Are Sales Jobs Really That Bad?
Many young people who are graduating college and entering the job market are faced with tough decisions, especially when it comes to finding a job that not only fits their personality, but also their budget. Sales jobs have long been an opportunity to make a lucrative paycheck if you have the wherewithal (and use a stellar app like Spiro), however more recently, sales jobs are getting a bit of a cold shoulder from people in need of dependable pay. But are sales jobs really that bad, or is there a silver lining to this position?
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal took a hard look at reasons why sales jobs seem to be harder for companies to fill than in years past. Two of the biggest reasons people have said they turn down sales jobs are because of an inherent sense of competition and a never-ending question of compensation, as most sales jobs work on commission.
The article reported that most young people already feel the pressure when leaving college that they are competing with their peers for any position that fits their field. Why would they want to take a job where every day might feel cut-throat with their fellow employees? Most prospective employees have also lived through the recent dive and recession of our economy and are looking for a career that is safer with more reliable pay.
While I would agree with a lot of the points that this article makes, WSJ did go on to show that many businesses are starting to make changes with their sales departments in order to become a more employee friendly business. Businesses are creating sales teams where entry-level employees get to work closely with senior sales people in order to find ways to market together and use each other’s knowledge for the betterment of the company. Businesses are also restructuring their salary. Many companies are opting for a 50/50 split between base rate and commission in order to alleviate worry about not making certain sales goals.
I feel that these changes are important if we are to keep the sales profession alive. Because so many young people are either scared or simply turned off at the thought of having a sales job with a degree, many companies that sell amazing products and services are reduced to either downsizing and limiting their goals, or hiring people who might not actually fit for the position just to reach sales goals.
This may end up hurting all of us in the end if these companies can’t find a way to sell their products and services. Not only will there be job loss the entire way down the line in some of these companies, but the economy depends on expendable income. If there is no way to get consumers to spend money, the economy may fall harder than it has in the last few years.
Sales Jobs Are Changing
The point is that sales jobs are still incredibly viable and respectable positions, especially with the changes being made in most business models. Not only are many businesses now requiring bachelor’s degrees to become a sales rep in order to maintain a higher sense of intellect in the business, but some business are adopting the idea of their sales team being problem solvers, rather than simply selling products to people who don’t need them in order to make money.
Besides business now trying to add a new level of respect to the position, the final note to be made about a sales position is the compensation. While most companies still operate with at least a portion of their sales reps earning commission, it is still a job with high potential. In fact, the median wage for a sales rep in 2012 was over $74,000. In a recovering economy where any job can be difficult to land, taking a sales positions for a company that you feel strongly for, may be your best bet.
