By Nicole Haley
From warehouse manager to truck driver to regional, national and then international sales manager, John Simons worked his way up at Rust-Oleum Industrial Brands.
He spent his junior year co-op working as the manager of a company warehouse in Roxbury. Now, 30 years later, Simons has been named vice president of marketing for that same company.
Simons graduated from Northeastern in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
If he had not been previously trained with three co-op rotations of experience at Rust-Oleum Industrial Brands, Simons said he probably would not have been offered the salesman position that opened in the New York territory after his graduation.
“I had an advantage over any competition looking for the same job,” Simons said regarding the co-op program’s influence on his career.
Lynn Lyford, the vice president for Cooperative Education, said Simons’ experience is not uncommon.
According to a survey conducted by the Department of Career Services given to former Northeastern students six months after they graduated, 48 percent of those who responded said they were hired by their co-op employers.
“Success stories like [Simons’] validate the importance and value of co-op,” Lyford said. “This is yet another example of someone who got a permanent job from their co-op experience.”
Simons said the networking and personal connections he was able to gain through co-op were the main factors in getting him the job and getting his career started. He said he developed a relationship with as many people as he could.
“It all comes down to people; the best jobs don’t get posted. If you perform well on a co-op, they’ll think of you when a position opens up,” Simons said.
Tara McDermott, a senior music industry major, said she already has people at her former co-op position scouting job openings for her.
“Being on co-op for the past four years definitely helped me get my foot in the door with a company I really wanted to work for Sony Records. If it wasn’t for the co-op program and being able to intern for all this time, I would have a much more difficult time finding a worthwhile job right after graduation,” McDermott said.
Simons had more to worry about than securing a job in a shaky economy when he was on co-op in the midst of the Vietnam War. The thought of losing his student deferment gave Simons extra incentive to excel.
“If you got fired from a co-op job it was like dropping out of school and they would activate your draft card,” Simons said.
As Vice President of Marketing, Simons oversees product development and handles advertising and marketing. Recently, Simons helped the paint manufacturer develop and market a branding strategy to keep up with government regulations and the Environmental Protection Agency, which restricts the levels of volatile organic compounds in paint.
“We decided to turn that problem into an opportunity,” Simons said.
The new water-based epoxy and acrylic coatings have no odor or air pollutants. Simons said that as the first company to develop this type of line, Rust-Oleum has a market advantage.
“Sierra Performance Coatings are keeping us on the leading edge of technology,” he said.
Simons said the product has the attention of government agencies wishing to reduce air pollution and that there is a real demand for it, especially among establishment open 24 hours a day. The fast drying, odor-free coating has been popular in firehouses, post offices and food plants.
Courtney Love recently had her dressing room painted with it.
Simons said he will also be marketing the product to casino owners around the country since they are constantly open for business and do not want to expose customers to strong solvent odors while painting.
