Not everyone is cut out for a job as a salesperson. You need to be self-confident, outgoing and preferably blessed with a bit of charm.

But if that sounds like you, then the opportunities up for grabs in the sales sector are hard to match.

For a start, while most of your mates also stuck in the city trying to save up cash for the next trip are having to trudge to the same office or restaurant everyday, salespeople get to go on road trips, meaning you get to see the country and get paid for the privilege.

On top of that, the money is decent if you’re okay at the job, and excellent if you’re a natural.

There’s also good prospects for getting sponsorship if you want to stay long-term, like British traveller Janine Durnall. After starting with a sales job for The Comunicom Group she ended up getting sponsored and is now their recruitment manager.

“It was a great way of boosting my confidence and making friends here in Australia,” she says.

“There was always good money to be made and the last thing I wanted to do was sit in an office all day. Sales gave me the opportunity to see parts of Australia I would not have normally seen and meet people I would not usually be open to meet.”

Indeed, it would be hard to find another job with better prospects for travel.

“We often arrange road trips at least once a month, sending teams to places like the Hunter Valley, Byron Bay, Tasmania and the Sunshine Coast,” explains Durnall.

And now, she adds, is a good time to apply, because “there is a high demand for salesrepresentatives at the moment”.

Experience isn’t necessary as training is usually provided on the job, however it’s obviously never going to do you any harm.

Basic qualifications are required, but most important is the ability to prove that you’re motivated, ambitious and have good communication skills. The pay is generally commission-based.

Once in the door, how far you go is basically up to you. Everyone starts at the bottom but has the same chance of making it to management if they prove themselves. 

“There is no time scale,” says Durnall. “There are always opportunities for sponsorship within this industry for employees who develop,” she adds.

“We have sponsored many individuals who are now some of our top managers over 21 offices throughout Australia.”

So start practising that sales pitch and get dreaming about how you’re going to spend all that cash.

AGENCY CONTACTS
The Comunicom Group
Ph: (02) 8332 1601
www.comunicom.com.au

Smart
Ph: 1300 654 261
www.smartoption.com.au

Entourage Group
Ph: 1300 368 687
www.entouragegroup.com

Geoffrey Nathan
Ph: 1300 GNJOBS
www.gnjobs.com

Face2Face Fundraising
Ph: (02) 8114 1600
www.face2facefundraising.com.au

Storm Promotions
Ph: (03) 9819 6311
www.stormpromotions.com.au 

OTHER CONTACTS
For superannuation and tax:
Australian Taxation Office
Ph: 132 861
www.ato.gov.au

Free work-related legal advice: 
A Whole New Approach
Ph: (03) 9809 2666
www.awna.com.au

Your work rights in Oz:
Dept of Employment and Workplace Relation
Ph: 1300 363 264
www.workchoices.gov.au

For all your visa worries:
Dept of Immigration and Citizenship
Ph: 131 881, 
www.immi.gov.au

Medicare Australia
Ph: 132 011
www.medicareaustralia.gov.au