Working in field sales is a fantastic career for the outgoing, ambitious and determined individual. Whilst a career in sales can be challenging and hard, it can also be rewarding and exciting. All sorts of skills are involved from making sales itself to finding clients; there are a host of different skills to be gained from a career in field sales.

Demand - Recent years have seen an increase in demand for field sales personnel. This is due to the current economic climate. The recession has caused increased competition between businesses as consumer confidence is low. Many companies are finding that they have to go that extra mile in order to make a sale and reach the customer ahead of their competitors.

Flexibility - When working as a field sales person you will find that due to the demand it is a very flexible career to pursue. Within the United Kingdom a good sales person can go to almost any city and be able to get a host of different job opportunities. This would be beneficial for those who like to travel or are uncertain of their future. With this in mind it is also a good position for those with stable home lives as there is sure to be plenty of contract field sales positions.

Career Progression - After a period of success in the sales industry, you can expect a promotion. This may be simply to handling more prestigious customers, promotion to a sales executive trainer role or maybe even to a sales manager role. This is an industry where hard work and results definitely pay off, quick progress and promotion for high performers is quite common. There are many different areas and job roles into which you could progress and they all come with healthy salaries so a career in sales would be promising to say the least.

The Thrill - When researching into the sales industry you will always be told that it is hard work, no doubt this is true however this hard work for most is quite enjoyable. The thrill and sense of satisfaction when you complete a sale is second to none. Yes there are the hard times when you receive rejections however this just makes sales personnel more determined to improve their game. It can be a quite hard job at times and in this sense it is perfect for those who like a challenge and those with a natural drive for success.

Money - As much as most of us won’t want to admit it, one of the most important aspects when choosing a career is the salary. Whilst job satisfaction is important, the main drive is for the money and this is definitely no different in sales. The starting salary for field sales personnel ranges from £16,000 - £20,000 per annum and commission of £2,000 - £20,000 depending on progression it is a very healthy starting salary. Senior salaries can reach up to £50,000+ per annum with up to £100,000 in commission in some cases. These salaries depend mostly upon which sector you are based, the salaries can fluctuate drastically. We see this evident with the oil and gas field sales sector paying much better than retail.

There are many more benefits of working in field sales jobs; it should definitely be a career for the determined, outgoing and persuasive candidate. With great promotion prospects and high salaries along with the thrill of the job you should definitely include field sales as one of your potential career paths.

Barry Magennis blogs on media recruitment, graphic design jobs and sales jobs.