Maybe you’re at a crossroads in your life, considering which industry to work in. Let me tell you why I came to prefer working in enterprise B2B over mass retail. Before I get started, as we say in French “c’est une question de goût” (it’s a matter of taste) and there is no good or bad industries to work in (except maybe cyberterrorism). It’s all about finding the right sector for yourself, finding a company with whom you share some values and where you end your day with a feeling of achievement. Some time ago, a young sales trainer told to us that if you can’t wake up in the morning, turn the volume up and show up full of energy to your job then maybe it’s time to move on.
My personal journey
Back in 2011, I finished my studies to become an educator and by that time I knew I would not pursue it as a profession. Lucky me, right after giving my closing presentation to the faculty, one of the jury’s member asked me this, “Do you really want to work in the education sector?” He then asked me if I was open to advice, which I gladly agreed to receive. He continued, “In my opinion, you have 2 choices here: keep studying and pick new subject matter in university or just move to sales”. This was abrupt in a way but expected. Following this advice still benefits me today.
I got a gig in mass retail for a major bank in my home country of Belgium. This was my first “real job” experience (unless you consider being the front man for a punk band a real job). Shortly after I started, the regional sales director paid us a visit. I recall him asking: “who has a smartphone?” Of the 30ish people present just a couple of us could raise our hands. His point was clear. Adopt and learn the emerging technology as you will need to teach it to your customers. It awoke my curiosity and gave me appetite for how technology was impacting our daily jobs, simplifying the lives of our customers and moving in a fast forward motion towards the future. This is what I wanted to do: manage projects around the digital banking industry that impacts many people!
Now, growing within the banking sector, especially out of the retail department at a local branch is not easy. To complicate matters, I had a bachelor’s degree – no masters – and I could not get around this. Nor did I plan on going back to university. I found myself at a crossroad.
I had to consider what were my options. At that time, I’d already met my wife which has been one of my greatest support in all my professional choices. Another was an American I met playing lacrosse who not only became a mentor but also one of my closest friends. They both guided me through these changes. Stay tuned for the road I decided to go down.
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