The coronavirus pandemic has changed the landscape of many industries including sales. With most professionals and office workers around the UK currently working from home, a career in sales looks a little different than it did 12 months ago. If you’re browsing remote working sales jobs online, you’ll probably find some remote jobs which may stay remote permanently even after Covid-19, while other roles will be remote for the time being, but with a view to all employees returning to office-based work in the future.
Working remotely in sales can be enjoyable, rewarding, and efficient, but it’s only for the right candidates. Let’s take a look at what sets home-based sales jobs apart from the rest.
Which sales roles can I do from home?
At the moment, many different sales roles are being offered remotely, from entry-level roles as sales representatives to business managers and sales consultancy roles. However, in the long term, it’s likely that most higher-level sales roles will return to the office, while some entry-level roles – those which can be conducted over the phone or online – may be permanently remote. If you’re keen to find a role in sales which will be remote even after the pandemic, it’s always worth checking with the hiring manager to see if they’re open to the possibility in the future.
What are the pitfalls of remote working sales jobs?
Working remotely offers a number of advantages: it’s convenient, cuts out the commute, and for many people offers a better work-life balance than working in an office. But it’s not without its drawbacks, either. Working from home means missing out on the social aspects of working in an office, as well as the coworker camaraderie; for many sales people, who are often outgoing and extroverted, this can be difficult in the long term.
In many cases, if you work remotely, you may also have to buy your own equipment, including a laptop and a desk – and find space to work in your home. You’ll also have to pay the heating bills during the day, and you’ll miss out on office perks like free snacks. This all sounds small, but it can add up to a significant chunk over the course of a year.
Do remote working jobs have good prospects?
If you’re dead set on remote working, it won’t help your job prospects. That doesn’t mean that remote working in higher positions is never possible, but limiting your options isn’t going to help your career. The majority of higher positions in sales will require office-based working, both because it’s a better way to keep in touch with your team and because your presence, as a manager or higher, is useful in itself.
However, if you’re keen to apply for a remote sales position, it’s still worth doing. For one, the long-term effects of the coronavirus aren’t yet known, which could mean more jobs become remote, even those which have traditionally been office-based. If you’re looking for a job in sales, browse our sales roles job board (https://www.salesroles.com/job-category/remote-working/) today and find your new home-based sales job.