J
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justasalesguy

AE (Account Executive)

3 years SaaS sales experience (1yr gap in between). Can't progress in interviews, I need your help.

Background: I was in tech sales for 2 years (BDR 1.5 AE 6mo, didn't leave due to performance). Got out for a year (got into store operations for a local retail company, learned running a biz, logistics, development, etc but wasn't for me.), then got back into sales in 2022 (AE role), and got laid off earlier this year around 1 year mark along with most of the sales org (not due to performance).


I've had conversations leading up to 2nd round interviews for AE roles, and one final round as well, but no offer letter yet. It feels like recruiters and hiring managers keep getting hung up on the fact that I had a year gap where I was doing work other than sales, and despite my performance (over 100% attainment in my AE roles, and a top performer in my most recent role, and top 2 in BDR role of ~20), it's the only thing they want to focus on.


I believe this 1 year "gap" is something that's been greatly impacting my ability to move forward in interviews, as this is similar feedback I've gotten from recruiters recently. Quite a few interviews and none to move forward on.. I have others relying on my income and savings are starting to get low. Sales savages, how can I turn things around?

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starson
Good Citizen
4
Senior Sales Manager
First off, maybe you need to increase interview amounts. 1 final round seems a little low...but it depends on where you started.
To me, as a hiring manager, I hire for will and train for skill. So if you "sell" me your gap, not as a gap, but as this amazing experience that has made you a better seller, then I will be totally fine with it.
If you treat it as a gap and dance around it...I might get reluctant.
My advice: do your discovery on the company. find out about their culture. show how your 1 year turns you into a cultural uplift for them and has made you a better seller.
justasalesguy
1
AE (Account Executive)
Thanks for the advice! I've found more ways to showcase it as a positive for companies selling to restaurants/retail, but overall it's been tough. As for interview amounts, I've had ~16 (interview meaning an initial screening call to move forward).
Some of those moved me forward to calls with hiring managers and from there I didn't get moved forward in the process, a few other initial calls didn't move me forward to the 2nd round, and a couple I ended up rejecting because comp was abyssmal (like 35k base for an AE role...).
I guess I need to get more calls scheduled, but I've been getting tons of rejections even before a screening call (which I can understand for remote roles, but I'm primarily focusing on on site and hybrid roles as there's less competition for them).
starson
Good Citizen
1
Senior Sales Manager
Wow. That is a horrid experience.
Two things you could focus on:
1) rejections before screening call - have your CV and letter redrafted by a pro
2) rejections after first screening call - did you get feedback? If not call and ask. Find out how to improve from there
Maximas
Tycoon
3
Senior Sales Executive
The 1 year gap is never a problem as it would certainly weigh your resume and your top level performance to be taken into consideration by any recruiter who is willing to deal with you fairly.

Plus this year I'm certain that it had strengthened your sales skills that makes you eligible to demand the same role for the same old payout to say the least if not double!

Keep on trying till finding who deserves you.

Best of luck.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
1
Account Executive
What did you do during the 1 year gap?
justasalesguy
0
AE (Account Executive)
Just updated the post, I got into store operations for a local retail company
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
seems like a good thing to have that year of experience
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
Sales Rep
Can you talk through what you tell recruiters/hm. Maybe it’s how you describe it and that easy tweak in your story telling can help.
justasalesguy
0
AE (Account Executive)
I usually tell recruiters something along the lines of "It was a great learning experience earlier on in my career. I had the opportunity to learn how a business is run, negotiating with suppliers, management skills, and how to launch brand new stores in different cities. While I had a profit share opportunity towards the end of it, I really wanted to get back into sales and solving problems for businesses". Which is all true.
punishedlad
Tycoon
1
Business Development Team Lead
That can be really frustrating. I've had to navigate a one year gap in the past, but it was due to the pandemic. Laid off and then on the job market for a solid 8 months before getting hired somewhere else.

I've been able to address this just fine and people have been understanding because of the extraordinary circumstances.

My advice here would be to try and translate that experience from your year away into a sales context. It sounds like you're already doing that based off of one of your other comments, but really try to hone that in. Are there any metrics you could bring around supplier negotiation?
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
It may also be that you are just running into the scenario that many are right now, which is that there have been a lot of layoffs resulting in a lot of reps looking for jobs, paired with hiring freezes at some places. There's just a lot of competition out there. Frankly, your explanation sounds fine, maybe add how it will be a benefit in a sales role, and persevere.
salesrant
Member
0
Enterprise AE
Totally feel that my guy, it's absolute bedlam out there. When recruiters are getting 200+ applicants within a day, the slightest thing will disqualify you.

Just gotta keep on grinding. At least you get to sell the product you believe in most - yourself.

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