How to Spot Bad Sales Jobs

Joseph Stubblebine
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Recent graduates often need to find a job quickly to cover expenses and help pay off their college debt. If you're a recent graduate looking for a job as a sales professional, be aware that you'll see plenty of advertisements for bad sales jobs. It's important that you learn how to quickly determine whether or not a job posting is a scam so that you can avoid wasting time on poor sales jobs and find a good job quickly.

 

While it's not hard to find ads and postings for entry-level sales jobs, if you're like many recent graduates, you may find it hard to tell the difference between an ad for a legitimate position in sales and a scam. That's because the scam ads are designed to resemble real opportunities. Companies placing these ads prey on people, including recent graduates, by offering them false hopes of easy money. It's often a wise decision to go with your gut. If you have a bad feeling about a sales job you've found, be very cautious because the odds are good that the job isn't a legitimate one. Steer clear of advertisements for vaguely described sales jobs that promise you unrealistic things, such as enormous earnings your first week or the opportunity to earn money while you sleep. Beware also of any job that requires you to pay a fee of any kind.

 

There are companies out there that offer actual sales jobs, but the opportunities aren't really the professional sales opportunities that most recent graduates are looking for. Some of these poor sales jobs may involve heavy telemarketing or door-to-door sales of various products. While these jobs may offer legitimate work, they probably aren't the type of sales job you've been envisioning. In order to avoid these types of jobs, avoid replying to ads that use wording like "immediate positions available" or "fresh talent needed." These sales jobs often have high turnover rates and may expect employees to work numerous hours under a commission-only pay structure.

 

While there are a variety of bad sales job ads out there that are geared toward entry-level professionals and recent graduates, there are still a lot of legitimate opportunities. Unfortunately, the ads for good sales jobs are often mingled in with the listings for bad ones. However, you can save yourself a lot of time by doing a little research before you apply for the job. Spend some time researching the companies placing the ads to find out what type of work they do and what kind of reputation they have. You can also focus your search for sales jobs on large or familiar corporations that have good reputations.

 

A multitude of recent graduates get sucked into bad sales opportunities every year. If you want a successful sales career, research the company thoroughly, know what you're looking for in a job, and avoid advertisements that aren't realistic. These tips will aid you to find a rewarding sales job with a respectable company.

 

(Photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut / freedigitalphotos.net)

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  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks for the great comments. Sales jobs tend to have many different version of scams going around. Even when the job isn't a scam, finding  a good company that doesn't just let you make commision is hard to do!
  • Madelin L
    Madelin L
    This was very good advice.  I have been helping a recent grad to find a job.  There are some unbelievable scams out there.  It is very frustrating for an eager graduate only to find these bad offerings.  Thanks for posting.
  • Emily C
    Emily C
    THIS POST IS AS VAGUE AS THE JOBS DESCRIBED IN IT. THANKS A LOT FOR WASTING MY TIME.

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