I’m (38 M) currently approaching the end of a career (22 plus years) and am considering changing fields to do something completely different. I have had a reasonably successful career in my current field and will be mortgage free / have a fairly decent public sector pension that will be able to partially subsidise any future wage.

Reflecting in the last 20 years, I feel like I missed an opportunity to get into business and now that I’m approaching 40 feel like this is probably my last chance to make a credible effort to do something in business. In order to get started, I’d really like to learn and become proficient at sales. I’m particularly interested in working for a small company where I can take what I learn and maybe start my own company with my new found knowledge.

My question is, what sort of money can be made in a commission based sales job in the UK (i.e. total including base salary, commission and bonuses). Also, do you think it’s advisable to undertake a course in sales or is it better to just try and get some first hand experience (after doing some self study)?

  • UprisingOverLosers@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Interesting question, I hope you get some answers.

    I know nothing about sales but it has a reputation of being stressful.

    I’ve heard tech sales are where the money is at.

    Companies like IBM focus on selling from strategic areas such as cloud, mobility and data analytics, while cybersecurity company Symantec focuses on, you guessed it, electronic crime prevention. Expect upwards of £45,000 in commission, with the top 10% earning as much as £200,000.

    Indeed gives this example:

    If you are working in an entry-level recruitment role, you can expect a basic salary of around £18,000. However, because of commission pay, high-performing candidates can expect to earn £35,000 - £40,000 in the first year and £50,000 - £60,000 in year two.