Sales or M&E

If you have got this far and not made up your mind yet I suggest you put your options in a hat and go for the first one you pull out. Once you have done that and started on the road life will take care of the rest for you. Good luck.

Pass your PE. You can sell your self and your talents anytime in your later years. Learn now what works and how to solve problems. Read the book QBQ (Question Behind the Question) and answer one question or solve one problem a day for free even if they are your own. Find and old guy (PE) that is respected in your community and ask him face to face what you should do.

But always have fun.....This is the best community on earth to be a part of.

I would definitely recommend staying away from sales (especially if you don't enjoy it). Stay in engineering at least until you get your PE. You will never regret already having your PE if you go into sales later, but if you go into sales now and later want to get your PE you will most certainly regret it. Just one person's opinion.

You should like both.

Make a deal with the boss-50:50 Sales+ Shop work

May be he thinks-you have the gift of the gab- but sloppy at doing any job well.

Prove him Wrong.

I strongly suggest you take and pass the EIT and PE. I made the mistake of putting off the EIT when I was first out of school and the material was still fresh in my mind. Later as my formal education memories faded and they were replaced by experience, I have been to chicken (or to lazy or to wrapped up in life) to try.

I would also advise taking EIT ASAP. I waited ten years and took both EIT and PE on back to back days. Luckily I passed both, but the EIT was a bear that long away from school. PE test actually seemed easy in comparison.

Regarding sales or technical career path, there probably is no perfect answer to the question. I also like the idea of trying to pitch the idea of a 50/50 split to the boss, but he might have a strong need for sales since engineers tend to hate sales due to the large amount of rejection and abuse given to sales people.

Be aware both sales and technical can build valuable skills for your life, and best of luck in your final choice. Whatever you decide, have no regrets, learn as much as you can, find a good mentor, and in a few years look for someone to pass on your knowledge and skills.

If you don't like sales, stay out of it. Bitter voice of experience is speaking here.

The biggest problem with sales is self-motivation in the face of rejection. No matter how many seminars you go to, no matter how much you hear about getting nine "no's" to get to the one "yes," the no's are hard to take. You have to pump yourself up for each and every sales effort, and that makes an individual "no" hard.

But, if you are a self-motivator who can shrug off that kind of feedback and stay focused, then you should consider it. Not necessarily take the offer, but consider it. The recommendation of a 50/50 split is good. That would give you the opportunity to test the waters.

And take your EIT and PE! Even if you stay in sales, that will give you so much more credibility. And if you don't, then you have your certs.

Ah to be young again!! If you have recently graduated as an engineer, you must still be rather young. Being in sales is the hardest high paying job there is, as well as being the easiest low-paying job there is. The thing about sales is that it is what you make it. The only product that you have to sell is yourself. A really good salesman can sell ice cubes to Eskimos. That being said, you must look at what you have to offer. By all means, get whatever further education you can. No one can take that away from you. And, that enhances your "product". Then, as has been said above by others, you must "like" sales. Not just tolerate it, but actually look forward to getting out and trying to make that big sale today. If you determine that you are a good salesman, you will want to insist that your personal compensation be comensurate with your ability and your production. You will also want to be selling a product that you believe in. Don't become a "liar" to your customers or yourself. Being a commissioned salesman is the best opportunity you can hope for. You can go out in the morning and make $5000 and then you can go out in the afternoon and do it again. Or...you can take the rest of the day off. And the best thing you have going for you is youth. If you fall flat on your face, you are young enough to pick yourself up and start over as an engineer, if you like. Pick the one you feel best about. But, from my experience as a salesman for over 40 years, I'll take the salesman everytime. Go for it!! And good luck!

Just do what you like to do. There is no right or wrong job as long as you get pay.

You won't be good at it unless you enjoy what you're doing...