Why you need a mentor and a career, not a boss and a job
Posted by Geoff Alexander on Mon, Jun 06, 2011 @ 09:50 AM
I’ve been working with several veteran inside sales reps recently who’ve used me as a reference, as things are really heating up for inside salespeople who are looking for sales positions (if you’re in that category, be sure to read my whitepaper on Finding the Ultimate Inside Sales Job). What these three terrific reps have in common is that they’ve all come from less-than-favorable job situations where management was either non-existent or not very good. So I’ve encouraged them, since they now have choices, to look beyond simply getting good job. Today, it’s more about landing something that makes career sense and reporting to someone who has a track record of advancing people’s careers based on fairness and ability.
One of them, Robert, has come from a huge company, and just interviewed for a sales position that reports to Human Resources, rather than sales. If he takes this job, how will it eventually look on his résumé, where he will have neither a sales reference nor the KPIs to show to a future employer? Probably not a great career choice, unless he wants to stay in HR.
Another of them, Irv, has been employed by two companies in a row where upper management promoted low-performing friends to management roles, when Irv had better credentials. Irv is interviewing, and I suggested that he look for a company where he can find upper management that’s skilled in mentoring great people into inside sales management roles, which is Irv’s eventual step.
I encourage every rep to look down the line. Do you want to manage an inside team in the next 5-10 years? If so, look for a company in your job search that makes career sense for you. Before you interview with a company, check out the profiles of the people to whom you’ll be reporting on LinkedIn. Have any people in common? If so, call those folks, and ask some questions about the individual to whom you will potentially report’s management style? Does he or she actively mentor people? If so, how? You want a manager that’s positive and encouraging, and probably not one with a Draconian management style. You don’t want lots of hops on your résumé, so you’re looking at putting at least 3-5 years in with the company. Doesn’t it make sense to work with a company that will further your career goals?
In the Silicon Valley and around Boston’s Route 128, there are now more inside positions open then there are great people to fill them. And these two geographical areas are often a bellwether for the high tech inside sales industry in general, which means the job market for inside sales and lead development should be heating up everywhere in the next few months.
Back to Irv for a moment. He’s been interviewing with several companies, and has made the tough choice of going with a company because the person to whom he’ll be reporting has a sterling reputation for proactively working with people to promote their careers. One of the other positions paid more. But Irv looked long-term, and made a career decision, not a job decision. I know the person to whom he’ll report, and it’s a good move. So if you’re looking, extend your telescope out a few years and pick a company and management team that makes career sense, even if it means sacrificing a few short-term dollars to do it.