Just months after earning his B.S. in marketing last December, Brady Toussaint, ’23, is part of the sales team for Graybar — a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America. A leader in the distribution of high-quality electrical, communications and data networking products, Graybar also specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services.
“I am a sales representative with 40 accounts that I call on for sales,” Toussaint said. “The company has a great atmosphere and a great staff to help to ensure you do your best.”
Toussaint was a commuter student while at NIU and participated in the NIU Professional Sales Program. Through the program, Toussaint was able to connect with a representative from Graybar at a local DeKalb establishment — Fatty’s Pub & Grille.
“I followed up with them at a Top Golf event that the college held to ensure that I had the connection with the company. I then had a very good interview with them,” he said.
Once he began his internship, Toussaint realized the role centered on learning more about all parts of the business, including stocking items in the warehouse and presenting to people at corporate.
“It was interesting to see the distribution side of construction,” he said. “The stuff you learn in class comes in handy once you get an internship. There were so many things that came up that I remember being taught in my class. A specific one that comes to mind was one of the first projects they put the interns on. It was a project where they wanted to better their website. I thought back to my Marketing 370 class where I did a project related to improving a website, and that helped me to contribute.”
Toussaint added that the most fun he had during his internship was going with his team to the Cubs game.
“Graybar has awesome seats, and it was a blast to get a free game at Wrigley Field,” he said.
After earning his degree, Toussaint was immediately offered a role as a leadership trainee. This month, he was promoted to a sales representative.
Growing up in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Toussaint was the class clown, offering a quick laugh to classmates.
“I would find humor in just about everything,” he said. “When I was young, I always wanted to be a teacher. I kept this desire until high school where I made the switch to sales.”
After graduating from Rolling Meadows High School during the start of the pandemic in 2020, Toussaint started at William Rainey Harper College, where he earned his associate degree and began a transitional program to NIU.
“I’ve had multiple brothers go through NIU, so there was a level of familiarity with the campus as well as the overall atmosphere,” he said. “I knew that NIU had a top sales program in the country and that naturally piqued my interest given that was my field of study.”
He noted that his internship helped him to “test the waters” to find out what he really liked.
“I may have already known I wanted to work in sales, but for those who are in a field that they have never tried before, an internship offers a great way to get your feet wet to affirm your decision to pursue what you want,” he said. “Not everyone does internships, so those who do stand out as people who are ready and willing to get to the next step in their lives.”
Marketing students who are interested in finding an internship that fits your strengths and interests can contact Michele Kaczka, marketing internship coordinator, at 815-753-1156 or mkaczka@niu.edu. You can also drop by her office in Barsema Hall, Room 128L, to discuss your options for summer.
