Job roles
Graduate sales posts should not be confused with sales work in shops, door-to-door sales or telesales!
Most students view sales as a thankless job but the reality is very different. The work is nearly always salaried (plus bonuses for good performance). You are likely to have a company car, blackberry and laptop, and the work may offer progression into sales management, marketing, sales training and other functions. Because of the negative image of sales, it's much easier to get good quality sales jobs than jobs in related fields such as marketing.
You may be responsible for sales of a product (e.g. food, pharmaceuticals, software, cars or manufacturing equipment) or a service (e.g. mortgages, legal advice, advertising space). You will maintain relationships with clients, negotiate prices and specifications, gather and disseminate information. You will obviously need extremely good people and communication skills, and employers will generally place a higher value on these than on the subject or class of your degree.
Find Out More
- The Institute of Sales & Marketing Management
- ModernSelling.com
- Pareto Law training company which places graduates in high-profile sales and marketing jobs.
- The Institute of Export
- Business schools need to sell sales as a viable career option (Financial Times Article)