Advice needed on possible career change
Over the summer I interviewed for a position in sales and was subsequently invited back for a second meeting. After this I heard nothing back from the company and instead took a different job in a very different field. Believing this to be the end of the matter I thought nothing more about the first company until I received an invitation from them to fly out to their office in California to meet their staff and interview for a third time. Approximately one week later I received their official offer, but initially declined. My reasons for doing so are mainly that I am actually enjoying my current job and only started about one month ago. If I were to leave now it would hardly be worth noting on my resume. My sticking point lies in the fact that while this job offers better incentives (they subsidize my rent, provide me with a vehicle, and pay for my overtime hours) it is an hourly paid job whereas the standing offer is a salaried position. I am not long out of school, and am still trying to decide what I want to do, but I still have a vague notion that a salaried position will in the long run lead to higher pay and better quality of life. I must admit that I am confused as to which way to go. I am enjoying my work for the time being, and though I have little interest in sales I can't shake the feeling that the new job may offer more potential for long-term success. Any advice that more experience persons could offer would be greatly appreciated.
This my personal opinion. If you have no interest in sales, and like your current job, keep your current job. It's more than likely you will not have long term success in the sales position if you have no interest in doing it. It is certainly nice problem to have and I congratulate you on having choice. Here is something to think about: Sales is a great kind of experience to have. We all sell, at one level or another, and getting sales experience early in your career can be a smart investment in your fine tuning and development and future success. Mind you, I am not saying that you should necessarily take the new job. The above statement is true if you believe you can make a success of it. If there is a part of you that is saying that you can' t do it, then don' t. Sales isn' t easy. And if you thought sales was something to do, it doesn' t mean that this company offering you the job is the right place for you. (And BTW, there are a wide variety of sales environments (high volume transactional, relationship selling, consultative sales, field vs. inside, product vs. service / intangibles, lead generation vs. closing, individual consumer to b2b, small business to medium sized business to enterprise...). My first statement also depends on what other plans you have. If you have a path and plan, and don' t think sales is useful to you, then ignore this opportunity and carry on. The salary vs. hourly question is going to sort itself out. What are your career plan ideas? It sounds like you are on the move. Nice work. I absolutely loathe sales. Can't do it. Have not one iota of interest in it. And, frankly, people who try to sell me something in a pushy, intrusive way irk me to the point that I have literally stopped going to particular stores or buy specific products. If there is a choice between hourly and salary, I will almost always choose the hourly. If there is a choice between bi-weekly and twice a month pay, I will always pick bi-weekly. If there is a choice between a position that I like in an area where I am currently settled versus a position in an area I would need to relocate for a job that I wasn't interested in, I would take option one. Even though the benefits might be better, the mere fact that you do not necessarily like or be good in the position is going to make it hard for you to do a compitent job and live up to the expectations that the company has set for you. You need to follow what you feel is best for you at this time. Get your experience and skill set up and then think about relocation or a better paying job. | |
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