Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Sales Professionals at Fortune 20 Tech Companies
Bill, a Director at a Fortune 20 tech company, recommends entry-level sales roles, specifically "sales development representative" positions, citing "a lot of customer interaction" as a key benefit for aspiring sales professionals. He also suggests consulting and marketing as related fields, noting that his own path into sales began with a desire for "partnership or people interaction."
Sales, Entry-Level Jobs, Tech Industry, Career Paths, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Bill Casper
Director
Fortune 20 Tech Company
Kansas State 2005
UCLA Anderson
Political Science, American Studies
Technology
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, Transfer Student, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Entry-level sales positions are widely available in tech, offering valuable customer interaction experience.
2. Consulting roles provide a good alternative, bridging customer interaction and a potential transition to sales.
3. Sales Development Representative (SDR) roles are common in tech companies, providing training and mentorship opportunities within the sales function. These roles often focus on smaller businesses but offer a solid foundation for career growth.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
I think, number one, look for opportunities to start interacting with customers if you're interested in sales. There are opportunities to do that on the job.
That could be consulting. There are a lot of great consulting jobs out of college that get you on customer sites to interact with them. That's a good pivot into sales.
That was kind of my draw to a sales path. That's what worked for me and the opportunities I had at the time. I felt it was a good fit for my skills, but try to look for opportunities for that partnership or people interaction.
I think marketing is also a good adjacent field to sales if you're interested in sales but have a more analytical or creative mindset. It's a great place to focus your career.
But the number one thing you'll probably find for someone really interested in sales is sales development. You'll see that role a lot; it's called an SDR, Sales Development Representative. Most tech companies have them, especially enterprise technology companies.
It's a lot of customer interaction. It's less of the more enterprise strategic-level sales. You're starting in more of the small to medium-sized business sector.
There are great companies like Salesforce and Oracle that have training programs for these roles. Many startups are also focused on building out their sales development function. This path will let you grow your skills and hopefully find mentors to learn from.