Get a job or notI have a very hard to answer question. I am currently a cell phone store manager and want out of retail in the worst way. I want to do to outside sales as an account manager or pharmaceutical rep. The problem I have is that I want to move sometime early next summer and don' t know if it would be better to accept an outsides sales position that I would have for less than 1 year or just stick with my current company? Any suggestions? I am going crazy trying to weigh all of the options! It is great that you want out of retail and that you want to be an account manager or pharm sales rep, but what are you QUALIFIED for? Search monster for those titles and see if you even meet the minimum requirements. Pharm sales is the dream job of the week and is VERY hard to get into unless you' ve got a background in science and outside sales experience. Thanks for the input. I have the minimum for both job titles and almost recently landed a pharma sales job. My question was if it is better to stay with my current company to have more years on the job or change into outside sales position where I want to spend most of my time. I know that employers do not like candidates that jump around a lot. If you have cold feet, stay at your inside job until your feet are restless, then go for the outside sales. If "I" had the choice of a job I didn' t like and a job I did like, I' d take the job I liked more. That' s a no-brainer. "Why did you leave your last job?" "I found a BETTER JOB!".
Since you will only be there for less than a year, just stick it out. You may learn a great deal from outside sales, but it wouldn't be worth your while at this point. Start looking now and researching companies and their outside sales practices. This will help you in the interview process and also will give you a better understanding of what you will need to deal with. Also, look at companies with branches or corporate offices in the area you are moving to. Do you want local or territorial sales positions? If you want something territorial, you may be able to start your outside sales career before you move if you can get a territory that encompasses both your new area and your current living region. Unless, of course, the new area is across country. Sales is an excellent career choice. You don' t know what will happen a year from now. You may not want to relocate. You should begin your new career immediately. If you are successful, the company may transfer you to a new territory. The important issue is experience. Take what you can get, work hard, develop excellent habits then you will be marketable. Employers care about what value you add to their organization. They don' t care about your personal needs and plans. Most likely your first sales job will not be your last. You may hate it and want to go back to inside sales. One day at a time. Focus, focus, focus. Know who you which will lead to what you want. Select an industry that you enjoy and has stability. Ask a seasoned professional to mentor you. Good Luck! Most outside sales jobs will require you show your sales tracking and how sucessful you are as a sales person. Also, you will probably have to start out in a commission only, no benefits type of position before you qualify for the salary + bonus + perks-type of job. In most cases if you take on a staight commission-type position, you are hired as an indiependent contractor, not an employee. I would suggest you learn as much as you can where you are, practice your selling skills, keep detailed records of your actual sales and attach yourself to a mentor who has been sucessful in sales for several years and find out all you can about what they do that works. Also, you will need to save at least 3 months of salary to live on when you first go into outside sales as your sales are not going to happen immediately. Sales is all about relationship-building and people will need to get to know you before they trust you enough to buy from you. Pharm. sales usually always requires a B.S. degree and it is a fiercely competitive business. Its like the air traffic controller position in aviation-major stress, nanuseconds to present your case, super quick reflexes and easy burnout! Listen, Don"t listen to these lame brains that tell you to stay in a retail position. Do yourself a favor and get out as soon as possible. Do you have confidence in yourself? Of course you do! Then take the sales job and start learning ASAP. Sales is an easy job if you know your product, know your customer and can CLOSE a deal. Learn how to be a closer before learning anything else first. Closers make $600,000 a year everyone else makes 80 if their lucky. Start by reading closer books and watching movies about closing deals. Go now and start your new life. Do not hesitate. Time is ticking away. Dont worry about moving in a year. Employers only want people that take initiative. Now take some. Good Luck God Speed. What are you waiting for? Start right NOW! I said GO!! | |
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