Dane Mauland

In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?

College Works Painting has challenged me and pushed me to grow more than I thought possible.

How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?

One of the questions I was asked in my final round interview was “The other three applicants are from schools like Harvard and Yale. Why should we hire you over them?” I was able to draw on my experience at College Works Painting to answer the question and differentiate myself from the other candidates. Sure, they were from better schools, but I had proven myself in a challenging role with significant responsibilities. If they asked about my leadership style, I could give an example of when I was managing employees on multi-thousand dollar projects instead of just talking about how I was a shift lead at some summer job. If they asked how I prioritized, I’d give an example of how I prioritized the marketing, sales, production, and HR activities at College Works Painting instead of talking about how I prioritized my studying for exams. If they asked about how I worked with others, I’d give an example of working with my clients during their painting project to ensure they were happy with the end result instead of talking about some group project. Having these real world examples set me apart and allowed me to land my dream job,

What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?

Sheri Callantine, 2016. It was a pleasure working with you, Sheri! It’s because of people like you who are willing to put their faith in some college student who knocked on their door that this program is able to be success and help other college students like myself. Thanks to you, I was able to succeed in this program and use it land my dream job!

What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?

The greatest lesson I learned was how much I could accomplish if I really put my mind to something. Seeing my hard work materialize as more revenue for my business showed me what I’m capable of and made me raise my ambitions.

How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?

When I was applying for investment banking jobs, I networked almost exclusively with College Works Painting alumni, who were all extremely helpful and essentially helped coach me through the interview processes. When I had my final round interview at Barclays, there was a big snow storm that evening and my flight was canceled. I was able to stay at a friend’s place, who I met through College Works Painting.