So, you're eyeing a sales job but worried about not having any experience?
Don’t sweat it.
Landing a job in sales, even with zero experience, is possible. It's comes to positioning yourself right and preparing strategically. Trust me, many of the best salespeople didn’t start out with a traditional sales background. In fact, they came from all sorts of careers and walks of life.
1. Leverage Your Transferable Skills
The beauty of sales is that it’s less about your résumé and more about your ability to connect with people.
Do you have strong communication skills? Problem-solving abilities?
These are highly transferable skills that can set you apart. Even if you’ve never worked in sales, you’ve likely had to persuade someone, negotiate terms, or communicate clearly in a previous role. You can emphasize that when you're prepping for interviews, like I covered here.
Think about moments when you had to resolve conflicts, manage relationships, or
even convince your friends where to eat on a Friday night—all of that counts!
2. Show You’re Hungry to Learn
Sales managers don’t just look for experience.
They look for drive.
They want someone who's coachable and willing to put in the effort. If you’re passionate about the product and demonstrate that you’re eager to learn the ropes, many companies are more than happy to train you.
I dive deeper into how you can frame this hunger for learning in this post.
Bottom line: don’t be shy about your lack of experience. Show them that you’re
ready to grind and grow.
3. Start Networking
No matter where you are in your career, networking is gold.
Reach out to people in the sales field and ask them about their experiences.
LinkedIn is a great place to start. Attend webinars or local networking events. Building relationships can often open doors that sending out résumés alone won’t.
And when you're having those conversations, don’t be afraid to ask for
advice on how they broke into sales without experience or what they’d do
differently in your shoes.
4. Do Your Homework
Research is your friend. Look up the company you’re applying to, understand their products or services, and get familiar with their sales process. Even if you’ve never held a sales position, demonstrating that you’ve done your homework will impress hiring managers.
Being prepared shows you're
serious, and you’ll be surprised how far that alone can get you.
5. Highlight Relevant Non-Sales Experience
Remember, a lot of roles have some sales elements baked into them, even if they’re not labeled as "sales jobs."
Have you worked in customer service? Managed projects? Handled a difficult client or customer? Frame these experiences to highlight the skills that cross over into sales.
It’s all about the narrative—sell yourself.
In the end, getting a sales job without prior experience isn’t just about proving you’ve got what it takes. It’s about showing potential employers you’ve got the drive, willingness to learn, and an understanding of the fundamentals.
And if you need more tips, be sure to check out my breakdown on preparing for a sales interview with no experience.
I promise, the right job is just a few smart moves away...
PS. Sometimes, the push to start a new career in sales comes from an unexpected event like being laid off. While it may feel like a setback, being laid off can actually open the door to new opportunities.
If you’re navigating a layoff and wondering how to move forward, check out this article for tips on how to handle the situation with confidence and prepare yourself for the next steps in your career.
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