M
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MoreCompassion

Account Executive

Opinionated
Executive
Contributor
+4

If you were laid off or let go from your SaaS Sales role this year, Have you taken

I have been looking for work for about 9 weeks now. Have gone through interviews for 8-10 companies. Made it to the hiring manager round in 3-4 and third round in 1. Have done recruiter interviews for three companies and am waiting for answers. The market seems hard to find new Tech Sales roles.


In the meantime, I have been looking at people's profiles and journeys finding new roles on LinkedIn. A decent number took a junior role in the last few months.

If you were laid off or let go from your SaaS Sales role this year, Have you taken

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
😋 Job Searching
☠️ Unemployment
😅 Laid Off
14

14 comments

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oldcloser
Arsonist
7
💀
I’ve kept title and downgraded company. I took my first IC role after 20 years in management. Fighting for a re-entry to leadership. We just do what we gotta do.
MoreCompassion
Opinionated
2
Account Executive
Downgraded company? Do you mean moving to a smaller company with a similar title?
oldcloser
Arsonist
2
💀
It was all there was at the time. Yep. Actually got a bigger title, similar pay, little company.
RandyLahey
Politicker
4
Account Executive
Wasn't technically at a SaaS company, but after my layoff I moved back into a SaaS role as an AM.
Space_Ghost20
Valued Contributor
4
Account Executive
None of the above? I was laid off fall 2022. So like 7 ish months ago. The role I ended up accepting was an AE role at a very late stage (almost 25 years old) startup in the fintech space. Transactional sale, measured in MRR, typical deal size ~$50 MRR, customers are 99% self-employed consultants, small construction firms, contractors, stuff like that. Occasionally I'll get a mom and pop shop.

Anyway, even though the title is still "AE", I took a major hit in comp (went from $75k base/$150k OTE to $50k base/$75k OTE) and I'm not really using the skill set needed for traditional AE roles. I'm not doing any prospecting, I'm not leveraging multiple stakeholders, or doing scoping calls, contacting C-level execs, or any of that stuff that I did at my last job. What's worse is there is no MM or Enterprise team to move up to. The company at present just doesn't compete in that space so I'm literally just spinning my wheels while I look for a better job.

The job market is very competitive right now. While I have been in sales for 8+ years, only 2.5 of them have been in SaaS, and if you include my current job, my last three stints have been 10 months, 1 year, 6 months. And non of them at marquee companies. There are many unemployed SaaS sales people right now, and I'm not sure why a company would look at my resume and select it for interview over the hundreds or perhaps thousands of others they might have. And yes, I've tried networking, I reach out to hiring managers and all of that. Some of them have resulted in interviews, some of them are just ignored messages. In my experience recruiting agencies don't really want to work with me because my experience doesn't make me easy to place.

I've written too much, but all of this is to say I'm really trying to think what my options are. I'm leaning towards trimming most of my resume and going for SDR positions, just to get in somewhere and work my way up. Sucks to discard everything I've done, but I don't know if I can keep hoping for a decent AE job. I hope your luck is better.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
🦊
I'd say most are trying to stay at the level if they can find an opening.
pirate
Big Shot
2
🦜☠️ Account Executive
Haven't been in that situation. I guess eventually I'd run out of funds and take anything I can
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
Haven’t been there yet but I would try to take up the same role. Really depends on your circumstances.
Cordray
Opinionated
1
Account Executive
Money is a bit tight for startups and most orgs because of interest rates. Unless they’re absolutely crushing it, they’re probably more focused on staying afloat rather than growth until rates come down and VCs start shoveling out cash and banks lend at more affordable rates.

I know of one org that laid off all sales staff, estaff stopped taking salary and are just hoping that their partnership with one of the FAANGs gets them bought out. Probably will go under though.

Tough times, keep focused and keep pursuing and it will work out in the end.
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
Sales Rep
Easiest transition is probablya role at the similar level at another company
1
Account Executive
It's all about the math - if you get an offer from a company offering you a junior role and they are 200% growth, I am going to take it vs taking a similar role and not making as much as my previous company. Will go were the carrot is vs the stick.
Maximas
Tycoon
0
Senior Sales Executive
If I were you I would relook for another SaaS opp and will give it a time slot of 3 months max, if there's a catch great, if not I would check for a different role!
slaydie
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
It seems like its super tough out there. Keep it up and hang in there. You will find something :)
Balloons4baboons
Opinionated
0
Account Executive
I haven’t taken any role yet because I’ve only had two interviews out of maybe 200 applications. I’ve tried to get into CSM but not even getting call backs on those.

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