Dear Stephen,
I work for one of the major manufacturers where there have been lots of job and title changes, and in the process, my job was elevated from sales to a more strategic leadership position where I’m managing our brands. I was a great sales rep and always wanted more responsibility, and instead of my job growing in sales leadership, I moved sort of diagonally into product development and marketing – and was given an unusual title not commonly found in the industry.
I love my job and I feel happy with what I’m doing.
Here’s my question, and here’s the thing:
I’m concerned about my future with my current employer even though I love my job, and when I’m updating my resume, it’s difficult for me to understand how my current title equates to another company since most companies are smaller and wouldn’t have an opportunity that this larger company affords me. Simply put – I have a great job that I don’t think exists anywhere else, and if my job is eliminated, I’m concerned about how my title may be perceived at another company. What do I do?
Signed,
Fancy Title
Dear Fancy,
Many people who start in sales aspire to grow into a leadership position in their company. In sales, that typically means going from a sales rep to a regional manager, either in your own location or in a different geography. Unless you have an MBA, it’s often difficult to transfer your skillset and experience to a marketing, product management, or leadership position within your organization that is non-sales related. Yet, in the furniture industry, it’s not unheard of, and in fact, it’s more common than you think to land a new title that is not sales related, just because.
There are many different reasons for this. Salespeople who are in front of customers get a lot of exposure to what their customers' needs are, so product development begins to come naturally, MBA or not. But the complication from a career point of view is exactly how you’ve described it; as your current employer glamorizes your current title and takes the sales title away, you’re becoming isolated in an area that might be more interesting to work in, but your experience may not be as relevant to a new employer as it is to your current one.
This is because your current employer knows your value, whereas your new employer will be looking for different criteria.
So, if you’re currently one of those people at any of the big companies Steelcase, MillerKnoll, HON, wherever, with a unique non-selling title, and your job is suddenly eliminated or you simply want to make a move, be sure your resume and LinkedIn profile reflect an experience that is marketable to a new employer. The majority of new positions today are all sales and revenue related. That may mean showing how your current experience drives revenue because that is the most value to a new employer. And of course, during the interview process, pound away at your sales experience and accomplishments because that’s probably what the hiring manager wants to hear. There are many people today caught up in some of the corporate rightsizing that have unique titles that are preventing them from landing a new job as fast as their colleagues. So, it’s up to you, but if you need or want a new job, you need to change the focus on your LinkedIn, your resume, and maybe even in your title, to sales and revenue.
I hope this reality check helps you understand that a great title does not equal a great next job.
Signed,
Stephen