Graduation season is a period of transition from a carefree young person to a young adult with responsibilities.
Campus life can be summarized as classes, CATs and movies. Now your adult life will be summarized as budget, KPIs and KRA.
But worry not, you got this. No one expects you to figure out your life at 22 years. It's a journey and process that never ends.
The first thing you are thinking about after graduation is, “How do I get a job?”
As a company dedicated to addressing youth unemployment, through B2B sales training, here are 3 ways to start your sales career.
1. Use your network
The most effective way to improve your chances of getting hired is to network. Why? Well, most jobs are not advertised on job boards such as Fuzu and BrighterMonday. Thus having a network that can alert you to these “hidden” jobs is important.
If you are a fresh graduate, you don’t have an established network to use. The best way to start networking is to speak to your older siblings and their friends. Also, use networking platforms like LinkedIn to identify people in the sales career. Afterwards, approach them for advice and take action to learn and grow based on the advice given.
If you have a network of friends who are working at other companies, reach out to them as well. Don’t let pride get in the way of your growth.
Not sure how to start the conversation? Try this.
Hi Paul, I have noticed that you are having an exciting time in your career working as a sales development representative.
I’m using this time to think about my career development and connecting with people. If you have the time, would you be open for a 20-30 minute conversation on starting a career in sales?
If it is not a good time, I completely understand. I hope you have a great week. Thank You. Eunice.
2. Apply for sales training programs
Sales training programs offer you training, internship/job opportunities, coaching and networking opportunities.
The best part of such programs is that they take the guesswork out of learning.
Yusudi, for instance, offers you 8 weeks of intensive practical sales training. Thereafter, 6 months of paid internship upon successful completion of the training. The program has qualified trainers and coaches to guide you on your sales journey. Our alumni get hired 3X times faster and earn 30% higher starting salaries than their peers.
Sales training programs are effective because of their hands-on tactical and practical approach to sales.
Learning never ends, so don’t be quick to dismiss such programs because you consider them as “going back to school.”
3. Leverage existing experience
More than half of the people working in sales don’t have direct sales experience when they started out.
How can individuals with different backgrounds succeed in sales roles?
The answer is transferable soft skills.
Having skills such as growth mindset, resilience, emotional intelligence and pro-activeness can make all the difference when you can apply them across different industries.
To build up your experience, focus on using both soft and hard skills to secure those opportunities.
Looking for an opportunity in sales? Apply for the Yusudi Sales Academy today.
Written by: Esther Njekehu