Your Career Questions… Answered!

You asked us career questions using this form: https://bit.ly/Taq9sG  Thank you and keep’em coming!  Here is feedback on one of your questions…

Question 1: I work as a sales rep with a Marketing Degree and studying for my GMAT.  I want to work in sales on a higher level or Marketing Analysis and don’t feel like I’m on the right path.  Thoughts?

Answer: Good question and nice work exploring next steps, not to mention studying for the GMAT!  The great news is that you have 2 focused areas of interest.

Sales and Marketing are 2 very different beasts.  First, there is no “higher” level of sales, only different kinds.  Sales is sales.  If you are driven by dollars, don’t get defeated easily, and always hungry for more, sales is the gig for you.  There are inside sales, field sales, sales with hundreds of clients, and sales with a handful of clients.  Sales management too!  If sales is truly your calling, I would explore the various types to see where you excel most. 

Market analysis is less about working directly with clients and more about looking at big picture trends.  Market analysis is critical for successful businesses.  It involves a lot of fact-finding and presenting conclusions.  If market analysis is for you, prior sales experience is beneficial since you will already have an understanding of target markets.

When exploring any career move, make a side-by-side PRO’s and CON’s list and write down the positives and negatives of the job.  This exercise alone has the power to guide you toward the right career decision.

Picture yourself in each role and ask, where do I fit more?  Where do my skills shine most?  Which type of environment will I thrive more?  No need to jump into a decision.  Give it a few days or a week and the best path will open up to you.  Remember, the only thing constant in this world is change.  If we aren’t changing, we aren’t growing.  Applaud yourself for taking a leap and moving with change, not against it!