I didn’t have family connections to rely on, so I leaned heavily on LinkedIn.

At companies like Salesforce, referrals are crucial because hiring managers want to know they’re working with competent people. And so my entire methodology behind getting into these major companies was making sure that I knew people on the teams that I wanted to be on. 

My approach was to message 100 people from Salesforce every week for months until someone responded, referred me, and spoke to the hiring manager on my behalf.

If you don’t know exactly what sales team or role you want, that’s okay. Just start by connecting with people, having coffee chats, and finding a way in. Networking is everything.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Salesforce?

I love that Salesforce has the tallest towers in every major city! 😂 But more seriously, I love the culture. I thrive in the fast-paced environment. I also appreciate the directness here. They’re transparent about whether or not you’re not up for a promotion and where you stand. That kind of transparency is rare in major corporations and I appreciate how straightforward things are here.

Overall though, being in tech has been such a blessing for me. It’s given me exposure to different businesses, people, and industries. Working at a major company feels like being in college again - there’s an alumni network and a community to learn from.

Sales roles in particular provide incredible opportunities for growth. It’s like a mini MBA. I’m so grateful to be part of it, and I think it’s such a privilege to have access to these resources.

Finish this sentence. Outside of the office, you can find me:

You’ll find me on my Peloton, modeling, or coaching. I’m an expansion coach, helping people map out their dreams and break them down into small, tangible steps. 

You can connect with Claudia here (www.claudiacalonje.com) or on LinkedIn!

“Is it okay if my resume is more than 1 page?” - Lydia D.

Great question!

It doesn’t matter so long as the information provided is relevant.

Take a look at your resume right now and go line by line.

For each bullet point, ask yourself: is this relevant to the role I am applying to and does this particular sentence add to my case?

If it doesn’t, consider taking it out.

Resumes are reviewed quickly so the more fluff/irrelevant information you provide, the greater chances it takes away from the relevant experience you do have.

Your resume should not be a laundry list of everything you have ever done.

Instead, it should be concise, focused, and clearly demonstrate how you can solve the specific problems listed in the job description.

Set yourself up for success by making it easy for the recruiter to identify why you are a good fit for the role and why moving your application forward is a no-brainer.

Bottom line: focus less on the length and more on the quality of the content. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read today’s newsletter! If you have any feedback, please let me know down below. Have a great rest of the week and see you in the next one! Cheers, Brenna

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