Yahoo Finance Aussie breaks taboo to reveal $300,000 job that doesn't require a uni degree: 'Tremendous pressure'
A man has opened up about the rough side to being a sales representative.
More Australians are breaking taboo to reveal their salaries and one man said he's earning $300,000 as a sales accountant. The bloke was pulling in a little more than $300,000 a year for the job, which means he would just be able to comfortably afford a mortgage in Sydney.
Jobs that attract a salary as high as that usually require a university degree like law or medicine. The man said he didn't know what he wanted to do in life but a friend who worked at a startup software company told him to apply for the sales position, which he admitted came with its downsides.
"The pressure was tremendous, which I think is how companies justify paying salespeople so much," he said.
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"They are under constant pressure to deliver, achieve specific performance metrics, earn revenue, and make revenue for the company."
The man is based in Brisbane but reports to the team in the US, where the tech company is located.
Some may think it sounds pretty dreamy to pull in a decent six-figure salary without having to go to university and rack up tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, but the man said you have to be ready to take on a job like this.
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"There'll be a lot of calling people and dealing with people," he said.
The pressure in sales is 'intense'
Other sales representatives echoed the sentiment that job is very demanding.
"Sales is a great place to make a bunch of money one year and be OUT OF A JOB the next year. Job stability is highly underrated," said one person.
"Facts, same income, great job, but pressure is INTENSE and most struggle," wrote another.
The man said his $305,000 a year salary included commissions, which is a big component of a sales job's take-home salary.
The average sales account executive in Australia is paid around $100,000, according to SEEK, but they can earn hundreds or thousands of dollars on top of that for every deal they close.
Another person in the field said people in sales could "definitely" earn more than $300,000 "depending on the deals you close in the year".
How do you get into a job like this?
You don't need formal qualifications to get into sales, according to SEEK.
The job is all about working with people so you'll have to have the gift of the gab and be very personable.
"Get your foot in the door in a role, as most companies will give you some on-the-job training," SEEK said.
"Selling is something you can learn, but some people will naturally take to it very quickly due to their inherent personality traits."
While you don't necessarily need to go to university, the Aussie job website said you can get a Bachelor's degree in Business. If you're going into a specialised industry, like the automotive industry, then you might need some qualifications.
"There are Certificate III and IVs available in these specialised industries through a TAFE or a Registered Training Organisation," SEEK added.
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