Why do engineers make good business developers? We asked one of our students to explain how his background helps him in his daily job.
In January 2020 we launched our Business Development Certification Program. A 5-week intensive program designed to help individuals improve their business development skills and get results.
We had our first 10 students from everywhere in the world. From Taiwan to France, they all shared the same passion for learning and becoming better at what they do.
It was a great chance for us to find inspiration and add more pieces to the business development puzzle.
Our initial students helped us understand one key learning:
Your academic background doesn’t really matter in business development.
As long as you’re willing to invest in yourself and keep growing, you can become very successful at this job.
In particular, we found out that having a diverse background was actually a critical asset in becoming great at business development.
That’s exactly the case with Hazem who's an engineer by study and decided to work in business development.
We asked him a few questions so you can understand why engineers make good business developers.
Enjoy the read!
Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Hazem Sorour, I am 26 years old and I was born and raised in beautiful Egypt. Later on, I decided to study abroad and I moved to “America’s Finest” San Diego to study Environmental Engineering.
I am an engineer at heart who loves working on complex projects that impact people’s lives and make a difference.
My biggest passion is for water treatment and I hope one day to improve the water supply in my region.
At the moment I work as a Business Developer for Hassan Allam Holding, one of the largest privately owned corporations in Egypt and the MENA region.
You went from engineering to business development, how did that happen?
After graduation, I worked as a technical engineer on-site for nearly 3 years until I got in contact with HAH.
Originally I interviewed for a Project management role. However, I informed them that I have sales, communication, and negotiation skills.
I was actually more interested in taking on a role that will help the company scale up and expand abroad.
My main motivation was that I didn’t want to limit myself to a certain technical job in one industry. With business development, I knew I could provide more value to my organization.
Besides, I could gain experience and develop skills that I could apply in many industries.
So, why do engineers make good business developers?
My education and past experience have greatly influenced my role as a business developer. Studying in the US helped me build the strong, multicultural network that I use today.
While working on-site and seeing a project come alive gave me civil and electromechanical experience that I did not have or study as an environmental engineer.
This allowed me to have a deep understanding of project challenges which gives me an edge when helping management decide on a certain opportunity.
Besides, in my line of work, you also need to have some technical background as we constantly work with tenders and negotiate these tenders directly with clients.
These things combined were stepping stones to where I am today. With my current role as a business developer and at a young age, I can really see things from the perspective of decision-makers, which is something not a lot of people in my organization get to experience.
What motivated you to take the bd course?
Originally, I was looking to learn the fundamentals of business development before taking on my current role. After doing some research, I came across The BD School. The course seemed exactly what I was looking for.
What I liked the most is the opportunity to network and learn from experienced professionals working in the same field.
The BD School is more of a community, and being a part of such an international community is what excited me the most and the main reason I decided to join.
What’s your main professional ambition?
My goal is to be one of the top business development professionals in my country.
I want to develop myself in order to become a valuable asset to any company I join or create in the future.
Any advice to people considering a career in business development?
My advice to anyone considering a role in business development is to know your why. Once you figured out why you want to work in this field, you must reach out to experienced professionals.
This is for you to learn the fundamentals, soft skills, and tactics that will give you a head start in your career. Moreover, it will help you avoid mistakes that can affect your productivity and growth.
Business development is a fairly new field and only a few people understand what it really is. Reach out to someone more experienced and your professional life will be much smoother. Business development truly is a unique field.
Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Check out our course!
