We chatted to AviationJobSearch.com's Account Manager Lisa Parnham about her role and what it's like to work in Sales.

Call centre jobs involve working with customers on the telephone. There are a number of possible roles within call centres, for instance, you could be taking inbound calls in a customer service role, inbound calls in a sales role or making outbound sales calls (often called Telesales). Call centre jobs are not for everyone but good money can be made by those who have a talent for working in call centres. Read on to find out more about working in a call centre job. Working in Call Centres

• Call centre jobs require the individual to be confident, persuasive, resilient, polite and above all, motivated. Call centre jobs are very fast paced and can be stressful. When working in call centres that specialise in sales, the pressure can be on to perform and meet targets. Therefore, it is essential that those with call centre jobs have the ability to work under pressure.

• Generally, those working in call centre jobs will work 37.5 hours a week but due to the nature of call centres, this may well be in shift work. This is especially true when you are phoning individual people as call centres want to be able to contact them when they are at home.

• In general, the average salary for a basic call centre job will be roughly £12k pa but this can rise considerably if individuals consistently meet and exceed their targets can easily take home an annual salary of over £18k pa. Manager positions in call centres will earn £10k+ pa.

• It is quite common for call centre jobs to provide in house training and because the skills learned in call centres are transferable, especially sales skills, a call centre job can lead to an excellent career in sales. You can search for a range of call centre jobs here on Simply Sales Jobs

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) cover a large number of consumer products. This means that FMCG jobs can vary greatly depending on the type of industry. Variety and choice of jobs in this arena is large and levels of work can range from a store manager to sales assistant, and buyers to stock controllers. For a guide to fast moving consumer goods roles as well as an FMCG definition, see the following information. FMCG Definition The best way to explain the FMCG definition is first by understanding what the letters stand for: Fast Moving Consumer Goods. This means products that are low cost and that are sold quickly in bulk. The profit made from one unit is small, but the large quantities that they are sold in results in very lucrative business. Examples of FMCGs include goods that are needed from day to day and are replaced regularly such as toiletries, cosmetics and household goods. FMCG Jobs Under this sales umbrella, it is possible to work for any sized company. These include large chains, to smaller independently run shops. Depending on the job role, working with fast moving consumer goods is likely to involve:

• Dealing with selling goods and customers
• Payments
• Organising displays of goods
• Knowing about products
• Dealing with stock supplies
• Ordering stocks and monitoring deliveries

The higher you rise in FMCG jobs, the more your duties will increase. Store Manager The manager of a store will deal with one particular shop and its staff. You will ensure that store targets are met and that stock levels are maintained. Sales Assistant This role entails more customer facing responsibilities as you will be selling products directly. Smaller shops will require more duties, such as dressing a window. Entry Typically you will not necessarily need qualifications for a job in FMCG retail. However, for higher positions experience will be required. This means it is possible to work from the bottom to the top. Larger retailers have schemes in place for management training and some may choose a degree that entitles them to gain a work placement as a trainee manager at retailers.

A medical sales rep is the main link between the medical and pharmaceutical companies and professionals in healthcare. A medical sales job entails working to increase the use and awareness of a company’s medical and pharmaceutical products. Jobs in medical sales will require representatives to work with General Practices, hospitals and primary care institutions.

There is no set way to become a medical sales rep, and qualifications in relevant fields are not always necessary. Graduate medical sales positions can be achieved and assisted by having degrees in disciplines such as:

• Pharmacy
• Life sciences
• Medicine
• Dentistry
• Nursing

It is increasingly common today for employers to be on the look out for those with business related degrees, as the understanding of how large businesses work proves to be highly valuable in this area. A graduate medical sales representative will also benefit greatly from having some sort of sales background. As selling products is the main aim of this job, being a good salesperson is essential. Many employers will hire trainee medical sales teams based on an amount of experience already gained in the field. Work experience or internships are often a great way to get your first job in medical sales. Having a driver’s license is also a necessity as your work will often take you around the country for meetings, sales opportunities and events. Potential candidates must display:

• Exceptional communication skills
• An outgoing and calm temperament
• Confidence
• Motivation
• Positive attitude
• Flexibility
• Good networking and presenting skills

Employment The financial situation in the NHS and big company mergers has meant that jobs in graduate medical sales are not as easy as once before to come by. That is not to say that there are no positions though. Scotland and the north of England tend to be more difficult to find entry level positions. Speaking to your GP or anyone you may know in a medical or pharmaceutical profession will definitely help you. Gaining some first hand experience in the form of shadow-work is extremely valuable for your CV and application.

Even in the current economic and financial climate, there are still sales jobs vacancies available. There are more people however that are applying for the same job so once you find that job vacancy in sales you want to do everything in your power to make sure that you get hired. Sometimes though, even finding a sales job vacancy that suits you is hard enough, this guide outlines how to go about finding the perfect job vacancy in sales. Searching For A Sales Job Vacancy  

• The first thing to do is to ask yourself what you want from a job so that you can rule out sales job vacancies that aren’t suited to you. It is important to draw a fine balance however as being too picky will mean that a really good job vacancy in sales will pass you by.

• Although it takes time, search in as many places as you can for sales job vacancies as it greatly increases your chances of finding the job that could be for you. The internet is an excellent resource and there are lots of sales job vacancies listed on websites such as Simply Sales Jobs.

• Print adverts are still a good way of finding the perfect job vacancy in sales. Checking through the job section in local newspapers and publications may provide you with good sales job vacancies. Free newspapers such as The Friday-Ads have lots of local editions that feature sales jobs vacancies.

• Another method to use to find the perfect sales job vacancy is to make sure that you let people know you are looking for a new job (although be careful if you haven’t yet left your old job). If people know that you are actively hunting for a job they may get in touch or provide you with a sales job vacancy.

• Keeping in contact with old business associates and work colleagues can prove very effective in finding sales jobs vacancies. The various people involved with the job vacancy will already have an idea of your character and your abilities in the job and it may help your chances of successfully getting the job.