Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Students' Magazine

I sold my first pest control contract in San Francisco back in 1996.  Truthfully, I did it for the money.  Friends of mine were earning large amounts money in a very short period of time, selling this very obscure-sounding, but regionally-necessary product.  Fortunately, my financial state of affairs (or lack thereof) forced me to swallow my pride and do the unthinkable—go door-to-door.  Eventually, I did very well financially, but after the last dollar earned was spent, the real reward of the internship that I discovered has remained with me ever since.

I learned that I can always get what I want in life, if I first help other people get what they want.  I learned that success isn’t this elusive treasure that awaits the lucky or the wise.  I learned that fundamental principles of character, behavior, and thought, when effectively applied, equate in real and lasting achievement—in anything.   I learned that intelligence and skill can only take a person so far in life.  This internship allowed me to practice for life’s challenges that lay ahead.  I spent hundreds of times a day making mistakes, evaluating my influence on people, adjusting my approach and mental attitude.  I gradually reduced my weaknesses, while developing my strengths.  The job was extremely hard, challenging, and demanded great sacrifice; however, it was well worth the reward it provided.  That is, a real, enduring, personal confidence that can only be borne from the experience of breaking oneself down and rebuilding one’s paradigm anew on a firm foundation of principled personal accomplishment.

I remember one of my most fulfilling moments occurred during this internship when I arrived at the sure knowledge that I could achieve whatever I wanted.  There were no limits.  I no longer was constricted by self-doubt, uncertainty, or fear; I had never experienced such freedom.  This is not to be confused with false confidence or blind, youthful exuberance; for I still feel the same way and I am no longer that youthful, nor particularly exuberant.  It’s a principled formula for achievement, plain and simple.  Through painful experience, I lost my fear of failure, and instead embraced failure as a key component to any worthwhile endeavor.  I went from a cocky person who felt somehow entitled to the rewards of achievement without effort to someone who understood and focused on the principles of character and sacrifice that enabled it.  

This powerful experience so impacted my life, that it prompted me to share this knowledge with others.  I spent the next decade perfecting a system that would first benefit the interns, then ultimately, me.  And it works—very well.  However, there is a catch: it isn’t for everybody.  In fact, this internship is only for the minority of people who are mentally prepared and willing to do the hard things required by the program.  Assembling such a team, comprised only of such outstanding individuals, is the most difficult challenge of my job.  And now, only after 12 years of interviewing hundreds of candidates, can I proudly say that I’m about 80% effective in this area.  Last year I hired 9 of 46 applicants.  But I would have been willing to hire zero if nobody qualified—and this is key.  Many direct marketing companies in the U.S. make the mistake of using well-intentioned, but unqualified students to hire others via commission overrides on their team members sales because it is an easy and cheap way to recruit.  But our experience has clearly shown that an intern’s consistent failed attempts to such challenges can result in a devastating experience for the individual, team, and program on all levels.  It’s simply a risk we avoid.

We truly appreciate our RSSE interns: Helen Tolppa, Katrin Karelson, and Katrin Karist.  After four months, thanks to their hard work, positive attitudes, and willingness to learn can we declare our first international internship a success.  You can listen to them speak of their experience in California by visiting our website:  HYPERLINK "http://www.precisionmarketinggroupllc.com" www.precisionmarketinggroupllc.com and clicking on the video link.

by Jason Revill