47
Career Change
I lost my job mid-April after 17 years. I strongly want to move from Sales into Operations. In my past position, though I was a sales manager, I was very hands on with data analysis, all reporting & running our operations team.
Any suggestions on the best way to do this?
TeMaya EatmonBusiness Development| Client Relationships
26
05/20/20 at 2:47PM UTC
I too am looking to transition into tech and was trying to figure out ways to better promote myself with the experiences I have. I am an Account Manager and I created some reporting tools because the company didn't want to invest in any real systems beyond some mom and pop systems that weren't designed for the industry. I have 7 years of operations management besides that and so if anyone has any suggestions for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Pat Roque, Rock Star Executive Leadership & Career Strategist Clarity, confidence, and connections to thrive!
121
05/12/20 at 9:35PM UTC
When one door closes another one opens. So while I'm sorry you're going through this, it is often a blessing that leads us to our best next chapter!
In addition to the advice mentioned above, You'll want to revisit your intentions and set your career GPS.
How? Look at 3 key elements:
1) Mindset: Have you done your strengths evaluation and a career soul searching assessment? It's a great time to decide what matters to you besides just the title...how do you want your new life and career to look and feel? What do you want your legacy to be?
2) Skillset: take a calculated inventory of your accomplishments, tracking how they align against your target company's vision/mission/values. For example, Amazon has 14 key principles that they'll grill you on during the interview so I'd advise those candidates to use the grid to efficiently speak to how ___ accomplishment demonstrated ___ leadership skill. HINT: You cannot duplicate answers so this process keeps you nimble and confident from start through negotiations (as you'll use it again and again to elevate and create a business case for raises and promotions down the road).
3) Toolset: articulate your value to the NEW organization so they can clearly embrace both your quantifiable wins and those soft skills and leadership qualities that help teams evolve over time.
As we return to the unchartered "new normal" your fluidity and adaptability will be even more valuable over time!!!
April MillerCustomer Service | Management | Operations
47
05/12/20 at 7:44PM UTC
Thank you, that is great advice and I do have some great SFDC and Sugar experience. As well as being the lead and liaison on all computer installs.
Alison HarrisGlobal Digital Marketing Leader
331
05/12/20 at 7:41PM UTC
Sorry to hear about the lay-off, good for you for looking at positive ways to go forward.
I would recommend positioning yourself as a Sales Ops Manager with experience in both Sales Management and Data Operations. As a Sales Ops Manager or Director you are the conduit between the IT, Marketing, and Product teams at most companies.
Emphasize your skills with SFDC, Hubspot, SalesLoft, and other tools. Position your team leadership and operations knowledge.
Depending on your location and industry targets for your next role, most companies realize that a Sales Ops leader is a "newish" but mandatory position if they really want to have a clean single-source of truth in their sales numbers AND want to get the most out of their CMS.
AnnMarie RugallaPassionate about Philanthropy & Operations
79
05/14/20 at 6:18PM UTC
I couldn't agree with you more! As someone that started as an Account Manager in the Financial Industry (NYC) and then progressed to an Inside Sales Manager and finally the Director of Sales & Operations, its the best position ever, because you are involved in ALL areas of the business with Sales/Product being the most important piece. I have always loved technology, data, and processes so having a strong Sales background is a plus in this role, also knowing the ins and outs of SFDC and other CMS tools like Ali mentioned above. Another benefit of being in Sales Ops is you literally work hand-in-hand with all of the top executives and c-levels and you learn more than you can even imagine. Right after I became Dir. of Sales & Ops I was chosen to be lead in the acquisition of a new SaaS platform (subscription-based billing model) called Zuora which has partnered with Salesforce. Best of luck in your new career adventures!
