Life at Nutanix

From Intern to Channel Sales Manager: Rohit Jha Shares how he Progressed his Career

By Liza Meak

February 15, 2022 | min

 

When Rohit Jha sets his sights on something, he won’t back down until he gets it. That mindset helped him secure an internship at Nutanix four years ago and has kept him pushing forward to land his current role as a Channel Sales Manager in India.

When Jha started working on his MBA, he didn’t initially plan on working in the tech industry, but after he talked to a flatmate and a professor, that all changed. He made a calculated risk and applied for the internship even though he didn’t yet have experience working in IT.

“To my surprise, I was called for a group discussion,” Jha said. “There were around 320 of us if I’m not mistaken.” He eventually became one of two interns to get tapped to work in the sales team in India, but he knew he had a lot to learn, so he took to educating himself about the basics of IT. Once he had the basics down, Jha used those learnings plus his sales skills to close his first deal less than two months after first starting the internship. “There was no looking back after that,” Jha said “During my one year internship, I closed 6 to 7 deals.”

Landing a full time position wasn’t a given, however. Jha still had to prove himself. Through hard work and determination, he showed he had the skills to succeed and accepted an inside sales position. Jha credits many mentors who guided him along the way. “I am who I am today because of the leaders who showed me the ropes, pushed me outside my comfort zone, and mentored me.”

Nutanix Salesteam

Coming into Nutanix as an intern gave Jha a unique perspective to see all the opportunities Nutanix had to offer, and he didn’t hesitate to take on whatever task was asked of him. In fact, he believes one of those tasks, taking minutes during meetings, helped him get to where he is today. “It was so helpful in understanding how leadership thinks and plans and how to think strategically,” Jha explained.

With time, patience, and the sales number to prove his impact, Jha earned a promotion in 2021. It didn’t come easy though, and in the early days in the pandemic, he didn’t hit his sales goals. The tough times ultimately taught him a valuable lesson: to always be proactive and not be afraid to ask questions. “I have a very inquisitive streak and am always asking the five Ws; who, what, where, when, and why. Asking those questions ensures I get all my basics right,” Jha said.

Getting the basics down is step one, but from there Jha made sure to go above and beyond in his learning, helping Jha be seen as a leader himself.

Want to learn more about internships and career opportunities at Nutanix? Visit our Nutanix careers page to learn more.

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