Field Sales Recruitment: Career Advice

Choosing a career that's right for you is a difficult thing to do. Make no mistake - most people at some point in their lives need some career advice. Whether it's from a colleague or from a professional company like us, or even from friends and family - sometimes you just need a help along with things! Our career advice section has free information and advice for job seekers.

Our career advice section contains information on how to progress your career as you want and not how circumstances or situations dictate! Take control of your own future and find some career advice that is relevant to you.

To succeed in today's demanding and ever-changing work environment, you must take charge of managing your own career.
Look upon yourself as a company with a product or service to sell. Understand your market and devise a marketing campaign, remembering that companies hire employees who offer them the best results and the best value for money.
Begin by identifying your skills, qualifications, and accomplishments. Adopt a customer-focused approach. What benefits and results can you offer employers? Are your skills marketable and up-to-date?
Employers are in the market for team-players and problem-solvers. They want to see evidence in your CV or resume of specific, quantifiable accomplishments.
Determine what additional skills you need to develop to make yourself more marketable. Take advantage of all opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
Successful businesses win customers by developing a unique selling proposition. To give yourself a competitive advantage, analyze what other employees in your field are offering.
It is not enough to emulate them; you must strive to differentiate yourself by offering something extra, something unique.
Try to assess yourself as objectively as possible in order to identify your marketable features. Analyze your performance appraisals and, if possible, enlist the help of a trusted friend or colleague to help you evaluate yourself.
Define and priorities your short-term and long-term career goals.
Your CV/resume should be fine-tuned regularly and kept up-to-date to enable you to make a swift and targeted response to any suitable job opportunity that arises.
Learn all you can about job search strategies, job-specific resumes, and professional interview techniques.
By adopting a planned and proactive approach, you will maximize your chances of landing the job that best fits your skills and personality, and increase the likelihood of achieving your long-term career goals.
Field Sales Recruitment committed to provide our candidates a full support in choosing their desired careers and our aim is to help you in every way we can. For further enquiries email at careeradvice@fieldsales.co.uk

It is important from the beginning to convince your new employers that, in selecting you, they have made the right choice.
* Demonstrate that you are highly-motivated and eager to get started.
* Discuss your duties and responsibilities; and establish your priorities. Set challenging, but achievable, short-term and long-term goals.
* To enable you to fit in quickly, find out as much you can about your company and its organizational structure.
* Identify the most successful and highly valued people in the firm and analyze the reasons for their success. Use them as your role models. Associate with colleagues who are perceived as ideal employees.
* Prepare carefully for meetings with your boss. Try to anticipate questions and be ready with positive and considered responses. Make sure you are always well-informed. Keep up to date on current issues.
* Learn all you can about problem-solving techniques.
When you are given a problem to solve, tackle it enthusiastically and systematically.
* Establish a reputation as a good team player by developing good working relationships and cultivating friendships with as wide a range of people in the company as possible.
* Participate fully in your company's training programme;
and avail of all opportunities to extend your knowledge
and develop work-related skills.
* Learn from your own mistakes and the mistakes of others.
* Do more than is specified in your contract. Volunteer for assignments that will help raise your profile within the company.
* Complete all work on time. Don't make promises unless you are sure you can deliver.
* Develop a reputation for honesty, loyalty and integrity.
* Since your job description will form the basis of your performance appraisal, it is important to review it regularly.
Field Sales Recruitment committed to provide our candidates a full support in choosing their desired careers and our aim is to help you in every way we can. For further enquiries email at careeradvice@fieldsales.co.uk

Maximising your free time at work:

Motivating yourself to start that task you have been putting off can be difficult, so here are a few tips to get the ball rolling:

• Make a list of what you need to do.
• Break each task down into sub tasks - you will find these much more manageable (and less daunting!).
• Just start from the beginning and work your way down the list. Before you know it, your task will be complete!

It is always difficult to get started on something new if you have no particular interest in the task at hand. But, you have to remember that regardless if it is your job to do or not, then it has to be done.
If you are not in your ideal job, then you can use the time to do what it takes to get your ideal job:

• Find out what the requirements are.
• Match these to your own skills.
• Identify areas that need addressed.
• Work on them!

If you find yourself in the position of not being in a job you like within a company you don't want to work for, then all you can do is look for a better job!
Some things you can do:

• Surf the Internet! Find jobs, training courses, discussion forums, etc.
• Work on your CV - update it.
• Print / photocopy your CV.
• Type up covering letters.
• Email your CV to recruitment agencies.
• Check out industry news.

Field Sales Recruitment committed to provide our candidates a full support in choosing their desired careers and our aim is to help you in every way we can. For further enquiries email at careeradvice@fieldsales.co.uk

Dealing with the salary question is often the most difficult interview question facing job seekers. At Field Sales Recruitment, we help our candidate all the way through the salary negotiation process.

The Top Twelve Tips to Negotiating Salary in an Interview:

Be prepared. Before going to the interview, it’s crucial to research the company and salary range for the position you are applying for persons with your background and experience. Have a salary range in mind and be prepared to discuss these figures once salary negotiation has come up.

Know your absolute bottom line. Know what your minimum salary range must be to support the life you want to live. So decide, before you go into an interview, what salary you want to earn, what you need to live on, and what you will be willing to settle for.

Market yourself. Emphasize the reasons you should get the offer. Document your skills and accomplishments, and be prepared to talk about them.

Never discuss salary until you have a job offer. If you do, you could price yourself out of a job before the employer is convinced they need you. If pressed by the interviewers, tell them you’re flexible and would be happy to discuss salary when you learn more about the job.

Get the employer to disclose salary before you do. Don't be the first to mention salary during the interview. Let the employer bring it up as many times as necessary until you feel ready.

When questioned about desired salary, the best response is one that returns the employer's ball back into his court: You can say, “what kind of salary range are you working with?” or “Well, I’d like to make as much as other employees with my qualifications.” or “What is a typical salary for this position?” Another strategy is to avoid a specific salary and name a pay range instead. Say: “I was thinking of a salary in the £25,000 to £35,000 range.”

Do not disclose past salary. Once your past salary is on the table, your negotiating edge goes out the window. By not disclosing exactly what your current salary is or exactly what it would take to get you to leave your current job, you’ll force a potential employer to make its best offer.

Don’t forget the value of benefits and perks when negotiating a salary. Sometimes the salary offered may seem low, low enough for you to turn down the job. Benefits and perks can add up to 40 percent to your basic salary. Some benefits are fixed, but others are negotiable such as stock options, bonuses, employee discounts, training, holiday time and sick leave.

Make your salary discussion a friendly experience. Be amicable when discussing salary. You should make the employer feel that you are on the same side and working together to find a package that would satisfy everyone's needs.

Don't say yes to an offer right away. Be enthusiastic and appreciative when you get the job offer, but ask for at least 24 hours to respond. This gives you time to get over your initial joy at being selected. If you feel the salary is insufficient, express your concern to the employer when asking for time to consider the offer. You'll find out right away whether the salary quoted is set in stone or is flexible.

Get it in writing. Once you have accepted a job offer and salary level, be sure to get it in writing.

Declining an offer. If you decide not to accept the offer, make sure you leave on the best of terms. Treat every offer seriously and graciously. You can never tell who you may be doing business with in the future so don’t burn any bridges.

Never underestimate the importance of negotiating salary in an interview. Employers tend to prefer those candidates who already earn a greater income. While these candidates cost more to employ, their higher incoming salaries are assumed to reflect greater competence, initiative and achievement. So it's in your interest to pursue income increases at every legitimate opportunity.
Field Sales Recruitment committed to provide our candidates a full support in choosing their desired careers and our aim is to help you in every way we can. For further enquiries email at careeradvice@fieldsales.co.uk

Your strength focus:

Taking time to discover or confirm your key strengths and skills will empower you to make important decisions about your career.

If you continue to produce letters and resumes that highlight the skills you have developed in your present position, you will continue to sell yourself to the same market. When you know your key strengths and skills you increase the number of opportunities that are available for you in a variety of sectors. Whether you are changing careers, re-entering the workforce, or looking for your first job, highlighting relevant transferable skills in you resume helps employers determine at a glance that you have qualifications for the position or positions they have available.

Your unique transferable skills are key selling points that you should market to employers. Skills are things you are good at such as organizing people or events, computer skills, the ability to sell ideas and public speaking. Accomplishments are your successes such as winning an award, completing a course or certification, or achieving top sales results. Most interests and activities involve developing key transferable skills. For example, team sports or group activities often provide an opportunity to develop career related strengths, including scheduling, group leadership, management, and event planning.

You can find lists of transferable skills that highlight people skills, communication skills, analytical skills and a few other categories. The problem with highlighting a group of general statements such as "Reliable. Willing and able to show up on time." is that they do not answer the key question every employer will ask: What does this mean to me? It is important that you always select the transferable skills that bring you closest to a company's requirements. For example, if your present position only includes limited computer responsibilities and you are interested in a position that requires extensive computer skills, highlight the skills that you have developed during leisure activities, including html even if all you have ever produced was a personal web page.

You have hundreds of skills that could be highlighted in your resume to attract the attention of a number of employers from a variety of sectors. The key to success is selecting and supporting the skills that directly respond to the specific requirements outlined by potential employers in their advertisements or position descriptions. Take time now to list five activities that give you a feeling of satisfaction. Then, list five things you are good at. Do not limit your answers to previous work experience.

Understanding your interests, skills, and attitudes will increase your confidence and help you sell your strengths to a target employer. Increased self-confidence sends a positive message to employers. Do not spend too much time trying to discover your weaknesses. If you cannot think of weaknesses that affect your ability to secure your target position - move on! Career plans built on strengths decrease the time it takes to find the right job

In order to successfully get a promotion you must have a good idea of what you want to achieve. This will be your main selling point when pitching you boss (after all they aren’t going to promote you into a role you will be unhappy in).

When you have decided what you want to do, put it into a context that can fit into the culture and aims of your employers business. There is no point deciding that you want to be a rocket scientist when you work for a bakery! Again, your boss won’t promote you if your ultimate career goal is out with the scopes of their business.

Performance appraisal should be treated as an ongoing developmental process rather than a formal once-a-year review. It should be closely monitored by both employee and reviewer to ensure that targets are being achieved. By preparing yourself diligently and demonstrating a willingness to co-operate with your reviewer to develop your role, you will create a positive impression.
To enable you to assess your own performance as objectively as possible, try to view it from your manager's perspective. Make sure you are conversant with the company's assessment policies and procedures. Study the performance appraisal documentation carefully. Go through it step by step, anticipating comments and preparing your responses.
Analyse your agreed performance targets. To what extent did you achieve them?
Consider your job description, your role within the organization, your duties and responsibilities.
Assess your performance in the light of the problems and frustrations you faced. Have you taken on any additional responsibilities or been involved in extra projects? How have you dealt with changes, innovations or unexpected problems? How does your work compare with that of your colleagues? Are there any ways in which can you increase your value to the organization?
Keep a detailed record of your work-related activities throughout the year. Specify your contributions and achievements, your difficulties and frustrations. Ensure that all relevant facts and figures are accurate and readily accessible. Collate the necessary documentary evidence to support your assertions, e.g. e-mails, memos, letters, press releases, newspaper articles, testimonials, etc.. Make a list of all conferences, seminars and training courses attended.
Be open and co-operative with your reviewer. Acknowledge problems, and deal positively and maturely with criticism. Avoid giving the impression that you are on the defensive.
Participate actively and enthusiastically in the appraisal. Listen attentively to everything your reviewer says. Aim for a positive and creative exchange of views.
Having considered your duties, responsibilities, goals and priorities beforehand, you will be in a better position to discuss them in an informed and objective manner. Ask for clarification if necessary.
If you are unhappy about targets or feel that they are unrealistic, say so sensitively.
By documenting your difficulties as and when you encounter them throughout the year you will be in a position during your appraisal to discuss them authoritatively and put them in the context of your overall contribution to the company. Stress how you have benefited from these experiences and have used the knowledge gained to improve your performance. Make constructive suggestions and, if necessary, ask for advice on how best to accomplish your targets.
In anticipation of your next appraisal, be sure to record and implement your reviewer's recommendations.
Think of ways in which you or your department could improve. If you are suggesting the provision of extra resources or specific training opportunities, stress the benefits that will accrue to the company.

Sales, is all about your personality. The difference between a great sales person and a poor sales person generally all comes down to the nature of the individual involved.
If you are bright out going and able to communicate with different people on different levels then you may well find that sales is for you. There is no template for the perfect sales person and there is no true technique that will work for everyone is all comes down to you.

One of the biggest factors that I think comes into play with sales people is money. You think money when you are selling. The money factor is often the catalyst that makes sales people perform. It’s almost like waving the carrot for the donkey.

Sales jobs are very often commission based so the recruitment process is usually very relaxed. In most non-sales jobs employers can pick and chose whom they want to employ.

Sales is different, if you don’t perform you don’t get paid, it really is that simple. There are a few exceptions where you will be offered a salary but generally a sales persons wage is directly reflected by their performance. This could be a big factor when deciding if you want to take a chance with a career in sales.

I was lucky enough to land a placement that included a salary plus bonus. This acted like a safety net. If I had a bad month I still had my basic wage to fall back on.

The commission only package does have other implications, for example, saying to your bank manager you are only paid on a commission only basis may not go down to well when your are applying for a mortgage. These are just a few considerations you should take into account when deciding if sales is for you.

How do you land a sales job?
Most companies that sell either products or services have a team of sales reps that are there to promote and sell their products to the public or businesses.

The sales team are very often the public face of the company and are in effect representing the company’s brand. Conduct is very important in this role. A good sales rep will always try and show the company in good light and be polite and courteous at all times.

The types of companies that are often looking for sales reps are utilities companies, telecommunications and the insurance and financial sector. It is always best to look for companies that are within travelling distance and forward your CV to them. Generally most people would leave the personal statement out of their CV.

In the case of sales I would strongly advise you include it. The reason for this is they really need to know quite a lot about you as a person before they can evaluate your application.

As I have said before the making of a good sales rep all comes from your personality. Put your self across properly and you will do well. Another important point is to try and apply for companies that operate in a market you understand.

For example I would not apply for a sales job selling financial products because to be honest I have very little understanding of this field. Try and stick to things that you either understand or could easily pick up.

Most companies offer full training but it is often good to have a grasp of the basics before you start. When you apply you will generally be given an interview. In sales the interview tends to be very aimed towards you as a person, again it is all about personality.

You need to come across as the right sort of person for the job. Try and be confident, don’t hesitate on questions and generally act as if you are enjoying the interview.

Training
Most companies offer training to any new starts within the company. Try and take in as much of this as possible. They will offer you tips and tricks to help you out when you are out selling. They will also try and make you a fully aware of the products or service they offer. Training is very often ongoing and you will be brought back in for refresher courses once in a while. At the time they seam pointless but in the long term they do help.

Good sales all comes down to the following
• Well presented to your customers
• Good overall product knowledge
• Confident
• Well spoken
• Good listening skills

All these factors play a part in making you a good sales rep There is no magic formula that will make you perform in sales it is all just a learning process. What works for one person won’t work for another. It all comes down to fine-tuning your own personal skills

You need to have good motivation! If you are the kind of person that is unable to force her or himself to work, then remote work is not for you! In this case your productivity is very likely to be close to zero and you can expect being fired pretty soon. For those of you the Boss in the room next door is the best solution. ;-)

Remote work is a subject you need to discuss within your family - sometimes people tend to work in the evenings when their relatives come back from their companies - this can sometimes create conflicts.

Then don’t be afraid of remote work - the times when you needed to get to the office by 9am seem to be a remote past.

Great first steps as you begin exploring the possibilities for a passionate career is identifying your building blocks. Take a look at the things that you have really loved doing over the course of your life and break them down into the reasons ~why~.

When you say "I'm passionate about ______," or "I love doing ______," that's not really the complete picture. Whether you're conscious of it or not, what you really mean is "I love doing _____ because _____, _____, and _____."

You identify your building blocks by exploring those underlying characteristics. Having an understanding of those characteristics can open up a whole new world of potential.

It's like an erector set for your career. Once you have the basic pieces, you can start taking a look at all the different things they could be when they come together.