Job Seekers Hub | 5 steps to prepare for your next career move

It can be daunting for anyone looking to take the leap and start looking for a new role. An overload of information is out there, and every company seems to have the “best work culture and the best product on the market”. Then you’ve got to navigate and work out the pay structures and make several other small decisions along the way. A candidate short market like we have at present is a blessing and a curse simultaneously. Multiple opportunities can make things confusing, and it’s hard to know where to start.

But! You’ve decided to look for a change, and you know that you want to be in a tech sales (or related) role. That’s a good start. Here are a few things to figure out before taking the leap and starting the interview process:

1. What does the role look like? Do you want to manage existing relationships where the earning potential might be lower, but you also might not have as much pressure as you would in a purely acquisition-focused role. Maybe you want something in between, a hunter and a farmer role or a land and expand role might suit really well. Think about what you love about your current role, and then think about the areas of the role you least enjoy and that will send you in the right direction.

2. Who do you want to be selling to? Do you want to step up into a more complex, longer sales cycle where deals are larger but less frequent? Or do you love to close, therefore enjoying a short sales cycle, where you may be selling to SMBs? Does your personality resonate with selling to a Marketing Director, an HR Director or a CTO? Again, think about your past experience and ask around to find the nuances of each function and what you think would suit you.

3. What type of tech do you want to sell? Selling a CRM may be perfect for you, but do you want to be in a competitive market, or would you prefer a greenfields opportunity in a new space that might also mean more client education as a part of your sales process? How technical do you want to be, and, most importantly, what interests you?

4. Big or small? Is it time for a start-up, or do you crave the security of a more prominent brand name? Both have pros and cons, and only you can decide what stage of your career it is and what type of challenge is more likely to get you out of bed in the morning.

5. Money? It’s not everything, but it sure does help. What is your absolute minimum base salary and what does the ideal commission structure look like? It’s important to be realistic but also remember that the market is buoyant right now, so you may be surprised at what you could get offered.

This list should be fluid and, of course, can change depending on what’s in front of you, but when you have some guidelines to focus on before you even start the search, things become less fuzzy, and your decision-making process becomes clearer. Also, you have a framework to negotiate, and you can also filter through opportunities quicker and more efficiently, saving you time and energy.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER?

Explore a vast array of IT, sales, and marketing roles spanning across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the wider Australia and Asia-Pacific and the United States regions. With Pulse Recruitment, you’ll find positions that resonate with your skills and ambitions. Embark on a transformative career journey and submit your resume of LinkedIn profile today!