Possible Career Change

[lestat85]

I am in the middle of possibly leaving my job to begin a new career. The problem is that I'm not sure it's a risk worth taking.

My current job pays decent, but has a lot of potential risk (health and safety, not job security) and there is very little room for advancement without moving to another province (not a viable option for me) or waiting up to 10-15 years for a supervisor/manager to retire.

The new job that I'm in the hiring process for is in sales and has a huge potential for better pay and advancement, including running my own branch without having to move (except maybe to a nicer house lol). The problem, however, is that pay is 100% commision based (no sales=no pay).

The problem is that I'm not a young, single guy with only myself to worry about anymore. I am a father of 3 young boys and am the principle income earner for my family. I cant afford to leave my job and fail. I also can't afford to stay at a job that barely pays me enough to cover my bills. To be honest, I have had a very hard few months and am actually behind on bills, but cannot afford to make the extra payments needed to catch up. I know that as time goes on, things will not be getting cheaper and dont believe I will be seeing any advancement within my current job any time soon, if at all.

I do not enjoy going to my job anymore, but am afraid that if I leave and fail, I will not be able to support my family anymore. I would really appreciate the opinions of some of the members here, especially those who may have had to make a similar decision. I am really torn about what to do.

[JWP806]

Are you knowledgable in the industry that you are moving to? Do you have sales experience? Do you have a book of business to call on while your getting ramped up? Is training paid?

These are all really important. 100% commission is extremely risky unless you have a sold product/service.

What industry is the new position in?

[JWP806]

Are you knowledgable in the industry that you are moving to? Do you have sales experience? Do you have a book of business to call on while your getting ramped up? Is training paid?

These are all really important. 100% commission is extremely risky unless you have a sold product/service.

What industry is the new position in?

Solid* ...sorry on my phone and can't edit previous post.

[jfromthebloc]

I work in a sales job that is 100% commission and I love it. That said, Jpow is right in that it depends on what industry/product you'll be pushing. Please clarify on that and I'd be happy to help by offering my opinion and advice.

[lestat85]

The job is insurance sales. Training and licensing is paid for by the company. I haven't worked sales before though.

What makes my decision difficult is that the new job would be a big risk, but I'm 90% certain I'll never see a promotion within my current company. I'm nervous about leaving the guaranteed paycheque, but also worried about letting a potentially good opportunity pass by.

I feel like, at some point, I will have to leave my company for a more profitable job, but this risk has me unsure if this is the right move.

[jfromthebloc]

The fact that you've never worked in sales concerns me, bc it can take time to work up a pipeline (ie. a list of prospective buyers moving forward). I'm sensitive to the fact that you have a family and a potential short term hit in earnings could be catastrophic to your way of living. That said, answer the following questions: are you a natural people person? Are you the person who can go to a bar or a wedding not knowing many people at the beggining of the night, but leaving at the end with new friends or what not? Would people consider you a good communicator? Ask your wife. How competitive are you in the office sense? Are you the type that compares yourself to the competition around you and seeks to out perform them at any cost? Please advise.

[jfromthebloc]

Also, do you have a large network of friends, family, business associates, gym aquintances, ect?

[lestat85]

The fact that you've never worked in sales concerns me, bc it can take time to work up a pipeline (ie. a list of prospective buyers moving forward). I'm sensitive to the fact that you have a family and a potential short term hit in earnings could be catastrophic to your way of living. That said, answer the following questions: are you a natural people person? Are you the person who can go to a bar or a wedding not knowing many people at the beggining of the night, but leaving at the end with new friends or what not? Would people consider you a good communicator? Ask your wife. How competitive are you in the office sense? Are you the type that compares yourself to the competition around you and seeks to out perform them at any cost? Please advise.

I used to be very shy when surrounded by new people, but find that my confidence is by far better over the last few years and its become fairly easy for me to talk to new people.

I am a good communicator and have a lot of experience dealing with the public. My girlfriend has told me that she believes I would be good at this, but she won't really say if she thinks I should (I think she's hesitant to say because she doesn't want to feel like its her fault if I fail or say no).

I am a very competitive person. I always have been. I am constantly comparing myself to what my coworkers are able to do and making sure I am better. I have applied for every promotion that has come up in the office; there have been very few opportunities in the 7 years that I've been there. In the gym, I can't seem to help comparing my weights with everyone else there and trying to push harder and heavier. Outside of work and the gym, I compete in martial arts and have done several tournaments. I absolutely feel like I need to be the best and have even suffered minor injuries through competing with others.

I don't have a huge network of potential clients already, but this company assures that they have a marketing strategy that provides their agents with the necessary leads to make sales. Not sure how much of this is true though and how much of it is them trying to keep applicants in the process.

A big hit to my income could potentially cause some serious financial problems, but according to the information provided by the company so far, 1 sale/week is very close to my weekly salary now.

[jfromthebloc]

I'm a sales manager at the largest privately held capital finance company in North America. I work closely with our recruiting professionals and interview prospective salesmen weekly. That said, I would advise against taking this job. Although it sounds like you've got what it takes to make it from a competitors perspective; the 100% commission structure is too risky considering your limited sales experience and limited personal network. You need to find a sales job with a base or draw to soften the earnings blow during your ramp up period. Good thing is that with 7 years of experience with one company this should be easy to find. At my company we start juniors with a base of 30k plus commission. Insurance sales is a competitive field and starting with no promise of pay is not ok in your position, being a father and all. Also, don't listen to the person who's recruiting you. A head hunter gets paid per hire and they'll say whatever it takes to get a new hire in the door. I understand you're frustrated at your current position having been passed up for promotions in the past, but don't let that malcontent force you out of something stable for something high risk that may or may not work out. Our current economy is in recovery and businesses are looking to expand now more than ever. We've hired 36 new salesmen in the last month alone. Growth is rampid and opportunity is present in all sectors and regions despite what mainstream electoral media wants you to believe. You're a young cat and you've got plenty of time to reinvent your professional self. Id advise that you take more time to search for an opportunity that will pay you out the gate. If you have anymore questions hit me up; I'm here to help.

[Renesis]

Don't ever take a insurance sales job with commission only when you have no sales experience. First off it is a lot of hard work and will take you forever to get anything done plus by the time you get all the appointments and people buying the policies it will be 2 months later before you see your check.

[Wazz]

You have a family & that comes first. Are you good at what you do. If you think you can be successful then I'd say go for it...

I'll be back on later as I'm hitting the rack, but questions...

1- Which job would you like to do more (ignoring pay, $, promotions ect..)?
2- is there a job out there you've wanted that you wouldn't consider work?

Just thinking because the old saying is true. "if you ever find a job you truely love, you'll never work another day in your life"!

[lestat85]

Thanks for the input guys. It's good to get some honest perspective from people who know how this works.

To be honest, I really don't enjoy my job anymore and only stay because of the paycheque. My current job also carries a lot of danger and and the risk isn't really worth it for me anymore. I started looking at other options when faced with a potential lock out a couple weeks ago. I never really considered selling insurance before, but felt like it might be too good of pay to not try. I also have an investment company now trying to recruit me and would start their hiring process next week if I choose. Both of these options are attractive because of pay and being my own boss eventually.

As said, as a father I have to consider my family. On one hand, I need the job security and the risk is dangerous. In the other, the better pay would allow me to make sure I never have to tell my kids "it's too expensive".

To answer the question of what I would rather do, I'm not really sure. I would love to run my own business, but have no money and don't really know where to start. I used to always want to be a cop, but have been rejected 5 times by 2 police departments and I'm not sure the danger involved is worth it anymore.

The reality is that, at some point, I will need to leave my current job for a more profitable one because I eventually will not be able to afford my bills anymore as life gets more expensive and the pay stays basically the same.

[DSM4Life]

Remember sales is cut-throat. If you don't sell, regardless of the reason you will be out of a job in no time.

[lestat85]

Remember sales is cut-throat. If you don't sell, regardless of the reason you will be out of a job in no time.

This is exactly my concern. I have to decide between guaranteed pay that isn't really enough or great pay with no guarantee of ever seeing a cheque.

Even if I stay at my current job, it'll only be a matter of time before I have to leave and find better pay. I just want to make sure I make the right move.

Again, all the input is greatly appreciated.

[DSM4Life]

This is exactly my concern. I have to decide between guaranteed pay that isn't really enough or great pay with no guarantee of ever seeing a cheque.

Even if I stay at my current job, it'll only be a matter of time before I have to leave and find better pay. I just want to make sure I make the right move.

Again, all the input is greatly appreciated.

My personal opinion based on your situation. Stay where you are and keep looking. Sales job for a single income family is very risky unless you have a backup plan or a lot saved in the bank in case it doesn't workout.

[ironbeck]

Heres MO, taking in consideration you have a family to provide for can you talk to your present company's human sources(guy that does the hiring) and just straight out ask him hey I'm going to try a new job, if it does'nt work out can I always come back to this one, if he is a family man as well this may/may not work.

[lestat85]

My personal opinion based on your situation. Stay where you are and keep looking. Sales job for a single income family is very risky unless you have a backup plan or a lot saved in the bank in case it doesn't workout.

Thank you for the advice.

I may have explained part of my situation poorly. I'm not the only income, but rather the main income.

There are several jobs that I could easily get based on my experience, but usually at or just above minimum wage. I have spent most of my adult life doing some form of security work.

I'm not trying to argue a point, just clarifying a rather small detail and adding where my experience is.

[lestat85]

Heres MO, taking in consideration you have a family to provide for can you talk to your present company's human sources(guy that does the hiring) and just straight out ask him hey I'm going to try a new job, if it does'nt work out can I always come back to this one, if he is a family man as well this may/may not work.

I wish this was an option. My job is unionized and the contract specifically states that no employee may take a leave of absence to try out a new job, this was added after an employee did this and pissed of most of the staff when he came back. An old manager instated a no rehire policy and even if the new manager chooses to change it, I would be restarting as a part time employee with no seniority. Our HR is located in Toronto and would most likely say that I'd have to go by the collective agreement, which is fair.

I actually may have harmed my chances (as small as they may be) for advancement as it is by asking my boss for a reference. I told him that I wasn't definitely leaving, I felt I had to look into the opportunity for the best of my family, but he tends to hold grudges towards you if you speak up against his ideas or are not a 100% "company man".

My history of promotion attempts is:

1-went to a more qualified person, I don't believe they should have gotten the job because of a conflict of interest. She was working as a supervisor for us, while also working for one of our clients. However, she was more qualified and deserved the promotion, aside from this issue.

2-was close to leaving for parental leave. Agreed to come back early for the position. Was told that I was too negative because I disagreed with an idea that cost 2 full time employees their position. Was also told that he didn't know if I could handle dealing with the higher level managers when they were in town, then was invited to a 2 day meeting with the higher level management, while the new supervisor was given some time off.

3-internal posting that went to the bosses friend from another company, who was fired for racial comments. I had again agreed to cut my leave short for the position. This caused another supervisor to quit after also being passed up

4-was never made aware of the opening, even though I had made it very clear that I wanted promotion and had just been through the bosses interview process for another that led to this opening. Again this went to an outside applicant. I was not aware this opening existed until I returned from parental leave and met the new supervisor.

[JWP806]

While I agree with the "If you do something you love, you will never have to work a day in your life" theory but the reality is that it is just not true for everyone. For most people, it's find something you can tolerate and make money at and then fill your life with other things that make you happy.

Having said that you are already behind bills and do not have any savings (this is an assumption based on your predicament), you aren't really in a position to take a risk like this. If there was a base salary or draw, then I would say to go for it. To add to it that you have children as well, I just think it would be best to sit tight and wait for a position to come along with a base/draw.

I am an extremely professional and personable person and so I thought I could have a great career in sales. I got my first job working for a multimedia company and I found out really quickly that I could never make a career out of sales. I have since moved into a new field and have had some great success. Part of the reason I took that sales position is that the company fills your head with these numbers that you could be making. In reality, most don't hit the numbers they post on recruitment ads.

[lestat85]

While I agree with the "If you do something you love, you will never have to work a day in your life" theory but the reality is that it is just not true for everyone. For most people, it's find something you can tolerate and make money at and then fill your life with other things that make you happy.

Having said that you are already behind bills and do not have any savings (this is an assumption based on your predicament), you aren't really in a position to take a risk like this. If there was a base salary or draw, then I would say to go for it. To add to it that you have children as well, I just think it would be best to sit tight and wait for a position to come along with a base/draw.

I am an extremely professional and personable person and so I thought I could have a great career in sales. I got my first job working for a multimedia company and I found out really quickly that I could never make a career out of sales. I have since moved into a new field and have had some great success. Part of the reason I took that sales position is that the company fills your head with these numbers that you could be making. In reality, most don't hit the numbers they post on recruitment ads.

Thanks for the advice. Especially as you have tried a similar job.

Yes they do certainly fill your head with numbers and statistics that make it sound amazing. This particular company expects 20 presentation/week and says that statistically 3 will almost always buy. Their commission, based on the info they provide, is almost equal to my current weekly pay for 1 sale.

It sounds like the general consensus is that this is not worth the risk. This is what I expected, though I admit I was hoping I was wrong. I just felt I had to at least consider this option.

The majority of my experience is in security, but the risk involved in my current job is not something I feel to be worth it anymore. I really do dread going into work most days and have been considering leaving for a while now.

I'm not saying this to say I'm taking the job anyway, as of right now, I agree that this is likely too dangerous of a move. I'm saying this because I really don't know where to start in terms of finding a new career.

[tcw]

(a little late but...)

I agree with jfromthebloc.

IDEA: Why not try selling part time...see if you like it? You can make money selling...but you gotta be aggressive and a closer to make money at it. If you were single and no responsibilities other than your own bills (even this can be difficult in this economy) then i would say go for it. OTHERWISE, try a part time selling gig. You don't need to do insurance sales full time...many companies will accept part timers....they don't care. Any policies you bring in only add to their bottom line.

[SEOINAGE]

I'm a sales manager at the largest privately held capital finance company in North America. I work closely with our recruiting professionals and interview prospective salesmen weekly. That said, I would advise against taking this job. Although it sounds like you've got what it takes to make it from a competitors perspective; the 100% commission structure is too risky considering your limited sales experience and limited personal network. You need to find a sales job with a base or draw to soften the earnings blow during your ramp up period. Good thing is that with 7 years of experience with one company this should be easy to find. At my company we start juniors with a base of 30k plus commission. Insurance sales is a competitive field and starting with no promise of pay is not ok in your position, being a father and all. Also, don't listen to the person who's recruiting you. A head hunter gets paid per hire and they'll say whatever it takes to get a new hire in the door. I understand you're frustrated at your current position having been passed up for promotions in the past, but don't let that malcontent force you out of something stable for something high risk that may or may not work out. Our current economy is in recovery and businesses are looking to expand now more than ever. We've hired 36 new salesmen in the last month alone. Growth is rampid and opportunity is present in all sectors and regions despite what mainstream electoral media wants you to believe. You're a young cat and you've got plenty of time to reinvent your professional self. Id advise that you take more time to search for an opportunity that will pay you out the gate. If you have anymore questions hit me up; I'm here to help.

Take this guys advice!!!!

Another thing to consider is being your own boss, you need to make a lot more than whatever your salary is to cover medical and other expenses.

[wmaousley]

Major oil companies hiring:

Weatherford
Schlumberger
Oxy
Shell
Halliburton
Glasspoint Solar
C&J Energy
Baker Hughes
ARAMCO
Andarko
Chesapeake Energy
Noble Drilling
UPD- Weatherford Drilling
Grey Wolf
Viking
CANESCO
Canadian Advanced
Brightsource Energy
Fluor
Bechtel
Salini
ENI
Saipem
KCA Deutag


If you need more just PM me