October 01, 2018

When it comes to innovation, no company is perhaps more top-of-mind than Tesla. So, when a recruiter approached senior Sara Costa about an opportunity with the company, she jumped.

Sara Cost

“I wanted to work at Tesla because it is such an amazing company and I love the mission they stand for,” Costa said. “Tesla isn’t only about selling their electric cars or energy products, they are all about transitioning the world into sustainable energy and I think that is very important.”

Costa, a double-major in luxury brand marketing and management and strategic communications, first worked as a customer experience specialist over winter break, and returned this summer to Tesla’s McLean, Va., store.

“My main task is to talk about the company’s mission and products to people who enter the showroom. I talk to them about the company’s mission of transitioning the world into sustainable energy, as well as the characteristics of Tesla vehicles,” she said. “I’m also responsible for collecting customer leads and following up with each customer to offer them a test drive in a Tesla.”

Costa’s role is important. As she has learned through her coursework, marketing luxury products and services presents a number of unique challenges, including the importance of establishing strong relationships with customers. Her experience at Tesla was her first opportunity to put this principle into practice.

Costa credits Susquehanna’s unique luxury brand marketing and management major-one of the few such undergraduate programs in the country—with helping her profile stand out on her LinkedIn page. She said her Professional Development course helped hone her interview skills and produce a polished résumé.

“I hope this position allows me to showcase my experience working in the luxury sector, and marketing to a completely different audience than a regular brand,” Costa said. “The luxury industry is very competitive and hard to get into, so I hope that having this unique experience working for such an amazing company will help me post-graduation.”