Rant - Two recruiters I met didn't understand what "SaaS" means

I'm dying laughing here. I started answering phones for literally one of the very first web development companies in the world in 1994, in San Francisco. Worked in Silicon Valley in 2000 for a big named company. My manager's mentor left our big company to go work for this funny name sounding company called "Salesforce.com" in 2001. It was the stupidest name -- at the time. Salesforce was the first SaaS company (that I'm aware of - correct me if I'm wrong). SaaS means that software isn't loaded onto a company's own server, located in their 'server room' (air-conditioned room with tall stack of servers), onsite. The 'software' is hosted on Salesforce's servers, or Cloud...and you just access your info there. Only in the past 10 years have we moved to subscription based SaaS models. Two recruiters this week told me, "Oh, you've never worked in SaaS before". Or, "How long have you worked in SaaS?" LOL! Dude -- I've worked in SaaS since about 2004, when tech companies weren't physically installing and hosting their software physically at a client's office, LOL.

๐Ÿ“ณ SaaS
๐Ÿ”“ 2024
๐Ÿคข Sales Stupidity
10
FoodForSales
Politicker
7
AE
Recruiters in general are idiots. 'Nuff said.
Phillip_J_Fry
Opinionated
2
Director of Revenue
I worked at a software company whose name would lead you to think that our main product was solar panels. It took multiple multiple times explaining that I've had years experience in tech sales only for her to follow up with "tell me about a time where you ran into challenges selling solar panels".
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
๐ŸฆŠ
๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿฟ
fuzzy
Notable Contributor
2
CMO (Chief Meme Officer)
For those that canโ€™t work, recruit.
SPT
Valued Contributor
1
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
I was speechless when I was told that I've not had any 'SaaS experience.' I didn't want to make an enemy and lose the job opp...but...I wanted to ask her, "What's your definition of SaaS?"
FoodForSales
Politicker
1
AE
crazy
ExtremeVibeChecker44
Arsonist
1
Inside Sales
A lot of recruiters are 24 year olds straight outta college with zero real world experience or business understanding
6
Founding BDR
I once had a recruiter try to tell me the current SaaS model will be gone soon. Someone made a post about this exactly a couple of weeks ago and you can see the consensus pretty clearly there
medhardwaredr
Politicker
3
Director of Sales NA
Get new recruiters
Phillip_J_Fry
Opinionated
2
Director of Revenue
In a recruiters mind, SaaS and software/tech sales are the same thing.
jefe
Arsonist
2
๐Ÿ
Unfortunately this is true for far too many of them. Not the good ones, but there are so many piss poor recruiters.
SPT
Valued Contributor
2
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
That's what I don't get...I've worked in tech 'software' for 30 years (this Fall will mark 30 years). I'm just baffled.
Sunbunny31
Arsonist
3
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
If a recruiter tried to tell me I had no SaaS experience, Iโ€™d have a hard time not laughing my ass off. Not sure how you managed.
SPT
Valued Contributor
1
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
Ohhhh, it was so hard. But, I'm unemployed and I need a job. Really wanted to ask her, "Curious...what's your definition of SaaS?"
Phillip_J_Fry
Opinionated
2
Director of Revenue
I once had a recruiter tell me that because I had only sold on-prem perpetual software licenses, that transitioning to selling a Saas product would be difficult. I, so badly, wanted to say "oh, is because I'm too dumb to divide the cost by 36 months?"
SPT
Valued Contributor
2
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
What an idiot.
Sunbunny31
Arsonist
2
Sr Sales Executive ๐Ÿฐ
โ€œYou mean I have to figure out the difference between CapEx and OpEx?โ€
SPT
Valued Contributor
1
Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances
How many years of SaaS experience do I have?! Well, if I said 30 years I'd be lying because SaaS didn't exist back then (you idiots!).
fuzzy
Notable Contributor
0
CMO (Chief Meme Officer)
Literally rewriting my resume to talk to recruiters instead of hiring managers. The system is broken.
12

I am sick and tired of looking for jobs in Sales. A nurse and a construction engineer get jobs in Tech Sales, while a product owner has to beg them on LinkedIn for an opportunity to prove himself.

Advice
18