Careers in Sales

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Looking for an entry level job or internship in sales? Here's an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have entry level and internship opportunities that will interest you.

See companies with sales careers or search the latest sales jobs and internships.

When I was younger, my neighborhood would hold a yard sale one Saturday each Spring. It would start at the crack of dawn, and I’d jump out of bed those mornings knowing it was my time to shine. The more things I sold, the more money I’d make. And the more money I made, the more candy I could buy! My first tactic was to get people “in the door” by yelling out that I had fresh hand-baked sticky buns for sale for $1.00 each. Turns out nothing grabs attention like the allure of breakfast in the morning. After I’d hooked folks with my food, I’d ask them what they were looking for, hunt my most similar item down for them, and bargain over the final price. That was my introduction to sales–a job function in which a person helps to sell goods and services to new or current customers.

Sales Careers

Photo Credit: Flickr user dennis

Sales Career Guide Overview

  1. What a Sales Professional Does
  2. A Typical Day in Sales
  3. Salary and Career Progression for a Sales Professional
  4. Best Locations for Sales
  5. Pro/Con: Being a Sales Professional
  6. What You Need to Know for a Career in Sales
  7. Sales Resources
  8. Careers Related to Sales
  9. Companies with Jobs and Internships in Sales

What a Sales Person Does

A sales person tries to sell products, services, or facilities to people who might be interested in them. Sales is a function that can be found in nearly every organization in some form. A salesperson’s goals is to teach potential customers learn more about the product or service and help them overcome any objections they may have to making a purchasing decision. Sales jobs can range from the retail level where you convince someone to buy a particular cell phone to the enterprise level where you are hammering out multi-million dollar contracts between businesses.

Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales

There are two types of sales jobs–one is called “outside sales” and the other is referred to as “inside sales.” Outside sales representatives generally sell goods outside of the office–this could range from going door to door to flying across the world to make a pitch. People in outside sales typically focus on bringing in entirely new business or at least opening up the opportunity for a business relationship in the future. People who work in inside sales primarily close over the phone or e-mail, and their job is geared towards closing new sales with current customers. This may mean upselling, convincing a client to renew a contract, or closing a sale with a warm lead.

A Typical Day in Sales

The day of a Sales Associate is dominated by communication with prospects–this may be over the phone, by e-mail, or in person. Depending on what is being sold, the time spent on an individual prospect could be minutes or weeks (for instance some companies will require employees to make 200 calls a day or schedule 20 meetings a week). This means that there is a lot of variance in the day to day activities of someone in sales, but the days typically consist of following up on previous interactions, searching for and researching new prospects, and reaching out to these new prospects. Some businesses provide their salespeople with leads, while others require their sales team to find new prospects on their own.

The most successful salespeople are able to understand their customers’ problems and then frame the product they are selling as the best solution. The key to selling is overcoming a customer’s objections, so people in sales typically need to excel at reading people and asking questions. Jobs in sales are heavily shaped by what is being sold, but the skills that are most important in the job span across all industries.

Salary and Career Progression in Sales

A sales person on average makes $52,000 per year. But that can range a bit depending upon what industry you’re selling in. For example, in advertising sales, the average person makes $43,000 per year, but in medical sales, the average sales associate makes about $67,000 per year. There are endless possibilities for growth, as you can expand across industries, or add on additional territories within your current industry to become Regional Sales Manager ($50,000-$160,000), Sales Director ($45,000-$210,000), and National Sales Manager ($50,000-$165,000). Many Sales jobs come with relatively small base salaries and significant commission structures or performance bonuses.

Best Locations for Sales Careers

These hot spots have the highest salaries for salespeople:

Pro/Con: Working in Sales

Pros
Cons

What You Need to Know for a Career in Sales

To work in Sales you’ll need to develop specific skills like good listening, exceptional self-confidence, and persuasiveness. It’s also important that you’re self-motivated, and a real people person. On top of that, beyond a basic college degree (which isn’t always required) you’ll probably need to undergo some company specific training, so that you can learn the products you’re pitching inside and out.

Sales Resources

If Sales still sounds like your cup of tea, here are a few things you should do to get started.

Required Reading

Key Folks to Follow on Twitter

Blogs and Websites

Networking Opportunities

Careers Related to Sales


Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Sales


PeopleAnswers Logo

PeopleAnswers - PeopleAnswers is a Dallas, TX based company that has developed a web-based assessment tool to provide insight into applicants' future on-the-job capabilities.

See the complete PeopleAnswers profile



Brandwatch Logo

Brandwatch - Brandwatch is a New York, NY based company that is “all about monitoring what people say about your brand, products, competitors, industry or any related topics.”

See the complete Brandwatch profile




Canyon Ranch Logo

Canyon Ranch - Canyon Ranch is a Tucson, AZ and Lenox, MA based resort and spa with an “innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care.”

See the complete Canyon Ranch profile



btrax Logo

btrax - btrax is a San Francisco, CA based “cross-cultural consulting, branding and marketing agency focused on the US and Asian markets.”

See the complete btrax profile


Job TitleLocation
Japan Marketing AssociateSan Francisco, CA
Design InternSan Francisco, CA
Web DesignerSan Francisco, CA
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AnyPerk Logo

AnyPerk - AnyPerk is a San Francisco based company that helps "businesses attract and retain top talent while providing a rewarding work environment” by packaging perks.

See the complete AnyPerk profile



BitTorrent Logo

BitTorrent - BitTorrent is a San Francisco, CA based company behind a file sharing protocol that is responsible for moving 20-40% of the Internet's traffic.

See the complete BitTorrent profile


Job TitleLocation
Strategist/CopywriterSan Francisco, CA
Ad Trafficker / AnalystSan Francisco, CA
Visual DesignerSan Francisco, CA
Sr. Interaction DesignerSan Francisco, CA
Product Marketing Manager, SyncSan Francisco, CA
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Market Leader Logo

Market Leader - Market Leader is a Kirkland, WA based company that provides real estate agents with “tools to effectively generate, manage, and close more transaction.”

See the complete Market Leader profile




Lean Startup Machine Logo

Lean Startup Machine - Lean Startup Machine is an NYC based company that offers “intensive three-day workshops” that teach “entrepreneurs and innovators how to build disruptive products.”

See the complete Lean Startup Machine profile




DNA Footwear Logo

DNA Footwear - DNA Footwear is a Brooklyn, NY shoe retailer that is now working to be “the top online destination for today’s latest trends in the world of footwear.”

See the complete DNA Footwear profile



ZOZI Logo

ZOZI - ZOZI is based in San Francisco, CA, and they want “to make everyone’s passions accessible, and most importantly, help you discover new ones.”

See the complete ZOZI profile


Job TitleLocation
Marketing InternSan Francisco, CA
Video Editor InternSan Francisco, CA
PPC Marketing Manager at ZOZISan Francisco, CA
Gear/Ecommerce Marketing Intern at ZOZISan Francisco, CA
Marketing Project ManagerSan Francisco, CA
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Bright Power Logo

Bright Power - Bright Power is a New York, NY based company that “provides practical energy management and solar energy solutions that save building owners energy, money and time."

See the complete Bright Power profile



Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Logo

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum - The NYC based Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum promotes “the awareness and understanding of history, science and service" through collections and exhibitions.

See the complete Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum profile




Trumaker Logo

Trumaker - Trumaker is a San Francisco, CA based e-commerce and men's fashion upstart that makes “it easy to get shirts made just for you.”

See the complete Trumaker profile


Job TitleLocation
Executive AssistantLos Angeles, CA
Men's Apparel InternSan Francisco, CA
Flexible Fashion ConsultantLos Angeles, CA
Fun and Flexible PositionSan Jose, CA
Engineer - Ruby on RailsSan Francisco, CA
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UrbanBound Logo

UrbanBound - UrbanBound is based in Chicago and "helps companies offer a comprehensive transition system to their newly hired and transferring employees" over the web.

See the complete UrbanBound profile



Platinum Innovation Group Logo

Platinum Innovation Group - Platinum Innovation Group is a Detroit, MI based company that is bringing new ideas to a number of industries that have been historically resistant to innovation.

See the complete Platinum Innovation Group profile


Job TitleLocation
CopywriterDetroit, MI
CopywriterDetroit, MI
Research AssistantSanta Clara, CA
Video EditorDetroit, MI
Creative InternDetroit, MI
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PureWow Logo

PureWow - PureWow is based in NYC and offers a "free daily email for stylish women of substance, featuring the very best in culture, fashion, travel, tech & so much more!"

See the complete PureWow profile


No current job openings.

Glossybox Logo

Glossybox - Glossybox is a New York, NY based company that offers subscription boxes with “exclusive cosmetic samples and perfume samples from the best makeup brands online.”

See the complete Glossybox profile




OpenMarkets Logo

OpenMarkets - OpenMarkets is an Evanston, IL based company that has created “a network of healthcare providers joined together to create cost-savings for capital equipment.”

See the complete OpenMarkets profile




HelloWallet Logo

HelloWallet - HelloWallet is a Washington, DC. based company that offers a “financial wellness” tool designed with the help of behavioral economists.

See the complete HelloWallet profile


Job TitleLocation
Software EngineerWashington, DC
Senior Software EngineerWashington, DC
Sales DirectorsWashington, DC
Software EngineerWashington, DC
Senior Software EngineerWashington, DC
See all 9 job postings




Educational Alliance Logo

Educational Alliance - The Educational Alliance is a New York, NY based community organization that “currently serves 50,000 New Yorkers annually via 39 programs.

See the complete Educational Alliance profile





Visual Revenue Logo

Visual Revenue - Visual Revenue is a New York, NY based company that helps editorial teams figure out what readers respond to and react to it in real time.

See the complete Visual Revenue profile




Hot Bread Kitchen Logo

Hot Bread Kitchen - Hot Bread Kitchen is a New York, NY based non-profit that sells a multi-ethnic line of breads that are inspired by the people whom they are training for jobs.

See the complete Hot Bread Kitchen profile



National CineMedia Logo

National CineMedia - National CineMedia is the Centennial, CO based company behind much of the pre-feature entertainment and advertising that you see in movie theaters.

See the complete National CineMedia profile


Job TitleLocation
Human Resources AssistantCentennial, CO
A/R CoordinatorCentennial, CO
Research AnalystNew York, NY
Interactive DesignerCentennial, CO
Sr. Manager, Digital MarketingCentennial, CO
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Liquidity Services Logo

Liquidity Services Inc. - Liquidity Services Inc. is a Washington, DC based company that offers "the world’s leading marketplaces for surplus assets."

See the complete Liquidity Services Inc. profile



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