engineering jobs

Should You Make the Change from Software Engineer Into Sales?

By Bob Thomas 14 June, 2023 3 mins read

If you have already started your career as a software engineer, you may be wondering if you should consider moving from that position to a sales role. This article will give you an overview of the job description for a Sales Engineer, along with the salary and skills required. When you look at your options, sales engineering can be a great choice for people who want to get into the customer-facing aspect of the company.

Description of the job description for a sales engineer

A sales engineer is a key member of the technical sales department. Their role involves solving customer problems and researching new products. They also collaborate with colleagues from across the organization to close business. Sales engineers report directly to the Director for Sales Engineering. Sales engineers typically have a bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination education and experience. A sales engineer must have technical knowledge and experience with the software. Because of this, they need to have exceptional communication skills and be capable of explaining complex technical information in plain English to non-technical users.

A sales engineer helps companies market their technologically advanced products to their customers. They offer technical support to customers and sell products. They work full-time but some may work irregular hours. Sales engineers are responsible for finding potential customers and helping them to make purchases. In addition to helping product designers and market researchers, sales engineers collect feedback from customers. Ultimately, sales engineers must be able to close business.

Required skills

Although technical skills are important for sales engineering careers, there are also other attributes that are needed to succeed in the sales industry. People with strong interpersonal skills will be an asset to sales engineers. These traits include effective communication, teamwork, and empathy. For sales engineers, problem solving skills will be tested as they are expected to solve sales related problems. They will be required to increase their sales volume by suggesting improvements to the products.

Technical sales engineers work in the areas of selling products, consulting and developing technical and scientific innovations. They use their analytical skills to identify gaps in product development and find opportunities for continuous improvement in usability. They spend 20-70% of their time traveling, but their working hours are usually flexible and they can work from anywhere in the country. Graduates of mainly technical disciplines can apply for this career because training programs are generally in-house. Although a degree in engineering does not necessarily mean you can pursue this career, it is a good idea.

Salary

Engineers with sales experience are difficult to find. Recruiters must pay these engineers accordingly. Sales engineers' salaries can vary widely from one company. Many companies offer a salary base, while others offer a bonus if you meet performance targets. This is the most common salary structure offered to sales engineers. It may include equity grant, sign-on bonus, or even sign-on bonuses. No matter the salary structure, benefits and perks available to a SE will be comparable to an experienced engineer.

A highly skilled sales engineer may move into a consulting, project management, or other roles. Some companies also require experienced sales engineers to perform the duties of a senior sales executive. Most sales engineers need to have a degree in technical areas. This means that engineers must be good at both interpersonal skills and technical skills. While a degree as a software engineer is not required for a career selling, it can make a difference. But, it's important to understand that a salary as a software engineer will likely be greater than that of an information technology professional.

FAQ

How difficult is engineering to study?

It depends on your definition of "hard". If you mean difficult, then it's true. But, if boring is what you are referring to, then it's false. Engineering is not difficult as it requires a lot of maths.

If you're looking to learn how something works, do it! To become an engineer, you don't necessarily have to be an engineer.

Engineering is fun, as long as it's something you like.

You could say that engineering is easy once you know everything inside out. This is not true.

Engineers are boring because they haven’t tried other things.

They have stuck with the same thing day after day.

There are many options for solving problems. Each way has its strengths and weaknesses. Try them all and find the one that works for you.

Engineering: What is it?

Engineering, in short, is the application scientific principles to make useful things. Engineers use their science and math knowledge to design and build machines, vehicles and bridges, aircraft, spacecraft, robots and tools. They also create electronic circuits and other devices.

Engineers could be involved in research and design, production, maintenance or testing, quality control and sales, marketing, management and teaching.

An engineer has various responsibilities, including designing and building products, systems, processes, and services; managing projects; performing tests and inspections; analyzing data; creating models; writing specifications; developing standards; training employees, supervising workers, and making decisions.

Engineers can be specialists in many areas such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, computer, biomedical and manufacturing.

Engineers may choose to concentrate on specific areas of engineering such as aeronautics or biotechnology.

Do I need special qualifications to study engineering?

No. You only need to get good grades in your GCSEs. Some universities will require applicants to demonstrate certain academic achievement in order to be eligible for enrollment. Cambridge University, for instance, requires applicants to earn A*-C grades (in Maths, English Language or Science)

If you don't meet these criteria, you will need additional courses to prepare for university entrance exams.

You may need to take additional math/science subjects as well as a language class. Contact your school guidance counselors to learn more about these options.

What types of jobs can I find if I major in engineering?

Engineers can work in nearly every industry: manufacturing, transportation and energy, finance, government and education.

Engineers with specializations in particular areas can often find work at companies or organizations that specialize.

Electrical engineers could work, for example, in telecommunications companies or medical device manufacturers.

Software developers may work for websites or mobile app developers.

Computer programmers may work for tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, or IBM.

Statistics

2021 median salary:$95,300 Typical required education: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering Job growth outlook through 2030: 7% Mechanical engineers design, build and develop mechanical and thermal sensing devices, such as engines, tools, and machines. (snhu.edu)
14% of Industrial engineers design systems that combine workers, machines, and more to create a product or service to eliminate wastefulness in production processes, according to BLS efficiently. (snhu.edu)