How many times have you asked someone who seems successful how they like their job and received responses like “Well, at least it’s a job,” or “Hey, it’s called work for a reason, right?”

Probably too often.

If you ask a successful salesperson the same question, however, it’s likely they’ll spend the next hour telling you all of the reasons why they love their sales and marketing job.

Some will say they didn’t love the job until they got good at it. Others will tell you they’ve always loved it, and that’s why they’re good at it.

The reasons they love their careers in sales are many, and we’ve made a list of a few below. If any of them sound like you, then an entry-level sales position could be exactly what you’re looking for to put you on a path to financial success.

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Statistics show that the job market is improving, so why are some people still having difficulty finding sales and marketing jobs?

Well there seems to be a disconnect between what skills employers say they value most and what entry-level marketing job candidates showcase on their resumes and in interviews.

Interesting enough… as a recent grad, you just might have these skills. Here’s what they are and how to let the recruiters know that you’re the right candidate for the gig:

What employers want.

Today’s employers believe that qualified candidates for outside sales jobs should have strong “soft skills” (interacting with people well, etc.). However, many agree that finding candidates with these skill sets can be quite difficult to foresee and find.

While many candidates may actually have the right skills for a job in sales, it can be difficult to show those skills when you don’t have much experience on your resume.

Understanding why these skills have become so important may help you relate real-life experiences to the skills employers are looking for.

What’s changed?

Rapid advancements in technology have made today’s companies more global than ever, and their day-to-day operations have become leaner and more efficient. While technology plays a big role in being able to do more with less, it increases the need for many of the soft skills everyone thought would become less important.

Effective communication has become a key focus for hiring managers, as the proliferation of computers, email, video conferencing and social media use means that every employee has become the face of the company.

Positive attitude, adaptability and teamwork are the next most important skills, and the most successful employees possess all three. As companies become more global, they look for synergies across locations and ways to become more efficient. This means employees will be expected to collaborate with their global counterparts and may be asked to travel or share job responsibilities.

What skills you already have

Some of your coursework and college activities may offer very relevant examples of your highly effective soft skills. Perhaps you held a leadership position for an on-campus organization or helped organize a community service project. Both of these types of activities could have given you valuable experience in the exact skills employers are seeking.

That means you’ve got what it takes.

So before you send off your job application, review your resume. Don’t miss the opportunity to appropriately highlight these “hard to find” skills. Who knows? It could make the difference between your resume landing in the “No” pile and a call for an interview!

Always be prepared.

It’s a lesson you’ve been learning since you were a child. If you forgot your lunchbox, you’d be pretty hungry when you got home from school. If you didn’t do your homework, you may get a bad grade or be embarrassed if the teacher called on you in class.

It’s a terrible feeling when you realize what you should’ve done but didn’t.

The same goes for a sales job interview — except this time the stakes are much higher. And like it or not, if you’re not prepared, the next candidate will be.

So how do you prepare for those tricky interview questions — the ones that seem designed to put you on the spot?

The truth is, they are meant to put you on the spot. Hiring managers want to see how you handle the unexpected; this gives them greater insight as to how you’d perform as a sales representative.

Technically, there is no right or wrong answer for most trick questions. But there are a few important factors to consider — the position you’re applying for, in example. An entry-level candidate wouldn’t be expected to answer at the same level as someone who’s had years of experience in multiple sale representative jobs.

You’ll want to be sure you answer questions in consideration of your own abilities and the company’s culture. But most importantly, make sure you’re honest, have concrete examples and convey measurable results.

Possible “trick” questions and the best way to answer

Q: Tell me about yourself.

A: Keep answers under two minutes, and stick to relevant topics such as education, career highlights, and a recent work-related event.

Q: What is your biggest weakness?

A: Choose a weakness that you’ve worked to overcome and explain the steps you’ve taken.

Q: How has your education prepared you for your career?

A: Focus on situations where you’ve been able to apply knowledge and skills acquired through your studies.

Q: Why should I hire you?

A: Review the job requirements and give concrete examples from past experiences that illustrate your qualifications.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A: Be careful not to sound too eager to climb the corporate ladder here. While companies want employees with ambition, they also want to hire someone who will be happy in their newly acquired role for at least the short term. And be sure your answer relates to the hiring company, not leaving it before 5 years is up!

Whether you’ve just graduated from college and are interviewing for an entry level sales position, or you’re further along in your career and are in search of a high paying sales jobs, it’s quite normal to be nervous about a job interview.

But how can you keep a bad case of the jitters from ruining your chances of landing a great job?

Understanding why your body reacts in the way it does is half the battle to keeping nerves in check. What’s likely the culprit? Fear.

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It’s easy to lose focus on your job search during the holidays. In fact, many job seekers take a break until after the new year.

But this time of year offers opportunities you should be taking advantage of. At the very least, you should be putting a plan in place for getting restarted in January.

Networking opportunities

When you get together with family and friends, remind them that you’re seeking a job in entry-level sales. They may not know of a particular opening offhand, but they could hear of something once they get back to work.

Send out holiday cards with a short, personalized message to recruiters and other potential contacts, such as teachers, classmates and previous bosses. A thoughtful gesture such as this will keep your name fresh in their minds.

Volunteering is great way to network, and there’s no shortage of opportunities during the holidays. You’ll be doing something good for your community and you never know who else might be volunteering—maybe a recruiter or someone with a sales manager job—so be friendly and outgoing, and be sure to mention at an appropriate moment that you’ll be getting back to your entry-level sales job search after the holidays.

Next year’s plan

If you don’t plan to send out any resumes over the holiday, use this time to get caught up on any overdue tasks. The holiday break is a great time to get organized before you restart your search.

1. Follow up. You should already be tracking which jobs you’ve applied for and followed up on. Double check this list and send out any overdue thank you correspondence to managers or recruiters you’ve interviewed with.

2. Look for trends. Make a list of the phone screening or interview calls you’ve received. Then take note of where you found these particular jobs (i.e., through friends, a recruiter or an online job board) to identify any trends. Look to see which avenues have generated the most responses, and use this to guide your strategy for where to focus your continued search.

3. Prepare to network. As the new year comes upon us, you’ll need to get back to networking right away. So review your list of professional connections, and set a schedule for making calls, including days and specific times. Keep track of who you’ve reached and their responses. This way you’ll be sure to remember who you’ll need to follow up with as the new year gets going – and you are ready for it!

Drive, pragmatic thinking, entrepreneurialism and the right kind of ego strength are some of the most important things and qualities that you should possess if you want to make it in marketing. The following are important insights if you want to switch from sales rep jobs to marketing or leverage your marketing skills to land the perfect sales jobs in Louisville or sales jobs in Cincinnati to help you advance your career:

• Sales rep jobs are great stepping stones into a career in marketing. Skills gained as a sales rep and in other customer-oriented roles are very much transferable to marketing. These include communication and negotiation, mathematical proficiency, as well as the ability to reach targets. Media planning is another excellent skill to have, because many small to medium sized companies do perform the role in-house. Sales language is also closely related to marketing language, which means it will be easier to relate to the culture.
• If you are serious about building a marketing career, start by knowing exactly what marketing employers want and check the competencies and skills that you can satisfy, at least at the moment. This will give you a good idea of which abilities you can leverage and which ones, through training, research, and development you can acquire and develop to qualify for higher responsibilities.
• Your experience and skills in the real world are just as significant, if not more relevant as a degree in marketing. You will be surprised at how many people working in leading marketing agencies don’t necessarily have marketing degrees, but do offer a creative eye and entrepreneurial flair, which helped propel their career from the bottom up.

At the end of every interview, the hiring manager will most certainly ask, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Your answer should always be a resounding YES!

Asking good questions is the perfect way to show that you’re a qualified candidate for a job in marketing. It’s also an opportunity to help you determine if the job would be a good fit for you.

So what kinds of questions do you ask? Here are 5 interview questions that will get you noticed with a potential employer:

What’s your company’s biggest challenge?

Most interviewers will spend time sharing the company’s vision but will spend little time discussing its challenges. This question shows that you’re thinking of the bigger picture — and not just a typical candidate looking for a sales and marketing job.

How would you describe your company’s culture?

Remember, even though this is an entry-level sales job, you want to convey that you are not looking for just a job but a career. Factoring in cultural fit should be critically important in your decision making process.

What do you believe most successful candidates in the role have in common?

This is a great way to have the interviewer show their cards. Most interviewers will take the bait and tell you about previous successes from prior candidates. If the list includes a skill or trait you forgot to mention, this is the perfect time bring it up.

Can you tell me about your opportunities for development?

Asking about learning opportunities, such as training or seminars, will show your eagerness to grow with the company.

Do you have any questions about my qualifications?

This is a gutsy move, but it gives you another opportunity to address any gaps you make have left during the interview. It also shows that you are confident in your abilities and ready for the challenge.

You’ve done the hard part — successfully landing the interview. Now that you’re at the finish line, use these questions to bring it home!

LogoNation can help you get started in a rewarding, fulfilling, and highly profitable marketing career in Louisville. We have the options that allow you to explore new places and get paid to do so—plus the unique opportunity to work independently with your career in outside sales and marketing. LogoNation is currently accepting applicants who might be interested in a marketing or sales position.

LogoNation is a specialty advertising company headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., focused on promoting business pride and community spirit through our high-quality promotional products including our CommuniTee t-shirts.

You might be wondering—what exactly makes a marketing career in LogoNation different from other companies? First of all, we offer a position that is beneficial to communities. A LogoNation marketing career lets you give back to your community in Louisville by participating in community-oriented advertising.

CommuniTee is our annual community promotion t-shirt, designed to promote community spirit and business pride in smaller towns all over the U.S. The shirt features ads from local businesses on the back, and a graphic design on the front that uniquely represents each town. Starting your marketing career with LogoNation lets you have the opportunity to showcase local businesses in the various towns you serve, promoting them to local residents as well as visitors to the town. By working with LogoNation, you are indirectly creating more money, jobs, and opportunities for people living in your own community.

Join us here at LogoNation in our mission to provide well-made and unique products that are community-oriented and can creatively enhance communities and promote businesses effectively. To help you succeed and ensure that you achieve your best potential, LogoNation will provide you with full orientation and one-on-one field training, and assign you to a district manager who will continue to help you develop in your career. We provide compensation and benefits to our community account managers (marketing-sales people), with perks including health insurance allowance, gas reimbursement, cell phone allowance, and car allowance. Contact LogoNation today to learn more!

When you’re interviewing for an entry-level sales job, it’s important to remember that you only get one shot at making a good first impression. You’re no longer in college, which means there are no makeup exams and no extra credit projects. In other words, there are no second chances. Here are 3 simple rules to help make your entry-level career interview a good one for all concerned:

1. Be on time

Being punctual is a good practice in everything you do. And when it comes to arriving for your interview, it is absolutely imperative. Hiring managers are busy people. If they’ve set aside time to interview you, you can be certain they’ve had to juggle their schedule to make it happen. Showing up late for an interview is basically the same as telling them you don’t respect their time, and you place very little importance on meeting deadlines…not exactly star candidate attributes.

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Are you making the transition from college life to professional life? Or maybe you’ve been out of college for a few years and are looking to change careers? Being a recent grad and job hunting in this economy can be daunting. But if you’re an ambitious and motivated millennial, you should consider an entry-level position in sales and marketing.

Here are a few secrets about business that they probably didn’t teach you in college. Master them, and you’ll be well on your way to a high paying sales job.

1. The business world isn’t necessarily the one you’ve seen on TV.

Like Chandler Bing in Friends, some business people get caught up in trying to appear professional and impressive. They adopt a “fake it ’til you make it” mentality.

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