Accounting or Sales?

Question

I've heard that people in sales @ CH Robinson can make 6 figuress in 2-3 years. Is this normal or only the exception? Also, would you recomend working in sales or accounting? Which pays more, is more rewarding, focused on work/life balance, opportunities for growth, etc? Advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

It depends upon who you are. Are you outgoing, enjoy people, can handle disappointment, aggressive? Be in sales.
Are you quiet, can work alone, like steady sometimes boring work, precise work? Be in accounting. Do not put money as the motivator. If you don't fit the right personality for the job, you will not succeed and/or be happy.
I am an accountant. I do like people and can be aggressive with the right mask on. But I can not handle disappointment. I also can not stand waiting in a lobby for an hour to have a 2 minute conversation with a buyer.

Answer 2

I have experience in both fields. Originally was studying to be an accountant, and currently do some bookkeeping on the side for a small marketing firm.

However, I fell into a Sales job, quite by accident, and am on track to make 6 figures this year (from it, not including the bookkeeping). Took me just over 2 years to do it. A college graduate accounting can probably clear that too, but only after a few more years on the job.

So the answer is, both can pay well, both have opportunities for growth, both will be demanding on your worklife balance.

Answer 3

Oh I use to teach sales training for a fortune 500 company.

Sales always makes more. Sales is sales. Sales is the only thing that brings money to the company. The rest cost money. So if you are in sales you get paid to bring money in. So they like you to be good.

I would walk a person I thought was good. I would say okay this is what I want. This is lunch. I want that table. That should be easy. I want those 2 ballons. I want to know that girls name over there with the baby, you will send her a gift card. And I want to know why that guys hands are dirty, looks liked he changed a car tire.

All has to be done in 3 minutes

Any good sales agent would say... oh good hell thats easy. Thats when you know who sucks. And any good sales person will agree. That was easy.

But if you couldnt do it, or you didnt know how do to it. You will be in accountant.

At the end of the lunch interview. I would say thank you. There was people to the right of us. 2 guys or guy and a girl? What were they wearing? What were they talking about? Okay now to the left how many at the table?

If you cant do that in your first interview in sales, you will never get a good sales job. That was my first test. If you failed you were out first interview. And that was easy.

You have to listen to everything around you. If somebody gets up to go to the bathroom 2 tables over, you need to know this. Why? Because you need to know what is important when you do make sales. Everything is important. Try this quiz with your girlfriend, if you cant do it. Dont do sales.... errr dont do sales that you will actually make money at.

BTW you should know this without thinking about this. You should be able to stare at the other persons eyes and give a 30 minute presentation. Not knowing you are going to get these questions. You have to be that focused if you want to make money in sales.

Answer 4

I have been taught and have been teaching Purchase and Sales Account as Nominal Account. But in certain Books like 'An Introduction to Accountancy'. by S.N.Maheswari & S.K.Maheswari ...it is given as real account.

Answer 5

Hello Lisa, I'm not trying to answer your question directly here but I'm yet attracted to share few thoughts from my own experience. Ideally there is no disctinction between any job in this world and it all happens in our mind. So one of the discrimination we distincly make is a finacial status it offers. Great. you are happy. But as the time passes, what really matters is a love we develop towards work. what matters is the quality time we get to spend with our family once we are thru with our work activities. Any job where you've friendly working culture and great people to work with is a satisfying job. Accounting is one of the most important work considered in business context. In some sense, its thankless work but nonethelss less important than any other business activity. A good businessman always needs a good accountant alone.

Answer 6

Accounting - steady job, steady pay, slow advancement
Sales - unstable job, potentially high pay (potentially low too), fast advancement

Sales is a hard grind.