Intern, Sales Development - Summer 2027

Scope of Position

The Sales Development Intern will gain hands-on experience in the sales process, learning how marketing-generated opportunities are identified, qualified, and converted into customer conversations. This role is ideal for someone who is interested in pursuing a career in sales and wants exposure to the activities, tools, and skills that drive business growth.

Working closely with the Sales Development team, regional sales representatives, and field sales professionals, the intern will support lead generation and qualification efforts across key marketing campaigns. They will learn how sales teams engage customers, uncover opportunities, and build relationships while developing practical experience with prospecting, outreach, and pipeline development.

The intern will be assigned marketing campaigns and will follow up with prospective customers through a combination of phone, email, social media, and voicemail outreach with the goal of generating qualified sales meetings for the field sales organization. Through regular collaboration with sales professionals, the intern will gain firsthand exposure to customer engagement strategies and the day-to-day responsibilities of a sales career.

The ideal candidate will be an independent self-starter who enjoys building relationships, communicating with others, and learning how sales organizations drive revenue growth and customer success.

Program Perks

• Competitive salaries
• Assistance with housing and travel
• Meaningful project and final project presentation

Intern Activities

• Social and networking opportunities
• Weekly tech talks
• Community involvement

Requirements

• Actively pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, marketing, communications, sales, or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in sales, business development, or another customer-facing commercial role.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships and engage confidently with internal and external customers.
• Excellent interpersonal and phone communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated with a proactive and results-oriented mindset.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Ability to adapt to new challenges, technologies, and business needs.
• Experience with CRM, sales engagement, or marketing automation platforms is a plus.
• Must be available for 10 weeks during Summer 2027 (May-August 2027) with a graduation date of December 2027 or later
• Be interested in working for Corning, Inc after graduation, if presented with a full-time job opportunity.
• Be willing to work at the posted job location

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales Development Representatives and field sales teams to support lead generation and qualification efforts.
• Execute outreach activities through phone, email, social media, and voicemail campaigns to engage prospective customers.
• Qualify marketing-generated leads and schedule meetings for field sales representatives.
• Collaborate with regional and field sales teams to understand customer needs, sales priorities, and market opportunities.
• Maintain accurate prospect and activity information within CRM and sales tools.
• Learn and apply consultative selling techniques to customer interactions.
• Support sales process improvement initiatives and special projects as assigned.
• Build relationships with sales, marketing, and commercial teams across the organization.
• Participate in networking opportunities and professional development activities to gain exposure to Corning and the telecommunications industry.
• Present an end-of-summer project and key learnings to Marketing and Commercial leadership.