Full-commission jobs vs levelled income

[deleo88]

How would you define "job stability"? One that pays you fixed income but you have totally no control of your employability, growth and future?

Or is it one that offers you the choice to write your own pay-check, no doubt starting small but gradually snow-balling into a substantial income, whereby your efforts will reward you accordingly.

[Husky]

Originally Posted by deleo88

How would you define "job stability"? One that pays you fixed income but you have totally no control of your employability, growth and future?

Or is it one that offers you the choice to write your own pay-check, no doubt starting small but gradually snow-balling into a substantial income, whereby your efforts will reward you accordingly.

It's a very subjective question leh... like you mentioned... got so many possible definitions. Personally to me stable income means

1) Reasonable pay. Which again is subjective. For me I think $4k basic or more.

2) You get paid regularly the amount in 1...

3) Low risk of getting retrenched

Hi all,

can give some advice to me?

I’m 28. NUS engineering grad. Female.

Had been an insurance agent since 2004.

And it's my 1st job since then.

Had no other working experiences.

Been thinking of a gd career switch that can match my current income of around $5k a month.

But with no experience… what are the areas that i can fill in?

[deleo88]

Hi joys,

If you're already making $5,000/mth, and have been in the insurance industry for so long already, why are you thinking of switching?

You should be getting that recurring income easily by now.

Originally Posted by joys

Hi all,

can give some advice to me?

I’m 28. NUS engineering grad. Female.

Had been an insurance agent since 2004.

And it's my 1st job since then.

Had no other working experiences.

Been thinking of a gd career switch that can match my current income of around $5k a month.

But with no experience… what are the areas that i can fill in?

[Husky]

Originally Posted by joys

Hi all,

can give some advice to me?

I’m 28. NUS engineering grad. Female.

Had been an insurance agent since 2004.

And it's my 1st job since then.

Had no other working experiences.

Been thinking of a gd career switch that can match my current income of around $5k a month.

But with no experience… what are the areas that i can fill in?

Hmm... Firstly you gotta define for us what you mean by "good" career switch? There's probably something about your job that you are unhappy about and is hoping to get a change. Perhaps it is the irregular hours or irregular income?

Secondly, if you are looking for a new job that can match your current salary, you must be able to convince your potential new employer that you have some transferrable skills and experience that will help in your new role. No one is going to pay you $5k for a entry level engineering job for instance. So, your field of search is actually quite narrow, you probably can only look at sales positions...

[Joys]

Thanks for giving me some dierection.

Yup, i do have recurrent.. that's a source of passive income..

however i face the challenge of having to maintain that motivation to face rejection from prospects... in order to earn an income and keep current income..

also, at my age, i'm looking forward to something that my peers has..

that's career prospects and stablity... as well as a better social standing...

it's very disappointing that till now..

at gatherings...even when i didnt mention anything abt insurance...there will be pple telling me that they've bought insurance from ABC..etc..

afterall, I'm also a local U grad too...

[Husky]

Originally Posted by Joys

Thanks for giving me some dierection.

Yup, i do have recurrent.. that's a source of passive income..

however i face the challenge of having to maintain that motivation to face rejection from prospects... in order to earn an income and keep current income..

also, at my age, i'm looking forward to something that my peers has..

that's career prospects and stablity... as well as a better social standing...

it's very disappointing that till now..

at gatherings...even when i didnt mention anything abt insurance...there will be pple telling me that they've bought insurance from ABC..etc..

afterall, I'm also a local U grad too...

Hahaha... can't be helped... people do tend to feel a bit apprehensive when they find out that you are an insurance agent.

Not sure about your industry, but some of my peers who have been doing sales for the last 4-5 years has moved on to marketing/managment positions and are now more or less office based. Is there a similar progression path for your industry?

You mentioned about some problems coping with rejection from potential clients. As I said in my earlier post, if you are looking for something with a comparable income to what you are currently getting, the best bet would be a job in sales but perhaps in another industry. The problem is... you probably know what I am going to say by now, the rejection issue will still apply.

Alternatively you might want to consider a career switch. Probably got to start from the bottom again and stuff. I understand exactly how you feel about that cos two years ago, I was also contemplating a career switch. If you have some savings, you should be able to cope with the initial phase where you will be getting a lower income by making some minor changes in your lifestyle?

It's not an easy decision to make. Take some time to weigh the pros and cons of the various options available to you.

[poor]

sales position will be very suitable. technical sales to be accurate. with engineering qualification and sales experience, most of the technical & services company would prefer it. 0 engineering skill = lower starting salary, good sales experience = potential skill to conclude deal.

but usually as a technical sales, the rejection issue is minimized. I am a tech sales, people around yet to reject me. because as tech sales, is building up the relationship ( between supplier & end user) is the priority task, which you are not trying to make profit from the client you correspond with, but from the company that he's from ; unless he is the boss of the company.

people generates new & future profit to a company (execution / sales & marketing position)always has higher value compare people who are supporting the group.

[deleo88]

Rejection in a corporate sale environment is not really the problem but it is the long evaluation process that you need to go through before you can clinch a deal, and not forgetting about the red tapes, change of company's "direction", standard 3 quotations practice, and plenty of entertainment.

I have been on the client's end before, and typically I've received plenty of proposals, and most of them are just being piled up or KIV. And yes we do received plenty of "goodies" to build "relationship".

In my personal opinion, Sales will always be the best position as during good times or bad times, you will always be the revenue center, and not a cost center. Unless you have been drawing regular income and just being mediocre in your sales performance.

I believe strongly that i should be in control of the income I should be earning via my own sheer responsibility and hardwork. If I'm lazy, then I deserved a lesser pay, likewise, my income should not be leveled if I'm putting in my effort and delivering results.

Believe in yourself and look at the client base you have built over the years. People do not buy solely due to a great or cheaper product. People buy because you've earned their trust in you. You have made a difference in their life.

Originally Posted by poor

sales position will be very suitable. technical sales to be accurate. with engineering qualification and sales experience, most of the technical & services company would prefer it. 0 engineering skill = lower starting salary, good sales experience = potential skill to conclude deal.

but usually as a technical sales, the rejection issue is minimized. I am a tech sales, people around yet to reject me. because as tech sales, is building up the relationship ( between supplier & end user) is the priority task, which you are not trying to make profit from the client you correspond with, but from the company that he's from ; unless he is the boss of the company.

people generates new & future profit to a company (execution / sales & marketing position)always has higher value compare people who are supporting the group.

Originally Posted by Joys

Thanks for giving me some dierection.

Yup, i do have recurrent.. that's a source of passive income..

however i face the challenge of having to maintain that motivation to face rejection from prospects... in order to earn an income and keep current income..

also, at my age, i'm looking forward to something that my peers has..

that's career prospects and stablity... as well as a better social standing...

it's very disappointing that till now..

at gatherings...even when i didnt mention anything abt insurance...there will be pple telling me that they've bought insurance from ABC..etc..

afterall, I'm also a local U grad too...

I am a Business Development Director but I seldom reveal my position at gatherings unless people ask for it.

I am drawing 12K excluding commissions and others but I think i am reasonably paid for my age - I am 28 years old.

I have friends who are 30 to 33 years and they are taking back 15 to 20K monthly.