Considered pursuing a career in Sales? This interview takes you through the ups and downs you can expect, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to DiversityJobs and is one of many interviews with financial planners and retail sales managers.
When I was in high school, I didn’t know if I would make it through college, so I was looking at fields that didn’t require a four-year degree.
I’d had a terrible time with math, reading, and spelling from elementary through high school, and personal organization has always been a challenge. I’ve always had good mechanical skills, though, so I thought I might go into one of the trades.
There was one other area where I found success in high school. Whether it was commission sales through a part-time retail job or raffle tickets for a fund raiser, I could always sell. I’ve never been shy about approaching people, and I just wouldn’t give up until I’d met whatever quota I’d set for myself.
I’d also gotten interested in the stock market, so between those two interests, I started thinking about going to college after all and majoring in business.
I chose a small private college and declared a business major as a freshman. Given my math and reading difficulties, the academics weren’t easy, but the smallness of the college was a huge help.
The college was one-sixth the size of my high school, and I took full advantage of the tutoring services. The professors all knew how hard I tried and gave me extra help.
A computer lab had just been built, and spell-check saved my neck on term papers. Not having to deal with the distractions of a mammoth campus also helped me keep things organized.
In my senior year, I did an internship with my uncle. He owned a large, busy retail store in Atlanta, and I learned every operation.
Since this occupied the entire spring semester of my senior year, and I had no intention of living in Georgia permanently, I didn’t get much job-hunting done.
Consequently, I found myself unemployed and living with my parents after I got my degree.
Once I started looking for a job, I applied the same goal-setting that helped me in sales. I figured the more contacts I made and the more interviews I had, the closer I was to reaching my final goal of getting a job.
So, I set myself weekly goals of talking to a specific number of people about potential jobs. I kept daily notes and contact information in a planner to help keep things organized. When I met my weekly goal, I’d go out and celebrate with friends.
I also used the same relational skills in my job hunt that I do in sales. Many people have the idea that someone who is good at sales is a fast-talker able to give a hard sell.
People who meet me would say that I don’t fit that description at all. I’m just sincere, friendly and a good listener. I don’t try to persuade people to buy something just because I’m trying to sell it. Instead, I find out what the customer needs, and I try to meet that need.
The company that ended up hiring me was a manufacturer of fasteners, and most of its clients were in the retail automotive industry. I showed the company how my long-term interest in mechanics and my retail internship met their need, and they hired me.
In sales, the good income doesn’t come immediately. It takes work to build up a client base.
For me, it was easier to adapt to working than it was to going back to school every fall because I’m so much better suited for the business world than I ever was for the life of a student.
The rewards in the working world are also a lot more tangible than they ever were in school. One thing I like about sales is that I every day I can directly influence how much money I make. For me, that’s a lot more motivating than the prospect of making a good grade at the end of the semester.
If I had to do college all over again, the biggest thing that would have helped me in the working world is to have believed in myself more.
My difficulties in school actually helped me to have a lot more persistence in the sales field, which is a key quality for success. I just had no idea at the time that having to work harder than other students would have a silver lining.
I’m definitely still in sales and will be for the years to come. A few years after I started working, I was promoted to sales manager.
With each new promotion, I was responsible for larger territories. I recently accepted a position as a business development manager with a Fortune 500 company.
I’m still not a whiz at spelling, arithmetic, or reading, but I've been saved by spell-check, Excel spreadsheets, and computer searches that help me avoid reading mountains of material to get information I need.
My laptop and smart phone also keep me organized so I can concentrate on developing our company’s client base.
Succeeded sales academic challenges image from Bigstock
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The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?
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