I would love to hear from CCers regarding sales as a first job for a college grad. Our families career paths are far removed from sales and I think we have the picture of sales as a job of one of the desperate salesperson trying to sell us something we don’t need.
We have a young friend graduating with a BS in Animal Science. Some of the jobs he has looked into seem to be grain sales jobs where you need an Animal Science degree. Our first reaction is he could do better but what do we know.
What have been your experiences with sales jobs? Can one build a career?
Of course you can build a career in sales.
A very good career. Sales people are very important. Without sales, companies blow up.
Industrial products, stocks and bonds, real estate, computer products, medical supplies, are some fields where good sales people can do very well.
Then there are people skills that are learned in sales.
Sales isn’t for everybody, but for those that like sales, why not?
The CEOs I know are good salesmen. They know how to sell their company and…themselves.
My brother in law currently sells insurance. He has been an internal auditor for quite a few banks, as well as CFO.
He likes working for himself. Especially after years of working in banking and tech start ups.
It sounds like it could be a job where he can make contacts and explore other related careers. But only if he is suited to sales, introverts wouldn’t feel very comfortable, I imagine.
We have a friend who is a medical sales rep and has been very successful. He definitely has the personality for sales- not obnoxious at all which I guess is what many of us think of salespeople, but very informed, confident, friendly but not pushy, and very, very nice.
For his degree a sales position could be a good step on the ladder to R&D or other positions in animal nutrition at one of the large US or international companies. He’ll get to know the customers, their needs and needs of their livestock- knowledge sets valuable to large companies. He’ll also make lots of contacts, probably the most valuable asset a young person can acquire when entering the job market.
My dad had a degree in biochemistry and used it to launch his career in pharmaceutical sales. He later sold wire, cable and components of nuclear missiles during the Reagan era. He raised four children, always owned his home, and sent some of us to private schools and colleges. You can definitely build a career in sales. And yes, you have to be an extrovert to enjoy this sort of work.
Introverts or non-extroverts can be successful in sales too depending on the type of position. Phone skills are extremely important for most levels of sales. He will learn a lot about the industry and will become independent. He will either enjoy the freedom of sales or prefer an office job.
I think it was easier to build a career in sales back in the 50’s and 60’s judging by my experience. When I look on LinkedIn for former sales reps I worked with, I’m saddened at how many job changes they have had to make just to survive.
Sales is similar to professional sports - you are only as good as your last game, or in his case, year. He will know within six months if this is the career for him. Avoid firms with high turnover of sale reps.
Jobs with animal science degrees
https://asas.org/membership-services/member-information/career-information/animal-science-careers
Lots of sales opportunities
Sales CAN be a great career for the right people. I’ve known many pharma reps and some computer sales reps. They are all very nice and earn a ton of money. Its definitely worth exploring and trying if the person is interested.
I was in sales for a while and sure do agree with dstark that it builds people skills, lessons you never forget. There will always be some stereotypes among sales reps, but plenty of good people, too. You find a product or service you believe in, a company that properly supports its clients, and it takes off from there. There’s a lot of self-motivation needed and it can be a pita to make or exceed quota, the cycle starting again, every month. And some selling cycles (time to close a deal) are long. But the world needs sales reps. Most of the folks I knew who were good reps could always find the next job.
On another note, D1’s first job was mighty challenging. She was front-end sales support, worked hard and eventually left because there simply were no growth opportunities (something she could only learn once there.) But I told her from day one: work hard early in your career and you’ll always be prepared for the next job. If the next one is tough, you’re up to it (while others, who started easy, are in shock.) If the next one is easier, you’re cream. Her current job is easier, does represent a step up. And pays more.
I am in pharmaceutical sales, my husband is a stay at home dad, and we are sending our first son to Loyola Marymount University next year. For us, it has been a very comfortable life.
I don’t get the implied snobbishness of the initial post. What’s wrong with a sales job?
In a big company, sales positions are are the positive side of the ledger – revenue generators bringing in clients and customers, as opposed to the corporate accountants, lawyers, HR folks, etc. who are on the expense side of the ledger. That makes the sales team extremely important and valued.
Plus, in sales, you are dealing directly with customers and thus gain first-hand knowledge of what matters in the marketplace. What better way to gain an understanding of the business. Sophisticated sales people are often problem solvers, and often it is their reports from the field about problems their customers are facing that lead to product innovations.
I’m a lawyer who works with people in a wide variety of industries and in a large variety of positions. Part of my job is to get up to speed very quickly as to what factors are driving decisions in companies. The high level sales folks are often the best source of information as to what is happening broadly in an industry or segment.
I think the implied looking-down-one’s-nose (“he could do better”) is not really warranted. Now, if someone were considering a position as a phone solicitor in a boiler room or something, that would be a different story. But a sales position in a respected company in a respected industry is a fine way to learn the business and potentially make a lot if money in the process.
OP–you have the vision of the movie car sales guy pushing a junker on some unsuspecting victim.
Sales is a great job if you have the personality for it. I personally would hate sales but have had friends who’ve done very well and loved their positions.
Grain sales sounds similar to pharmaceutical sales which requires knowledge and people skills simultaneously. As long as the training and company support are there it sounds good and can be lucrative. There is a big difference in selling something your client does need versus something he does not.
I think this is a key.
There are a lot of examples of successful salespeople. Lee Iaccocca was a sales guy. So was Tom Watson at IBM. Being in sales allowed them to understand what the customers wanted, or what they might want.
In its best incarnation, being a salesman is being a customer service representative. A really good salesman can provide invaluable information to his organization about what they should be doing to beat the competition (assuming that they’ll listen 
)
I’ve owned a CPA firm for 20 years. I see a broad range of careers and tons of W2s. Successful people in sales make a LOT of money. It takes a good skill set, one I’m sure can be developed, but also I often see it really young in life. I got the call when S2 was 3, at preschool. He had brokered a trading deal on Hot wheels–everyone was happy and he ended up with more cars. He’s never stopped–just changed what he’s selling. He’s 23 and makes twice as much at his “side” sales job as his “real” job.
Grain trading isn’t for the feint of heart, but there is also lots of opportunity there. Most recent W2 was ~$100,000 with good corporate benefits, in a low-cost area of living.
I am in sales. My company, which was started by my father 50 years ago, sells mostly to Aeronautic and Medical companies. Our job in sales is to make sure that the engineers and purchasing people that buy from us are buying the product that will function properly in their application. It’s an important job that we take seriously. You don’t want the hydraulic system in a plane to fail or your medical system to become contaminated because someone bought the wrong part… High quality and attention to detail mean everything to us and that’s why the bulk of our customers have been with us for over 35 years.
I take a lot of pride in what I do.
So…did I sell you on sales? 
I have worked in sales in many venues. While I consider myself a mediocre sales person ( I am not aggressive at all ) my husband is an outstanding sales person. On slow days at our business, he says that he " made some friends " they almost always come back to see him. Word of mouth is his best advertising.
It isn’t for everyone…I have worked with some shady people who mislead to get their commission . That was never my style
Thank you. I appreciate all the feedback. I have had an education.What I meant by do better was something more science based or actual animal based. He has a lot of hands on experience with beef cattle and I was surprised he was considering sales as I see him working more directly with cattle.
I think this young man would be a great salesperson. He thrives on people and is a great communicator. I also had not taken into account that to be a good grain or animal feed sales person you need a strong animal nutrition background.
FWIW, mom60, my niece has a degree in animal science and works as a vet tech. She likes it , but doesn’t make enough money to live without supplementation from her mom. If he makes a good living, more power to him
I think he will one day be my SIL so I hope he finds a job that he is happy in and makes him a decent living.