The Chances of Graduates Getting Jobs as Sales Executives - Assignment Example

? Career Research Report Introduction Graduates always find the task of looking for jobs after graduationdifficult. This is due to their lack of information about their fields. Graduates come out of various institutions with qualifications that cannot be matched. The only problem is they lack hands on skills and the necessary background about their target fields. Applicants need to be well versed with details about the position for which they are applying. Acquisition of this knowledge requires research into the various aspects of the job as well as the industry specifics. Ways of obtaining this information often eludes the graduates and they end up going back and forth between applications without success. This lack of understanding leads students leads graduates to settle on wrong choices. In my case, I am applying for the position of a sales executive that I saw in an advertisement. I conducted a thorough research into the details of this job including its pros and cons. This report should empower me with the knowledge, from tedious research, that I need to increase my employability in this field. This report outlines the details of the position, the methodology I used to conduct my research and the sources I used. It also analyzes the pros and cons of this career choice; showing the long tern and short term aspects of this field. This report also analyzes the chances of graduates getting jobs as sales executives and the problems they face making this transition. The sales profession, including managers and executives, has been around since mankind discovered they could sell things. The earliest forms of sales include prostitution, which was among the first fields to be recorded as having employed all the techniques used by sales people today. Other examples include the sale of homes and used cars, just to name a few. In the beginning, the field of sales was not as crowded as it is now. Most businesses’ sizes ranged from small to medium; therefore, the sales were handled mostly by the owners. Only in rare cases could one find a business that had employed personnel to aid in sales. The business owners were focused on fulfilling the customer needs by meeting orders and had no need fro sales and marketing. They did not feel the pressure that is present today to branch out their businesses. This was before the industrial revolution (edis.ifas.ufl.edu). After the industrial revolution, businesses had the ability to increase their production and serve a larger client base. From here, the need for sales personnel grew by the day. Businesses were branching out to new locations, employing sales executives and managers along the way to spread the reach of their product. Sales executives acted as a go-between for the consumer and the producer and nothing more. Recent trends, however, reveal the use of sales executives to gather information about specific client expectations to help improve product and service quality. Competition has grown through sales executives’ efforts to sell quality services and products. They play a major part in influencing the production process through the intelligence they gather. Sales executives receive training on how to obtain information about their products from the customers. This information is taken to the managers who use it in the production process to increase sell ability of the products. Sales executives offer a great deal of service to these companies, not only through sale of product but also through gathering of information. They are tasked with the duty of answering product questions while out in the field. In doing so, they promote the customers’ confidence in the product and in the company making it. Occupational Research Terms of Reference This research was conducted diligently and following due procedure. The purpose was to understand what it entails to be a sales executive. The research also sought out to determine the skills and qualifications required for employment. It outlines the details of the position, work hours, likely areas of employment and the responsibilities. It uncovers the trends in employment relating to this field. It aims at equipping the user with the necessary knowledge, for presentation and execution of the tasks pertaining to the position. Methodology This was a quantitative research that was based on facts and interpretation of those facts. This paradigm was chosen due to the technicality of the topic in question. The availability of previous research to source from and the academic nature of the paper led to the use of quantitative methods (BRYMAN & BELL. 2007). The facts analyzed in this report include several primary and secondary information sources. The primary sources of information include one-on-one conversations with some of the graduates as well as potential employers. This information was obtained through questioning in person and over the telephone. The questions administered were simple and well structured obtain the most information in the time allocated. The secondary sources included books, trusted websites and journals among other sources from all over the internet. These sources were carefully analyzed using proper methods to obtain the results presented. Main Findings There are quite a number of job vacancies for the position of sales executive in the country today. This can be seen from the numerous advertisements on the internet, radio, public boards and other advertising platforms. Judging from recent trends in big companies, there will be more recruitment of sales executives in the future. Those intending to go into this field should not be worried about job shortages but should focus on sharpening their skills to better their chances of getting these jobs. As the field expands and competition becomes tougher, employers are finding themselves at a lack of quality sales executives. Positions are available but to fill them becomes an issue (CNBC.com). The position attracts a handsome salary from about $40,000 without commission (usanfranonline.com). The organizations that are recruiting sales executives include beauty product manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, automotive industry, real estate industry, banks and insurance firms among others. These are among the industries that employ the bulk of sales executives in the industry right now. They are required to handle the major negotiations in the companies to ensure no liabilities arise. Other responsibilities may involve analyzing research, observing sales and handling the documents involving these sales (INGRAM, (2012). These organizations recruit people from different backgrounds and possessing various skill sets. Some of these positions require additional skills from the applicants. For example, a sales executive for a pharmaceutical company has to have some background knowledge about pharmacy and the products. Sales executives should keep abreast with the changes in their field of concern to ensure better outcomes. They are required to understand the customers, the general public and the factors influencing their needs (forbes.com). Sales executives should be able to analyze stock market statistics to predict future sales. They should always be aware of the strategies their competition employs to succeed. They should be able to use this information to steer the company towards product innovation and targeting new markets. Sales executives should be organized people. They should set weekly; monthly or yearly goals that they strive to achieve (GREEN, 1998). The employers also provide goals to guide the sales executive in their pursuit of satisfying the clients and the employers. To get the position of sales executive, one must have executive sales training as well as some hands-on experience. They should be well versed in sales techniques and have proven that they can close sales successfully (sodexousa.com). The applicant must have a minimum of about five years experience working as a sales representative. These qualifications are important as one is required to inspire the sales force to those under him or her (usanfranonline.com). Due to the scope of duties performed by the sales executive, employers are usually inclined to recruit individuals with advanced executive training. Graduating with a degree in business administration is evidence of good finance and management skills. On the other hand, degrees in communication and marketing show a capacity to isolate and convince customers (usanfranonline.com). A degree in the specialty field is required for those wishing to join a specialized industry. These show that an individual is committed to excellence. A sales executive should have problem solving qualities that will service him or her when left in charge of a region. Apart from the educational one’s background, these jobs are awarded based on the applicants’ social skills, being presentable and speech capability. Individuals are evaluated based on these qualities during the interview and over the course of employment. Employers look for a sense of responsibility and diligence as one works to achieve the goals of the company (BENSON & KARASIK, 2004). In conclusion, jobs are not that difficult to come by especially if one focus on their strengths. Job seekers should not shy away from increasing their knowledge level through school and research. This might give one just the upper hand they need to get the job. The qualifications required by any career can be attained when one has the drive. The employers in every industry look to recruit only the best into their industry. Being the best means having good documents, references, personal qualities and skills. Sales executive should exhibit all these qualities as their responsibilities require one to be social. They are required to be of good character as they are entrusted with delicate company responsibilities. Bibliography BENSON, J. M., & KARASIK, P. (2004). 22 keys to sales success: how to make it big in financial services. Princeton, Bloomberg Press. BRYMAN, A., & BELL, E. (2007). Business research methods. Oxford [u.a.], Oxford Univ. Press. CNBC.com. 2013. Bosses lament: Sales jobs hard to fill. [online] Available at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100903655 [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. GREEN, T. B. (1998). Developing and leading the sales organization. Westport, Conn, Quorum. INGRAM, T. N. (2012). Sales management: analysis and decision making. Armonk, NY, Sharpe. Smith, J. 2011. Five Keys To Getting The Best Possible Sales Job. [online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2011/12/02/five-keys-to-getting-the-best- possible-sales-job/ [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Sodexousa.com. 2013. Competencies of a Sales Executive or Sales Vice President. [online] Available at: http://sodexousa.com/careers/onboardingportal/Site_Files/Competencies-of- a-Sales-Executive-or-Sales-Vice-President.pdf [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Usanfranonline.com. 2013. High Paying Sales Careers | Career in Sales | Jobs in Marketing. [online] Available at: http://www.usanfranonline.com/high-paying-sales-careers/ [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Usanfranonline.com. 2013. How to Become a Sales Executive | Account Executive. [online] Available at: http://www.usanfranonline.com/how-to-become-a-sales-executive/ [ Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Wysocki, M. 2013. A Brief History of the Sales Environment. [online] Available at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sn001 [Accessed: 14 Nov 2013]. Read More