Anyone make a successful career move INTO sales from a largely unrelated field or background?

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I'm trying to make the move but getting into an entry level role has been proven to be quite difficult as I imagine lots of people are trying to do the same. Every time I see a positon posted on LinkedIn for one it's also 200+ applicants 😬

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Literally everyone gets into sales from being in unrelated industries/fields

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uh. i'm a bit bit late here olo piopoooi poo

Yes. I went from Public Health to Healthcare sales.

They sure can! If you know how to have a conversation, you can do sales. People in sales come from all sorts of backgrounds, some with years and years of formal education, some with nothing but a high school diploma. Sales is a field where you can really change your life, no matter where you came from. I’ve seen people go from fast food associate/barista/server to top of the leaderboards plenty of times.

Educator to medical sales.

I have been interested in medical sales but it's so competitive to get into. How did you get started?

I was hired in my first sales job because I had counseling experience. I don’t find it overly useful but it was a skill that filled a gap that the boss had.

I spent over 5 years in IT and decided I wanted to increase my earning potential. I took a significant pay decrease and took a job selling photocopiers to show I had the work ethic and commitment. 10 years later I am a Sales Director and making more money than I ever would have. All about the hustle and grind, but definitely doable.

I went from working at a psychiatric hospital for adults who suffered from suicidality to telecom/cyber security sales. $18 per hour to $125K OTE, and made $198K last year. Learned a lot of transferable skills at the hospital that are serving me well in sales - challenging status quo when it's hurting the person, listening deeply, asking impactful questions, etc.

Yes! I was an electrician and moved into sales. The 2008 housing market put me out of a job and I transitioned into a sales role after a brief stint as a merchandiser. Glad I made the switch.

Yes! I spent 20+ years in nonprofits and foundations. Moved into tech sales in 2016. First job was selling tech into the philanthropy space. I could "speak the language" and they said they could teach me to sell.

Sent you a DM. Many thanks!

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