Mick Collins
- Customer Value Manager
- CrowdStrike
School Information
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College Major: Engineering
Years at College Works: 2011
Career Information
Working For: CrowdStrike
Title: Customer Value Manager
Industry: Computer & Network SecurityWhat Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?
Nothing has been quite like College Works Painting, but knowing that I will graduate from a great engineering school with a solid job after school is an accomplishment I am proud of that I have been working towards for a while.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting was a hands on learning experience where you get the opportunity to run your own business top to bottom that cannot be found in any classroom, or at any other job.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
Although I have not started my career yet, many employers I have been interviewing with are extremely impressed with my experience with College Works Painting. After going through College Works Painting you also gain more confidence with in many things you do and are also able to look at most things with a business mindset observing the big picture while many other peers don’t.
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?
Doug and Sue Jones. They were the first job that Pat and I booked ever. They were extremely easy going clients, however they did expect results. I would want to thank them for being my first ever clients because without that first success, there may not have been others to follow and my College Works Painting experience would have been different.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
The core values which can be applied to just about anything: – Relationships are everything -The four referability habits -Results economy -Work hard, play hard, have fun -Balance: it is the real measure of success -Growth in existing and new ventures
How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?
Still being in school I see College Works Painting friends all the time. I’m extremely happy I created these networks early to have the rest of my time at school and beyond. I still see Pat way too much, I lived with Gabe for a year and am sure I will keep in touch with many other College Works Painting friends I made my freshman year.
If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?
Work Hard, Play Hard.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Don’t get discouraged, keep the big picture in mind. Success in a professional setting, leads to happiness in personal life. Set reasonable goals, but never be afraid to aim high. Work hard, play hard.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
The experience you gain from College Works Painting is invaluable and can not be learned anywhere else. The number of things that you can talk about in interviews are endless compared to actually doing a menial job in an industry you are going after. Do College Works Painting early in your college career while it is still extremely difficult to find an internship with in your major/field.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Mexico was sick.
Last words of wisdom?
Don’t let others influence you from doing something you want to do. If you believe you can succeed at something like College Works Painting, put the work in, be coach-able, keep the end picture in mind then go get it! Others that gave me a hard time for doing CWP were too lazy or jealous to have been able to be successful at it so keep that in mind.