What’s Your Problem?

Problem: A 37-year-old sales manager with a healthcare company in California loved being in the field with his reps. But in a corporate downsizing, several jobs were lost, and he ended up covering more duties in the office. At the time he was assured this take-on-two-jobs-for-the-price-of-one situation was temporary, but now more than a year has passed, and he’s frustrated. He’s not sure his present company will ever put him back in the field but wonders, “How do I go about looking for a new job without jeopardizing the one I have now?”

Expert: Talane Miedaner, founder of LifeCoach.com, is the author of Coach Yourself to a New Career: 7 Steps for Reinventing Your Professional Life (McGraw-Hill, 2010).

Solution: “The first step is to be honest with your boss,” says Miedaner. “Let him or her know that you’ve been doing administrative work to help out in the economic crisis but that you’re eager to go back into full-time sales, because that’s where your talent and passions are. Second, make a strong case on how you can bring in additional revenue that would more than pay for the hiring of an administrative person. In fact, in hard times, companies really need to focus on the sales effort, because more calls are usually required to get the same results. Point to your prior successes, and let your boss know that you’ll work on building new relationships with prospective customers.  Present a sales plan listing clients or companies you’d like to target.

“If your boss says no, then update your resume and start looking for sales jobs elsewhere. Do this with integrity, using vacation days for your interviews instead of sick days. And be discreet, perhaps using a recruitment agency, as you don’t want to jeopardize your current work situation until you have signed a contract with a new company. When a prospective employer asks you why you’re leaving, you can simply state the truth – that you prefer to do sales full time.

“In general, regardless of the economic situation, it’s always a good strategy to keep your resume up-to-date and circulating with recruiters or headhunters, as well as regularly attend networking events. This doesn’t mean that you’re a disloyal employee; you’re a savvy one who wants to protect your personal interests by ensuring that you have a ready supply of opportunities in case you’re let go or simply want to make more money. It’s always fair play to take a better job or one better suited to your talents, so don’t be afraid to look around.”