Non-sales Jobs You Can Do With a Sales Background

In America, professionals change jobs an average of 12 times throughout their lives, so it’s perfectly normal for people to transition from different career paths [1]. The key to finding a new career that’s rewarding and lucrative is to identify your strengths, talents, and skills that align with other job opportunities. 

If you’ve worked solely in sales throughout your entire career, you may have developed experience that can allow you to explore different professional fields. 

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Sales jobs skills 

Specific skills are crucial for direct sales, but those same strengths are valuable for careers that don’t require sales since they're a foundation for nearly every business. It isn’t a matter of what you can do but what kind of career truly excites and interests you.

Take inventory of the skills you have in your sales job, and you may be surprised by what you are uniquely qualified to do. Those with sales backgrounds often benefit from the following talents, skills, and qualities.

Strong relationship-building skills

A good salesperson must know how to develop strong and meaningful relationships with their clients. This includes remembering names and personal details, listening well, and following up to make sure everyone is satisfied. Professionals in many different industries must rely on their networking and relationship skills to get ahead.

Excellent organization habits

A salesperson has to juggle many different accounts—and sometimes different products—as part of their jobs. They must be organized to make and keep appointments and meet the deadlines required by their clients. 

A detail-oriented personality

As a salesperson, you likely can recite every detail about your product and how it compares to the competition’s products. Having a detail-oriented personality with a strong memory helps in non-sales roles, too.

Persuasiveness 

Part of any sales job is explaining why one product is superior to another. This takes strong communication skills and the ability to convince others to believe in your ideas. 

What types of jobs are in sales?

After you determine the transferable skills you possess, think about any hobbies and interests you have. Allow yourself to dream about potential job titles or industries that would excite you. Then start researching opportunities that may be available locally and nationally. Career transitions can take time, so be patient as you implement new changes.

For inspiration, here are some non-sales roles that may interest professionals with sales backgrounds.

Blogger/vlogger

Average base annual salary (US): $57,011 [2]

Bloggers are multimedia content creators who write articles and share photos about specific topics. Vloggers are like bloggers, except instead of writing on websites they post videos on platforms like YouTube. These professionals typically produce their work on a schedule to share their niche expertise like finance, travel, or do-it-yourself (DIY). 

If you love what you sell in your sales job, you could produce pieces within the industry using your knowledge and communication skills—while building a relationship with your audience. 

Advertising agent

Average annual base salary (US): $54,031 [3]

Instead of selling products, advertising agents sell broadcast time, space in newspapers or magazines, or digital areas on a website. Creativity, direct sales experience, and excellent organizational skills are all crucial for the role. You’ll also need a refined understanding of marketing tactics. You can learn about the business and strategy of advertising by enrolling in the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera.

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Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO), E-Commerce, Email Marketing, display advertising, Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Portfolio preparation, Building customer loyalty, E-commerce store optimization, Job preparedness, Social Media Branding, Social Media Analytics, Social Listening, Customer Engagement, Social Media Bidding, Google, Search Engine Marketing, Customer Awareness, Website Structure, Email marketing analytics, Email Writing, Contact management, Email marketing strategy, Email list segmentation, E-Commerce Strategy, Seasonality, E-commerce platforms, Fulfillment and delivery, Customer loyalty, Customer Outreach, Marketing Analytics, Media planning and strategies, Spreadsheet management, Presenting to stakeholders, Digital marketing KPIs

Social media marketing specialist

Average annual base salary (US): $53,234 [4]

If you enjoy social media, you could excel as a social media marketing specialist. These professionals create content and run the social media accounts of their clients with the goal of interacting with the public and building a brand. You’ll need to interact with many different kinds of people, which is likely something you’re doing every day with your sales job. It’s also important to be well-versed in the current social media trends to captivate the targeted audience on social media platforms.

To learn more about social media marketing, sign up for Northwestern University’s online Social Media Marketing Specialization on Coursera.

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Manage Your Social Strategies. Expand your online audience and establish your social brand in five courses.

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Digital Strategies, Social Media Marketing, Analytics, Social Commerce, ChatGPT, AI Driven Marketing, AI, Influencer Marketing, Digital Marketing, Digital Tactics, Social Marketing, Social Media, Writing, Marketing Strategy, Budget, Planning, A/B Testing, Social Network

Company director

Average annual base salary (US): $912,215 [5]

As a salesperson, you may work in a team, but your skills can transfer into a career as a director or manager of a company. Your independent work ethic, detail-oriented memory, and ability to complete tasks are all vital for the success of any company. Look for a role in an industry that excites you, or find a company with a mission that you relate to personally. 

To gain confidence in your ability to lead a team and enhance your resume, enroll in the University of Michigan’s Leading People and Teams Specialization on Coursera. 

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Leading People and Teams

Leading Effectively. Learn proven management techniques in just four courses.

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Talent Management, Goals and Rewards, Leadership, Motivate Employees, Vision Alignment, Leadership Dynamics, Management, Team Management, Team Building, Coaching, Onboarding, Recruitment, Social Skills, Influencer Marketing, goal setting, Communication, Leadership Development

Recruitment consultant

Average annual base salary (US): $49,074 [6]

If you have relationship-building skills from your sales role, use those skills to connect companies with the best candidates for a role. You’ll be able to use a detailed approach to fill the needs of companies, much like you did in sales. Instead of selling products, you’re screening potential employees.

It’s a good idea to augment your resume with new human resource knowledge. The University of Minnesota offers a specialization called Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees on Coursera that can help you see if this position is right for you.

Career advisor

Average annual base salary (US): $55,625 [7]

A career advisor helps people make decisions about what type of career is best for them. The fact that you will have more than one career is an excellent way to start building the kind of relationship that’s required with these clients. You can help them figure out their skills and strengths—just like what you’re doing now. 

Macquarie University offers the Adapting: Career Development Specialization on Coursera, which can help you help others find new careers.

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Adapting: Career Development

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Entrepreneur 

Average annual base salary (US): $140,851 [8]

As an entrepreneur, you could oversee a team of sales professionals, or you could go into a completely different industry. If you are truly passionate or especially knowledgeable about a certain sector, you could be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs earn an average of $140,851 per year [8], although the right idea could have a greater potential for significant wealth.

While your expertise and current skills will be invaluable, you’ll want to learn more about what it takes to start your own business. Michigan State University offers the How to Start Your Own Business Specialization on Coursera, which can provide the foundation on which to build. 

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Growth Strategies, Exit Strategy, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Sales Presentation, Elevator Pitch, Strategic Management, Brand, Choosing Advisors, Brand Management, Discovery-Driven Planning, Planning, Marketing

What is a sales specialist?

As a sales specialist, you’ll have a career working directly with sales. In this role, you will be an expert on the sales process and help companies improve their sales. You may manage or work with a sales team and you may offer your guidance and recommendations to company leadership. 

Explore sales positions on Coursera

There’s a lot to consider about changing careers, but many people do it all the time. Start by revising your resume and LinkedIn profile. To learn more about ways to position yourself for success in your new career, check out Coursera’s blog for further reading. To begin learning digital marketing strategies, you can take the Unilever Digital Marketing Professional Certificate on Coursera.

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Unilever Digital Marketing Analyst

Unlock your future in digital marketing analytics.. Build job-ready skills for an in-demand career as a digital marketing analyst. No degree or prior experience required.

4.7

(182 ratings)

12,581 already enrolled

Beginner level

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Average time: 2 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Market Segmentation, Google Analytics, Web Analytics, Marketing Automation, SEO optimization, Data storytelling, Google Analytics 4, RACE Planning Framework, Value Propositions, Multi-touch attribution, ANSOFF Matrix, Assess ROI, 6Ps, digital marketing channels, Customer Journey Map, Sostac, Predictive Analytics, Mobile Marketing, Machine Learning, scaling strategies, Ethics