Trying to make career change from sales/recruiting

I did exactly this ten years ago. Switched from a successful sales career to IT.

First off, you have to realize that you're not going to make the same money off the bat. In IT, you work you way up- experience is king. I also had to make some drastic lifestyle changes regarding my spending habits. I've only recently started making comparable money to what I made ten years ago in a so-so sales year.

But it is much more stable, and eventually you will be like any good tradesman- you can get a job any time with your experience.

 

I would look within your current company at departments you work most closely with. Departments in your current company will be more willing to take someone who might be a little deficient in some relevant skills because you have the familiarity with the company and have already built relationships with departments and customers and because they know you and think well of you (I'm assuming here). Once you have experience in this new line of work, you can find a job doing the same work for a different company, if you want.

So, within your company, what departments do you work most closely with? Whose processes or people do you know? What department would most value the knowledge of and relationship with the sales group that you have? You have a marketing degree; does your company have a marketing dept?

Alternatively, enroll in a business school or other form of graduate education and quit your job. Recast yourself through your education to be whatever it is you think you want to do.

 

I am kind of in the same boat. I've been doing sales for about 3 years now and it definitely has its ups and downs. Right now I am involved with technical sales for an IT/Consulting company so a transition for me into IT may not be that difficult. I'm finishing my MBA in marketing next December my plan was to begin weighing my options then and just focus on work and school in the mean time.

The salary is good, but I always have to deal with companies that haggle and play the hard sales games. Even though its contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for IT consulting I still feel like a used car salesman. Most days when they tell me the price is too high I just want to respond "call me back when you have the money--- mutha fu*ka" but no, I have to expend all my energy into negotiating which really wears me down mentally.

I've been looking into project management, marketing, or maybe product manager positions. I've done a little bit of these things with my current position, I may have to take a hit on my salary since it is somewhat of a career change I imagine unless I find a really good fit to utlize all my skills.

 

Yep, I was what I liked to call a 'closet geek'. I turned it into a career.