mikecamby

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Impossible AE hiring market

Any other enterprise account executives feeling the unemployment heat? I'm 10 months now going on 11 months getting turned down for standard AE roles with OTEs under $200k. I've closed more than $10 million in ARR in my career and have 2 deals north of a million in TCV, yet somehow, still can't seem to find a new home.

I find it really hard to believe these companies are overflowing with million dollar rainmakers and it leads me to wonder about the wisdom of companies placing such a heavy emphasis on industry experience.

Anyone make it through this hiring market with any advice?

🎯 Career Development

🤝 Interviewing/Offer

☠️ Unemployment

40 comments

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oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I was homeless back in Feb. I used the "take every job" method, fully believing in the fact that you get more when you got one. Hopped 3 times in between the Feb RIF and 12/1. My advice, for what its worth, is start climbing. Surely you're employable somewhere and you don't have to post every experience to either LinkedIn OR your resume. Just get in it and start swimming.

countingmyinterest

Politicker

Account Executive

Holy shit, that's insane. Kudos to you for getting past your struggles

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

The homeless thing was about no job... not no place to live. OP referenced looking for a home. Just to be clear... ya know. Did have 5 jobs this year... so there's that.

countingmyinterest

Politicker

Account Executive

💀💀

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

❤❤❤

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

That threw me for a second! You had quite the 2023 though.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

May it never repeat... please.

LB23Art

Member

Founder

Great advice!

saaskicker

Celebrated Contributor

Enterprise AE

Have you tried your network and going in as a referral?

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

That was the first route I tried. With companies getting so many applicants for each role they are really committed to finding the perfect candidate opposed to hiring a referral (especially if they’d have to pay a referral fee on it). I’ve talked to third party recruiters that have validated this as well. I’ll come in as a employee referral and still get occasionally denied without a phone call

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

LinkedIn data shows about 3k candidates for each role and that’s only on LinkedIn. It’s probably much more

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

LinkedIn counts every click of the ‘Apply’ button as an applicant. Doesn’t mean they actually applied, and I am sure there are bots that can drive that number up.

Chief Sales & Marketing Officer

As a former executive recruiter, keep in mind half of all job postings are not real jobs. Many are companies and recruiters farming resumes for future use. If someone gets a job through a posting, and the company paid for a 60-90 day posting, they will keep the posting up to farm for back-up candidates. As mentioned above, bits are being employed to apply as well. Have you noticed the number of LinkedIn jobs that somehow have 500-800 applicants, yet were posted only 3 hours ago?
You're a salesperson. Put that skill to work for you. Approach your search like you are selling (in this case YOU are the product. Calling HR is like calling Procurement. THEY do not need you. You need to speak to the Hiring Manager (or his/her boss). Build a calling list of Heads of Sales for companies that interest you...then start calling, emailing, networking. As a Fortune 5 Head of Sales in my past, I would be more inclined to hire someone who personally reached out to me than the 400 faceless, voiceless, limp candidates that are so afraid of rejection they hide behind a laptop to sell themselves.
I taught this methodology when I was doing volunteer work teaching job search methods that work. I had people of every background try it...for 3 days. One trained, I put them on the phone (no laptops). Everyone got one interview secured within the first morning. On average, after 3 days, they had secured 7 interviews. Even one woman who had been out of work and no interviews for the prior 18 months. They don't need to have an "opening". Many will make a job for the right person. Are YOU the right person?
Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

I had no idea this takes place! Thanks for the insight Thom! Part of me thinks that should be illegal. I’d happily give my resume to whoever wants it but don’t waste my f*cking time 🙄

Director of Sales & Marketing

I got denied twice back to back in September on 2 employee referrals. 1 was because they went with a candidate with way more industry experience and the other was generic declination email LOL employee referrals are a joke in this market.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Unless the employee is involved in the hiring process I absolutely agree Chris. They also will probably have to pay that employee a referral bonus so why do that in this market when you have thousands of applications. This trend of looking for “industry experience” is going to destroy companies from finding rainmakers. It’s lazy management not wanting to train people and not understanding that rainmakers understand tonality and advanced discovery skillsets. If industry experience was so important they could just have product do sales.

pirate

Big Shot

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Are you calling the hiring managers?

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

If it’s not your skills, it’s likely your culture fit. What’s the feedback been around those interview points so far?

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Feedback has been “we really enjoyed getting to know you but decided to go a different direction” all very vague for obvious legal reasons

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Ok…so…you don’t ask for real feedback by going to the hiring manager via LinkedIn?

Stax

Opinionated

AE - Major Accounts

I was out of work for a similar amount of time after things hit the rocks at my last gig about 12 months ago. Just recently landed somewhere new and am starting in a week.

First off - I just want to let you know that you are 100% not the problem and this market is as bad as I've seen it in my career. The last time I was looking for a job I was actively turning down interviews and debating between 3 awesome offers, but the market has shifted dramatically.

For much this past year I've been rejected from jobs at companies / roles I wouldn't have even considered under better circumstances. I started to wonder if I'd have to take a major pay cut or step back in order to get back into the work force.

The best advice I can offer is to leverage your network any way that you can. I found my new job after talking to a teammate I worked with a few years back, but also had some luck getting referrals from folks in other departments that I used to engage with occasionally. This most recent interview process was so much smoother as a result of the referral and I was definitely put in a "priority queue" that streamlined the process.

Just remember that it only takes one! Good luck!

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It's definitely been a tough market. Where are you looking? Who's expecting industry experience?
Also, have you posted your redacted resume for review? There are a few here who are really good at helping refine them.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

I haven’t posted a redacted resume here yet but obviously sent it through my normal channels. Is that something I should post in this comments section or is there a designated resume spot?

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You can start a new post and ask for help there. It will make the image as big as it's possible to get here, which will help us read.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

And definitely go for an image versus attaching it.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

At this point I’m shooting for any industry as I’ve basically applied to all the cybersecurity & restaurant roles I’ve found (my most recent experience). I’m approaching several thousand applications to date

Account Executive

Hey Mike, not here to give advice, but it seems as though you can bring a ton of value to wherever you end up. Sending my best wishes in your job hunt!

Enterprise Account Executive (Pub Sec)

I’ve been interviewing STEADILY since last October. I’ve made it my absolute first priority - When I had to put my dog down in March, I was fielding recruiter calls on the way to the vet. When I had major surgery in July, I was fielding calls two weeks out when I still couldn’t walk!
NOTHING has panned out so far. I’ve made it to the final rounds countless times - just received another denial on Friday from a company I worked for previously and had 5 recommendations from. (My asking price is too high. This is not a market for tenured reps!)
The tech industry has been a shit show since the Pandemic and was hit again by the war in Ukraine. (And then the Silicon Valley Bank failure, etc etc)
I wish I had words of wisdom for you. It looks like the markets is improving. My LinkedIn feed is suddenly filled with new job announcements… Thought I’d be posting one myself too this week 🤷‍♀️
All we can do is keep on keeping on’… it’ll pan out eventually

ceast

Personal Narrative

Account Executive

This is super random but I saw your post earlier today and then sat in on a webinar for a company that is hiring a couple of hours later. As I was looking up one of the hiring managers there, I noticed your picture again under his endorsements. You endorsed one of the hiring managers there, not sure if you know what company I am talking about but it looks to be about ten years ago. It's a sought-after company so maybe you already tried that angle but just thought I'd throw it out there since it was so random.

It's tough out there. Have what I thought was a stellar resume and have closed tens of millions in new business but finding this market to be worse than it was during the housing crash.

SaaS_Man

Executive

BDR - MANNY

I have a feeling companies are posting ghost roles just testing the market to see how many applications they can get. Seeing that there's still a shit ton of people out there applying (because we all need jobs), they feel like they are holding the power over our heads. Maybe as some retribution for the great resignation and silent quitters. Hope you land something though.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Thanks for the comments yall, it looks like I’ll go commission only on a startup and payment processing company until someone sees my value. No sales role is beneath me at this point the hard part is I’m really struggling to pay bills so if these commission only roles distract me from interviewing, and they don’t pan out, I’ll probably have to hit bankruptcy. That being said, it’s been almost a year now of being unemployed so I’ve given interviewing plenty of my undivided attention. Time to put some chips on the table and hustle

Dell OEM Americas Sales Development Manager

The last 12 months all the large tech companies shed AEs at a shocking rate. Combined with the partners in that space shrinking and changing field models the market is flush. Even outside of tech roles there will be leaks into other industries. It is a rough time to be field sales for sure.

GoBlue

Old School Bravo

National Account manager

Alot of companies make bad decisions. Keep searching for a good one. You will make it happen.

Director of Business Development

Tough, but definitely not the only one. It's the same situation with me. So much so that I'm here now looking for alternatives. I applied for jobs where I humbly believe I can do great work and achieve the goals of that specific role, but there are too many auto-reject emails and hundreds of applicants. My guess is that it is not that you are not the right person; it is that HR has so many they can't actually review that it becomes randomized or first come- the first opportunity to interview type. A new thing I'm doing lately, besides connecting with the hiring manager, if known, is sending a short personalized video intro. It's like forcing the first screening call.

TallR

Account Executivee

I would do some self-assessment.-Have a professional look and redo your resume. Years ago I used Monster.com resume service and it was fantastic. You want a live person to work w/ you updating it. It takes time, but is worth it. -Practice interviewing w/ friends and ex-coworkers and listen to their input. They'll know the questions to ask and listen to your answers. Do it over the phone or zoom.
Good luck.

krumsios

strategic advisor GTM and partnership

I am also out of home for way more than a year. I had to realize grey hair and confidence seemed to be an obstacle to middle management hiring to build a team. So I targeted the head directly as a fractional ally for sales, revenue, growth… whatever they want to call money in the bank!
There is a great shift in the market right now: executives are overwhelmed to the point of paralysis, the C-suite is close to useless to their CEO (they lack decision autonomy in their responsibility… imagine corporately!). Hang in there we do have our place and Heck of value to provide!!! What are your thoughts about HR? I don’t want to be rude… but they are causing more damage to the labour shortage than bringing solutions!
And CV and past experience is becoming irrelevant. To your point about people sticking to their industry specificities… that makes me LMAO since 1990… ask them how much are they open to pay to be proved wrong! Let’s have fun and pool some cash for the prize!

Business Development Manager

Can't you work for some European company as country manager / sales rep on US Soil? I am sure plenty of companies in EU would kill for such an accomplished rep.

mikecamby

Valued Contributor

Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

I think EU has different hiring laws. As an update : I swallowed my pride and took on two commission only jobs one as a sales advisor. As soon as that happened Google came in and swooped me up so I’m back in the game as a salaried enterprise rep. It was not easy though and I have a lot of thoughts on this hiring market. If anyone else is struggling feel free to DM me and I’m happy to help and leverage my network and give advice that I picked up

Senior Account Executive

Congrats, that’s amazing! It’s so crazy how these things always happen all at once. My story is very similar to yours except I haven’t yet officially landed something yet, so I’d love any advice you and anyone else in this insane job market can share. DMing you.

Lots of job postings are just there for appearance, they don't have it for real.

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mikecamby

Impossible AE hiring market

40 comments

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