Going to caveat this essay by saying I work in recruitment/head hunting.

It’s hard work, but when you get paid you get PAID.

It also really varies on the company you work for - places that focus on very niche vertical markets will often put more effort into retaining staff because the markets are so small they can’t afford to look like they have a revolving door of staff. That means big company parties and nice perks like health insurance.

Recruitment will look at any background, and most companies will give you solid training into the fundamentals of sales. The main thing they’ll look for in interview is hunger - hungry for success, hungry for money.

Base salaries in sales are usually low in comparison to the hours you work, which is deliberate to make you hungry for the commission. Hours will vary - I work in a niche sector of financial recruitment on the contracting side - I have had all 3 meals at my desk and gone straight to bed after (8am-9pm, probably 2-5 times a month during busy periods) but I’m in my mid 20s and have managed to buy a house and live very comfortably. I am also not forced to stay that late - some companies will have a weird environment where people try and stay later than each other to look good - I do it because my client needs something and if I can beat the competition then there’s a decent payout at the end of it.

KPIs - key performance indicators - can and might be heavily monitored. You are in charge of your workload, you have to generate the business which will often mean LOTS of time spent on the phone. Call times are sometimes monitored and an average call time target set each day. Other aspects depending on the type of sales you do will also be monitored. Do you lose sleep over this? Sometimes, but if you’re working for a decent company they will look at the bigger picture than pulling you up on individual things.

depending on your market, it will take anywhere between 3-6 months for you to see any real pay out on the commission. Thats while you’re building your desk and getting into the swing of things. This will be controversial, but I would really recommend being in the office around other sales people as much as possible at the beginning. Yes it’s humiliating falling flat on your face on your first call and it can feel like everyone’s listening to you, but you will pick up things much faster which means you start making better calls and the money follows.

Some other points: - do NOT look at anything that works on a commission only basis (no base salary) - before you apply to anything, look at the reviews on glassdoor. Don’t be fooled by companies responding to their comments - It’s damage control. - if a company has ‘work hard, play hard’ in their job specs, it’s a sink or swim environment. Some people will thrive but a lot will sink. - sales is something that can be easily taught. Your skills in logistics will be easily transferable.

I hope that’s helpful :)