© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Managing Your Career Which entry-level jobs are available to new college graduates? Where do I find these jobs? How should I go about getting interviews, and what should I do when I have an interview? Which selection procedures besides interviews might I go through? Which career paths are available in sales? How can I prepare myself for a promotion into management? Some questions answered in this chapter are: 17-2 CHAPTER 17 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved McGraw-Hill/Irwin “The best jobs out of college are sales positions.” ~Amy Mancini Paychex, Inc.

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Most marketing careers begin in selling Growth in nonretail sales is especially strong in: –Health care –Pharmaceuticals –Real estate –Manufacturing –Office equipment and services 17-4 Opportunities in Selling McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Making a Good Match Understanding your needs –Structure –Motivation –Stress and rejection –Interest Understanding what you have to offer –Skills –Knowledge –Qualities and traits 17-5 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Strong ego Sense of urgency Ego driven Assertive Willing to take risks Sociable Abstract reasoner Skeptical Creative Empathic 17-6 Traits of Top Salespeople McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Making a Good Match (continued) What the company has to offer –Compensation –Recognition programs –Training –Career opportunities –Sales positions What the company needs –Good communication skills –Self-motivation –Positive and enthusiastic attitude –Technical skill –Knowledge –Computer skills 17-7 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved A Good Match Between Salesperson and Company McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Selecting salespeople Applicant information sources –Application form –References –Interviews –Assessment centers 17-9 The Recruiting Process McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing the résumé –Conventional résumés –Functional résumés Gaining the interview –Using personal contacts –Using employment postings –Responding to postings –Writing the cover letter Selling Your Capabilities McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Preparing for the interview –Gain knowledge of the customer –Plan responses for common questions –Prepare for situational questions and questions regarding travel –Know what types of questions are illegal –Plan to ask questions about the company and the interviewer’s career –Shine your shoes The Interview McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Examples of Legal and Illegal Questions McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The approach –Social amenities Needs identification –Prepare questions to help determine if the company will meet your needs –Take notes –Sales manager vs. personnel manager –Compensation Presentation –Remember FEBA (feature, evidence, benefit, agreement) –Portfolio Gaining commitment –Close the interview with some form of gaining commitment During the Interview McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Special Types of Interview Disguised interview Stress interview Panel interview Group interview McGraw-Hill/Irwin Follow-up Interviewing never ends

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Managing Your Career Goals Balance Making the transition from college to career Dual career path Continue to develop your KSAS –Sources of improvement –Learn your current job –Learn the job you want next McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Example Career Path for Director of Sales McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Situational Stress Felt stress –Role stress –Role anxiety –Role ambiguity –Role overload Managing Stress McGraw-Hill/Irwin Situational stress is short-term anxiety caused by a situational factor. Felt stress is psychological distress or anxiety brought about by job demands or constraints encountered in the work environment.

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Use imaging Exercise Take breaks Rest Prepare Recover Coping With Situational Stress McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Prioritize Seek support Reset expectations Act and move on Reducing Role Stress McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. A sales career offers many opportunities for growth and personal development, but that career has to start somewhere. To achieve a match that results in mutual satisfaction, you must first understand who you are, specifically what you need, and what you have to offer. Finding industries and companies with the characteristics you desire will require you to apply your marketing research skills. Sources for job interviews include: –Campus placement office –Personal contacts –Advertisements Summary McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Résumés are personal brochures that help sell a candidate. –Write effective cover letters You must actively manage your own career. Learn the job you have now and learn the job you want later. Stress can occur in any job. The opportunities for a sales career are so varied that almost anyone can probably fit into some sales position Summary (continued) McGraw-Hill/Irwin