5 Reasons Why This Industry Is Perfect for the Second-Job Sales Professional

Any early sales career can often feel like Will Smith’s character Chris Gardner frantically trying to sell his outdated bone density scanners in the film “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

Chris has a small child to feed, he has relationship issues with his wife, and he is tied into a long-term contract to sell these useless pieces of kit. He is intelligent, charming and driven, possessing all of the characteristics of a great salesman. He is simply selling the wrong thing.

His story continues with an unpaid internship at a stock brokerage, a period of homelessness, and a continual struggle to break free from the cycle of failure. He knows deep down that he is a “good” salesman, and he eventually succeeds, but only when he manages to change his environment (and his product).

Young professionals rarely go into sales because of the product that they will be selling.

They enter sales because they have an affinity for building relationships, they are great communicators, and they feel a passion for their customers. They buy into the “great salesman can sell ice to Eskimos” myth and give their first couple of years in sales everything they have got. And importantly, sales people get rewarded for their hard work and success more than in any other positions!

But many aren’t happy in that first job, and far from all earn as much as they would like.

At Next Ventures, our happiness formula is simple: we source the best technology talent for some of the most cutting-edge companies, in an industry that is transforming the world.

In recruitment, when people are your sales product, there is no higher motivation.

We believe that once someone has a couple of years of sales experience behind them, technology recruitment can be the perfect industry for the second-job sales professional.

Here are five reasons why:

People are the ultimate feel-good product. In the ultimate search for purpose, it doesn’t get much better than helping people to secure their dream job. Waking up each morning knowing that you are going into battle for your candidates and clients puts a spring in your step, and although the mathematics of the job ensures there is more than your fair share of disappointment, it makes eventual success all the more enjoyable. When you are working for multiple clients who are all on different journeys, the cycle of interviews and placements ensures a steady stream of feel-good vibes.

The subtleties of finding a fit keeps it fresh. Let’s face it, selling the same product every day can get a little boring. In recruitment, every search and every client is different. In technology recruitment, the industry is changing so rapidly that the demands of each individual job role are forever in flux. In terms of keeping an early-career sales professional on their toes, there are few industries that are more challenging.

Humans drive technology, not the other way around. The technology industry is guaranteed to be “hot” for the foreseeable future, but it is easy to forget that without the right people, most technological innovations would remain on the drawing board. When you are placing someone into a tech firm, you are making your unique contribution to the next iteration of technological change. That is incredibly exciting.

People change jobs, so demand will always be there. During challenging economic times, the sales cycle can grind to a halt for many products. No sales means no commission. While recruitment is not immune to these cyclical changes, it is a fact that people will still change jobs and need to be replaced. It is also true to say that the tech industry is one that will remain strong for many years to come – at Next Ventures, we are riding that wave.

There is unrivalled (and uncapped) earning potential. Last, and by all means not least, if you are good at recruitment, you can earn a lot of money. Top performers can see six figure salaries within three years, the best, considerably more! If you take the time to understand your candidates and clients, you give yourself every chance of success. There is a lot of rejection in recruitment, often for no fault of your own, but with resilience and determination the sky is the limit.

Obviously, being a great recruiter is about more than being a great salesperson, but if you are not a great salesperson, then you cannot become a great recruiter.

At Next Ventures, our fantastic training programme will teach you everything else. We are hiring for our highly regarded Next Step Academy right now.

Visit next-ventures.com/next-step-academy for more information and contact details.

Your sales career (and your life) could be transformed if you join us.