Over the years I have reached out and interviewed several successful sales managers about the job hunting process. My first question to these managers was what is the biggest mistake you see job candidates making when they interview with you? I was stunned by the uniformity in their answers. You see I thought there would be a range of issues. The overwhelming response was “Lack of Preparation” Wow! These are sales managers working for very prestigious fortune 100 companies. Based on the type of job that they have available they should be getting the “Cream of the Crop” and the biggest mistake people are making is lack of preparation?

When I graduated from college I was shocked and have never forgotten what one of the speakers told my graduating class on graduation day. He was a well regarded economist who informed all of us that we should plan on working between eight and twelve different jobs during our carriers. I remember thinking that’s a lot of jobs. The speaker stated that long gone are the days of working for the same company for 30 years. Rapid advancements of technology combined with altered economic demands will require you to changes companies frequently, he proclaimed.

Don’t get me wrong I think that it’s great if you are able to stay with the same company for thirty years. In fact I have been with the same company now for twelve years and have no desire to leave as I love my job! However, I am sure we would agree due to economic instability we should all be prepared if necessary to find a new job.

If you talk to any entrepreneur they will tell you that the utmost important facet to start a successful business is to have a comprehensive business plan. You might be saying, well that’s great for the entrepreneur but I am not starting a business, how does this have any relevance to me? In the same way an entrepreneur builds a business plan, job seekers alike need to craft a well thought out plan of attack.

Let’s take a look at a hypothetical but none the less realistic situation of a young college graduate. Let’s call our graduate Mike for this example. Mike has just earned his degree and is ready to take on Corporate America. He starts looking for a job where he can finally reap the rewards of his hard earned college education. Mike wants a top tier sales job really bad as this is his true passion.

Mike starts shot gunning his resume to any and all jobs that has the word “Sales” in the job descriptions. Congratulations are in order for Mike as he lands his first sales position, yeah right? No, this is not necessarily a good thing that happened to Mike. He works this job for a couple of years making a decent living but quickly realizes that he wants more from his career.

This is where the heartache begins to set in, as the type of sales job Mike had for the past two years is considered by many as a “Soft Sale”. In fact Mike has learned that many employers don’t view his job as sales at all. Mike was not any closer to getting his dream job than he was when he graduated. He has just wasted two years.

Too many job candidates don’t take the time to develop a career plan. They seem to be fine with just winging it. If you are serious about landing the kind of sales job that you have always wanted then please don’t make this mistake. You need a well thought out action plan!

Many of you are probably really good at strategic planning while others could use some help. Having a clearly defined actionable plan for your sales career is the best way to fast track your success. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a recent college graduate, we can help.

Simply click on the “Contact” button at the top of this page and you are well on your way to landing the life altering sales job you have only dreamed about!

One Response to Why You Will Fail Without a Career Action Plan

1. Bob says on September 12, 2013 at 2:22 pm

   This was exactly what I needed to hear! I really need to work on my own career action plan. I really never realized that I needed one until now.