Sales Jobs in the United States

Sales Jobs Overview

From assisting customers on the floor to generating advertisement revenue, sales jobs are essential to succeeding as a business. Companies across industries are always looking for goal-oriented self-starters to help them grow their customer bases and generate profit.

There are many different types of jobs within the sales department—each with different responsibilities and goals. For example, sales representatives typically work in retail and pitch products and services to clients that will meet their needs. Advertising sales agents work for advertising firms and media organizations and offer advertising promotional plans to businesses and organizations for placement on websites, blogs, newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets.

Looking for specific sales positions? Here are some popular ones worth applying for:

• insurance agent jobs
• retail jobs
• sales associate jobs
• sales director jobs

Sales Training and Skills

The requirements needed for a sales job depend on the job type. Many retail sales positions require only a high school diploma, some previous experience in a customer-facing position, and on-the-job training. Many advertising sales employers, however, look for candidates who have a bachelor’s degree with coursework in business, advertising, economics, finance, and marketing.

If you want to qualify for a more advanced position, such as sales manager, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, or a related field. Some employers prefer candidates who have an MBA and/or several years of prior sales experience with a track record of success.

The key skills and qualities needed for a sales job include:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• a good understanding of people’s motivations and personalities.
• in-depth knowledge of the products and services you’re selling.
• the ability to answer questions and address customer concerns.
• a thick skin and the ability to handle rejection.
• strong initiative to seek out new customers and clients.
• good organizational skills.

Update Your Sales Resume

Your resume is a great opportunity to sell your skills and qualifications to employers. Don’t just tell employers why they should hire you, show them. Check out Monster’s sales resume tips to learn how to create an effective pitch. We also have resume samples for sales associates and sales managers you can use as guides.

No application is complete without a well-written cover letter. Put your understanding of the art of persuasion to the test by selling your experience and skills to the company you’re applying to. Take a look at our sales cover letter sample to get started.

Interviewing for Sales Jobs

Think about how you would pitch a sale to a customer. The same concept applies to a job interview. You’re simply answering questions and presenting yourself to a potential employer to sell your services as an employee. But without adequate preparation, you could find yourself stumbling. That’s why we urge you to practice creating answers to sales interview questions ahead of time.

A hiring manager will likely test your sales skills during an interview by saying, “Sell me this pencil.” Questions like this are designed to gauge your ability to deal with customer rejection while using the answer “no” to your advantage. For example, if the person you’re selling the pencil to doesn’t need one, perhaps they know someone who does. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your ability to sell or generate sales leads.

How Much Do Sales Jobs Pay?

Your pay depends on many factors, and some jobs in sales pay more than others. For example, general sales representatives in the U.S. earn a median yearly salary of $51,125 and digital advertising sales reps earn about $55,846. Your pay will also depend on your experience level, professional background, and location. Find out for yourself by entering your job title and location into Monster’s Salary Tools. In addition to getting an accurate salary estimate, you’ll see a list of potential next steps to move up in your career.

Want to Learn More About a Company You’re Interested In?

Companies across industries have sales job opportunities—with some basic research, you can discover your niche. You can start by using our company profiles tool to find basic information such as:

• employee benefits.
• the company’s size
• its headquarters and locations.
• the products and services it sells.

Ready to Sell Your Skills to Employers?

In just a few clicks, you could be well on your way to applying to sales jobs that interest you. Set up your profile to get started. Once you’re signed up, you can take advantage of Monster’s free job alerts, so you always have a chance to be an early applicant. We’ll also connect you with top recruiters so they can pitch you about new opportunities.