These are the things that you must remember when you're looking to leave your sales career. Skills you learned in sales are likely to transfer well to a new field. When searching for a new job, it's a good idea that you consider the salary and compensation structure. Also, quantify your accomplishments.
It is possible to transfer skills from sales to an IT job.
If you are looking for a career change, an IT position could be the right choice. An IT job requires many skills that you have in sales. They include initiative, attention to detail, and communication. These skills can make you a valuable asset for an IT position.
Sales positions require a lot of relationship-building, and skills in this area are particularly important. These positions require people to be able to listen, assess information and make decisions. This is a valuable skill which can be applied to any career. Similar skills, such as problem-solving, are highly transferable.
A job that pays a wage and commission is possible
Many companies offer commission-based sales jobs with a combination of a salary, as well as an opportunity to earn a living. These jobs can be very lucrative. Software companies are known for paying high commissions when their software is sold. Because the company has to incur high upfront costs in order to develop the software, it can afford to pay a commission for their salespeople. Therefore, it is important to seek out a company with high margins.
Your abilities and learning style, as well as your previous experience, will dictate the type job you choose. A commission-based sales job may be more appealing to you if you are naturally a salesperson. It is better to start with a job that gives you financial security and a stable base salary if your sales abilities are not clear.
Conducting an interview for sales job
It can be difficult to conduct a job interview while you are transitioning from sales. The interview is more like an audition. The hiring company wants to determine if the candidate has the right skills to perform the job. Do your research on the company before going to an interview. Consider the company's marketing strategy as well as its primary customers.
To showcase your skills and experience, you can use interview questions. A candidate might be asked to describe a sales role. You can use these questions to help you get to know the candidate's experience and background, as well his personality traits.
Quantifying sales success
It is important to first identify the accomplishments you have made in sales sales during your transition. If possible, list them as percents or ratios. Indicate what your sales goal was, what you did, and how it ended. Employers can see the difference between what you set for sales and what actually happened.
Your resume and job interview will be easier if you can quantify your sales achievements after leaving a sales career. While it's acceptable to write press releases in the responsibilities section, it's more impressive to submit 10 press releases per week. Your resume should contain metrics, not just numbers. Although finance and sales professionals can easily access many of the obvious metrics, they should not overlook people-oriented metrics.
Taking an online career aptitude test to help you transition out of sales career
A career aptitude exam is a tool to help narrow down your options. This test measures your personal characteristics, professional abilities, talents, and strengths to help you choose the right career path. It will help you stay focused on your strengths and prevent you from applying for jobs that are not right for you.
Although most career tests are completely free, some require payment to obtain your results. These sites will help you make a decision about whether or not to take a career aptitude test.