I’ve Helped Hundreds of Students Get a Job in Sales, Here’s My Advice

Preparing for your first sales job is similar to preparing for a big sale. You must do your research, build the right toolbox, and have experienced leaders on deck to help.

Asdirector of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program以及塔夫茨大学的教授，这是我给学生的第一条建议。我提出要帮助他们每个人找到研究生工作，但他们必须坚持伙伴关系的终结。bob综合博彩下载他们必须露面并完成工作。

I recently had a student visit my office for help landing his first job. First, he brought me the LinkedIn profile of a connection I had at his target company. Then, he shared the front page of the company’s website. Lastly, he presented his value proposition (more on that below). This young man had done the work, and I was happy to send a message on his behalf.

那么，您如何开始？我已经将学生在LinkedIn，Google，Hubspot，Fidelity和Amazon的工作中置于工作，并与您分享了与他们分享的内容。您会在下面找到我的提示和建议，但要由您出现并进行工作。

How to Start a Sales Career

Have the right tools

1. Business Cards

When I advise students to order business cards, I often get questions like, “Isn’t that presumptuous?“ 或者 ”Why do I need them?“这样想，如果我带您参加商务会议，主持人会给您他们的卡，您将如何回应？

Without business cards, you’d be in the uncomfortable position of scribbling your contact information on a two-week-old pizza receipt. It’s an unprofessional and unreliable first impression.

Have business cards printed with your name, website, and contact information included. And, while we're on the subject, made sure all of this information is on your email signature. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to learn about you.

2.一个很好的LinkedIn个人资料

I've had several hiring managers tell me the only reason they look at a resume is to get the correct spelling of the person's name to find their LinkedIn profile.

When searching for your first (or any) job, it’s important your LinkedIn account be in top shape. You should have at least 250 connections to give you authenticity as a candidate and play to LinkedIn’s algorithm.

After all, while you’re busy finding the right role, it never hurts for LinkedIn to pull your profile into employer searches. Optimizing your account ensures your name shows up when it counts.

You should also source three solid references. Don’t confuse references with skill endorsements on LinkedIn. Ask previous employers, professors, or mentors to write three-to-five sentences about your performance, work ethic, and strengths. This will impress future employers and do more to demonstrate your value than a static “endorsement,” which anyone can submit.

3. Your Professional Value Proposition

In my experience, a good resume is read in less than 60 seconds. Make sure your application stands out by building an airtight, attention-grabbing value proposition.

每周,在我的课上,三个学生呈现ir value propositions. They’re around three bullet points, each approximately two sentences long. And they highlight why the student is passionate about their career path, what sets them apart, and the value they'll bring to the right company.

在每个学生的演讲之后，他们进行了自负，班级的其他成员都提供了建设性的反馈，使我们所有人都可以改善自己的独特价值主张。

I’ve interviewed 10,000 salespeople throughout my career, and I can easily say the value prop is any job candidate’s most important asset. Spend time on it, and you’ll benefit from your efforts for years to come.

Master the “marketing of me”

I often take students through a market targeting exercise. The takeaway of this particular assignment is if you’re selling red pens, you need to market to the persona who wants to buy red pens. I encourage my students to identify the “persona” of the business they’d like to work for, so they know how to market themselves.

We start by answering a series of questions:

1. 你想在哪里工作？从您想居住和工作的地理学开始。
2. 您对哪个市场垂直感兴趣？Identify whether you’d like to work in consumer products, the automotive industry, or medical sales. Often students will give me an answer like “healthcare.” This isn’t specific enough. Within healthcare, what industry have you identified? Are you interested in biotech, hospitals, or IT? These are important questions to answer.
3. Explain the job you’d like to have.您是否正在寻找入门级销售工作？您有兴趣获得广泛的营销经验吗？口头表达您的理想角色所带来的意义。
4. What size of company are you considering?得到具体的在这里。不要只是说,“中间市场。” Decide what the approximate headcount of your target organization is. Are they SMB or enterprise?
5. What are the best skills you can market?When I say “skills,” I’m talking about skills you’ve been trained in, such as deal closing, discover, or relationship management.
6. Are their specific companies you’re interested in?解释为什么您对这些公司感兴趣。没有特定的公司钉住？bob全站app简单地说，”I'm interested in companies such as Pfizer, Merck & Co., and Johnson & Johnson."
7. What’s your value proposition?从上面的部分中拉出以寻求帮助。

Once you’ve answered these seven questions, you should have a better idea of the job you want. You also have the foundation for a great cover letter.

Now’s also the time to reach out to your connectors. These are people like me who are connected, experienced, and willing to help. Present your “marketing of me” exercise and value proposition to them, and ask for assistance in reaching out to potential employers. If you’ve done the work, they’re likely to say “yes” to your requests.

Know what the red flags are (and avoid them)

Red Flags

Before I agree to help a student, I look for a few things. The first is red flags. If I’m dealing with a person who’s always expecting something from me, I immediately take a step back. I don’t like working with anyone who believes they’re entitled to help or a position -- and my connections don’t either.

I also pay attention to how well the person listens. If I’m working with someone who’s ready to pounce on every word I say, or interrupt and disregard what I’m bringing to the conversation, I already know they’re not ready to successfully tackle a role in sales.

积极属性

What I look for in candidates are attributes. Many people confuse attributes with skills. Skills can be learned, while attributes are usually natural abilities that are harder to pick up. Here are a few attributes I look for in successful job candidates:

1. Curiosity- This is baked into you. It’s not a skill. You must be curious about your customer, your role, and your company’s success to be a great employee.
2. Work ethic- 当我雇用人员时，我想知道他们将像我一样努力工作。
3. Commitment- I want to see you’ve devoted time and attention to something. It might be a job you worked all four years of college, a summer internship, or a hobby you’ve practiced consistently for years. Whatever it is, I want to know you have what it takes to see work through.
4. Drive- 您是否渴望工作以及要到达那里的工作？
5. Passion- If someone says they’re “excited” about a job, I want to correct them. Excitement is something you feel about graduation or a big trip. I want to know you’re passionate about the job you’re applying for. Passionate folks do great work.

Not sure what attributes you possess? Take a personality test, such as迈尔斯·布里格斯或者Predictive Index.

Not everyone is enrolled in a class like the one I teach. You might even be several years or decades into your career. And that’s alright. Reach out to a mentor, an old professor, or even a successful aunt, and ask for their help.

Everyone’s been in your position, which makes most of us willing to help. Ask for guidance, and then be willing to put in the work necessary to succeed.