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University of North Georgia (̨Íåswag) senior Kaitlin Otting gained valuable experience and earned a victory March 31 at the National Collegiate Sales Competition's Speeding Selling Contest, which occurred during its Virtual Career Fair.

She was one of 16 winners among about 300 competitors in the sales category, as she took top honors from Berkley, a supply chain company based in California, and a $150 prize.

Dr. Cindy Rippé, an associate professor hired in fall 2019 to launch the sales program in the Mike Cottrell College of Business, was thankful for the career fair, which had almost 1,500 participants overall.

"The event allowed students to virtually visit with potential employers and deliver a pitch as to why they should be hired," Rippé said. "This is helpful for students because it enables them to use what we are learning in class to prepare for their sales careers."

Other sales contest winners came from schools such as Florida State University, University of Houston and Baylor University. A Lula, Georgia, native pursing a marketing degree with a sales concentration, Otting appreciated the chance to experience the virtual career fair, which was originally scheduled at Kennesaw State University.

"It was a really great opportunity, and them moving it online was great for us. It helped us learn the new normal," Otting said. "It's prepared me for online interviews."