Which Sales Career Path is Right for You?

What are the best sales jobs? It depends on your personality, expertise, career goals, compensation expectations, etc. In other words, not all sales jobs are created equal, and not all sales jobs are right for every person. Take a look at some of the common sales jobs you might be considering for a better idea what sales career path is right for you.

Sales Development Rep (SDRs)

Sales development is a common entry level position for people looking to get into sales. Rather than working a sale from start to finish, SDRs are responsible for the first part of the sales process: researching, prospecting, and qualifying leads. They then pass on the sales opportunity to a sales rep who is responsible for developing a business relationship and making the sale. Unlike other sales positions, SDRs are measured on the number of contacts made rather than a more traditional sales quota.

Account Executive

For many people, becoming an Account Executive is the natural progression after acquiring some experience in sales. Because Account Executives spend so much time communicating with prospective leads, it’s the perfect position for someone with stellar interpersonal skills. Unlike SDRs who pass their leads along to closers, Account Executives make sales themselves.  Because they often encounter rejection when trying to close deals, it’s incredibly important that account executives be resilient and persistent.

Account Manager

Unlike SDRs and Account Executives, Account Managers don’t typically interact with clients until the initial sale has been made. While Account Executives tend to have an ever-changing list of clients and leads, an Account Manager’s portfolio remains relatively stable. As an Account Manager, you’re responsible for keeping the customer satisfied and fostering opportunities to upsell and cross-sell relevant products.

Commodities Trader

Commodity trader jobs focus on investing and trading in physical substances like oil, lumber, gold, grain, or other crops. Most commodity traders deal in raw materials used at the beginning of the production chain, and they work to secure the best price for the producer while simultaneously supplying competitive bids to customers. Because the market plays such a pivotal role in pricing, commodity traders need to be constantly tracking market movement and they must be able to react quickly to events that shift the market.

The Perks of Commodities Trading at AIFP

At American, our commodity traders can trade in an array of materials, including steel, cedar, southern yellow pine, and more. Unlike many entry-level sales jobs, our 24-month long paid apprenticeship leads directly into a trader position, making growth a guarantee for successful traders.

Throughout the first year of the trader training program, you’ll intern with our administrative team and one of our commodity departments. Plus, you’ll learn the inner-workings of the business through communication with a tight-knit team of mentors, including a senior trader, a trader trainer, a professional sales trainer, and our company president.

In your second year, you’ll get hands-on trading floor experience and further mentorship. Once the two years have been completed successfully, traders are then eligible to opt out of their salaried position to earn standard trader commissions.

Unlike some sales jobs, commodity traders at AIFP get to start from the beginning of the sale and follow it through, which means they get to experience a wider range of responsibilities, including everything from lead research to account management. Because our traders work on commission-only, they have unlimited earning potential, a flexible work schedule, and endless opportunities to meet new people and solve new problems. 

At AIFP, we believe strongly in the concept of “work hard, play hard” and we do our best to consistently celebrate employee achievements. If you’re interested in learning more about working at American, visit our careers page to view our current commodity trading job opportunities or check us out on Facebook.