Salary.sg Forums

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You can consider joining MFA, Functional and Corporate track. Starting pay same as those scholar political track officers if you hold same qualifications. Anyway now they lack officers with number sense because hired too many humanities type. Get to go on posting and earn expat allowance. But hours can be long as many of my friends are. Competition is stiff but never try never know

Originally Posted by threadstarter

Sales & Trading would require some really good credentials like first class honours and many other achievements. Competition will be really intense and i'm not sure if I can even make the cut.

Apart from retail sales, what are other options?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You can still change path later.

I started off doing a non-sales role. Moved on into a sales role. Now i'm back in a non-sales role. You just have to know how to market yourself and identify how your current skill set is relevant to the new role.

Also, think about why do you want to be in a sales role? Is it purely because of compensation? If so, you might want to reconsider. It's not easy in sales, effort does not necessary translate to results. And year on year, your target gets higher. Only in your early years, starting out in sales, you are drawing alot more than you peers. But eventually, as you move up the sales ladder, you are probably drawing just as much as your peers in non-sales role. Your peers will be chilling in their managerial roles, and you will be in a stressful environment slogging to hit your numbers.

If you want to do sales, because you want to learn relationship management, time management, handling stress and work in a face pace environment to grow yourself. You are on the right track. Go for it!

I would say sales is a must try career for everyone. And try it early, so that you can move back to a non-sales role without much impact on your salary, if you decide you do not like it (which is what I notice in most ppl, we all just get burn out in sales).

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Let me offer an alternative point of view. I have met many people that have an accountancy degree in my line of work - they all started in audit but all decided that they had enough and got the hell out (of audit). While it is true that audit partners make $$$, it is a damn hard slog to get there. From the looks of it, those people I know decided it's not worth the pain. And for the better, I would say, as these folks are much better off doing what they do now and more successful, in my opinion. Not to mention making more $$$.

On sales, if you are really interested in markets and can make the cut, shoot for institutional sales on the IB side. The $$$ is waaaaayyyyy better and work more interesting. Don't waste your time with retail sales/RM positions (the former poster is right in saying that it is just product pushing with no real insight and have little to do with markets). And don't think of crossing over to insti from there - it does not happen.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you do well in sales and with some luck and connection, one can earn a lot in sales just within 3-4 years. You will continue earning but it tires and burns people out easily. Cuz need to talk to many people and yet there are uncertainty. U may put in effort yet no sales. It is really hard to say. On the other hand, audit and accounts starting pay are low. In fact their increment also not high and will need to work long hours for 3-4 yrs, usually no OT pay. But after that, i wouldn't say your pay will jump but your career will be stable. Cuz easier to find jobs.