Landing a sales job has become complex due to competition among candidates. Established businesses seek qualified candidates with extensive experience that the sales professional can apply to help the company grow. If you’re looking for ways to grow within your field, you may want to implement the right strategies to advance your career.
Career advancement is the progression from entry-level jobs to senior positions with more responsibility and higher pay. The key to accelerating your career is adopting a continuous learning mindset to stay up-to-date with relevant trends in the sales industry. This article will explore the different methods you can implement to take your sales career to the next level.
Expand Your Search
To increase your chance of landing your dream role, you may need to expand your search beyond job boards and email alerts. A Wall Street Journal article shares that up to 80 percent of jobs are never advertised, either online or anywhere else. So, how can a jobseeker discover these hidden opportunities?
The best way to expand your search is through networking. You can reach out to friends, family, and old co-workers or create connections through social media platforms and inform your network that you’re looking for a new job. This may also increase your chances of landing the job, as the positions will likely have limited applicants if they aren’t advertised publicly.
Gain New Knowledge & Skills
Your current knowledge and skills might be limited, depending on your level of education and experience. To diversify your resume and prove your worth to employers, continuously seek learning opportunities through professional degree programs or certificates. Enroll in courses that cater to sales professionals, such as customer relationship management, fundamentals of selling, and effective negotiating strategies. Enrolling in these courses can add to your skill set through effective communication, problem-solving, negotiating, and customer service. Gaining new knowledge or skills will enable you to become more component, improving your chances of advancing your career.
During your interviews, look for opportunities to inform the employer about the different ways you plan to apply your knowledge and skills at work. Showing the employer that you’re focused on growth will help them understand that you’re a suitable candidate for the position.
Consult Sales Headhunters
Another great way to advance your career is by seeking help from recruitment agencies specializing in sales placements. Recruiters can guide you toward exciting opportunities and help you find a position that brings your closer to your career goals.
When you work with sales headhunters committed to matching applicants with employers effectively, you’re more likely to find a suitable role. Sales headhunters with a positive reputation are likely to have a proven record of placing applicants in appropriate roles with a low replacement rate. They may also help you negotiate your salary and guide you through the application process to increase your chances of landing a job.
Monitor Your Progress
Develop a system to monitor your progress to ensure that you’re progressing in your career. According to the American Psychological Association, you have a higher chance of success if you report your progress publicly or physically record it.
You may want to ask yourself a few questions to assess the effectiveness of your implemented method. Did you get more interview calls after adding a new skill to your resume? Are you being offered a higher salary after speaking to a recruitment agency? Regularly checking and reassessing your goals and performance can help you determine the outcome of your efforts to advance your career.
Advancing your sales career can provide you with an abundance of opportunities. Implement the methods above and modify your current job-searching techniques to give your sales career a boost!
