Sales Managers

Employers

There are approximately 584,800 sales managers in the United States. About 20 percent work in wholesale trade. Others work in retail trade (17 percent); professional, scientific, and technical services (14 percent); manufacturing (11 percent); and finance and insurance (10 percent).

Starting Out

You will first need experience in lower-level sales jobs before advancing to a managerial position. To break into a sales position, contact your college career services office for job leads. In addition, many firms advertise job listings in newspapers and on Internet job boards.

Your first few jobs in sales should give you experience in working with clients, studying the market, and following up on client service. This work will give you a good sense of the rhythm of the job and the type of work required.