At the beginning of 2020, I landed my first sales job selling fancy stalls to companies of all sizes looking to promote their businesses. To be honest, the stalls were very cool, and I liked the concept, hence picking this job over one in recruitment at the time.
I knew I wanted to work in sales; I just wasn’t sure what type. I like speaking all day, there’s lots of money involved, and the products are interesting to sell, so the job sounded good to me.
I spent time learning and understanding the products I needed to sell to clients and passed on the vision I created in my head to the visual designers in the team. They would then pass this information down to people in the workshop, who would create the stalls and start sawing away at wood, adding on any lighting products for the main event. We worked for massive names and constructed impressive stalls, all from me speaking to some people down the line.
Even though I liked my role, I quickly realised that something didn’t feel right. I loved speaking to people, so what was the issue? I felt like a pest, the relationships weren’t what I wanted them to be, and because people don’t need stalls in constant supply, I’d always talk to different people. As a result, I didn’t feel as though I was building any rapport.
Anyway, out of the blue, I was struck down by the almighty COVID-19 and was out of a job faster than Bolt finished his 100m.
Now What?
For ten months, I went into a completely different world, making sure I got a job during the pandemic as I didn’t fancy sitting at home doing nothing for months on end. Once things started to settle down a bit, I focused my sights on getting back into sales. But this time, it was recruitment time.
I have been here for just under a year now, and below are the main things I have noticed that sets this role apart from my previous one.
- People want to hear about the job market – The interim world is always on the go and moving at a speedy pace, so keeping people informed is important. Building relationships is different here; you get entangled in people’s lives, find out their dogs’ names, and frankly, you want to get people a job!
- There is always a lot to do – With plenty of competition in the industry, I’m always on red alert. I also find that the job keeps my mind buzzing. I like knowing what is about and keeping in the loop. In doing so, I can inform the people I speak to.
- It’s fun – The dynamic here is great, the people are friendly, and it goes against the sales stigma that everyone is a bit snotty and too big for their boots.
- I do everything myself – Whether it’s sourcing, interviewing prepping, setting up start dates, or making sure both client and candidate are happy with the placement, I do everything myself. When I do a good job, I feel the benefits of it.
I prefer the recruitment world over my first sales job. The other role was interesting, but just not for me. Recruitment is always busy and keeps on ticking. I enjoy it!