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
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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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Bigstock
