Job Hunting: The Switch from Big to Small

I can only imagine how hard it must be for small businesses to find the type of employee they need in today’s tough economy. It was mentioned that the recession is creating the problem where employers are finding more and more often that overqualified individuals who had worked at large companies are applying for jobs with smaller companies. Although this wouldn't seem like it would be a problem, it is bringing in people who may not know or remember the basics to being a salesperson and who may think too highly of themselves. To make a suggestion, I think that maybe Bill should look into rewording the job description for the salesperson the company needs. If the job description was simply, "salesperson for computer software development company" then any kind of salesperson would be inclined to apply. I think that Bill should emphasize in his job description and specifications: 1) someone with a background of doing sales for a small business environment 2) someone who is willing to learn and is a quick learner 3)experience in actual selling, not management of selling and 4)someone who has had experience in many different lines of businesses who could handle a variety of customers. All of these traits Bill had mentioned himself in the interview, it would just be a good idea to emphasize these keys points when advertising the job.

I imagine that as an owner/founder of a small company, there is a lot tha you need to be looking for in an employee, especially since you have limited funds. Bill Wagnor woldn't want to hire the wrong person and hav them start working only to find out that they aren't suited for the job. I found it interesting taht the person they hire for sales doesn't have to know much about software. They have to be teachable, but not currently knowledgeable which is interesting to be. Most companies I'm familiar with like you to be familiar with the products. I did wwalk away from this with some helpful hints for my resume. I makes since now that Bill has pointed it out, but i hadn't thought about it perviously. you need to include a wide variety of information. Bill even wans the people he's interviewing to make sure that they focus on being involved with sales as an individual contributor. I think that Bill should make sure that his ad mentions specifically what he is looking for. That would help to weed out the resumes he doesn't really want. If all he is getting are resumes talking about executive or management work, maybe he should look at exactly what he wrote. He may want to evaluate th wording and the meaning behind it. That may be a reason for all the current resumes styles. FInally, I think that it is interesting that Bill said that whoever he hires needs to be willing or able to handle change. It seems like an odd statement to end the interview on. I suppose thought that there will be changes constantly being made. In the end, I think it's good that Bill clarified exactly what he is looking for and explained why it was so important to have those experiences in order to succeed in his company.

Bill Wagner said alot of things that I found to be very interesting. As an employee of a small business where I am involved in the hiring process I know how hard it is to find the right employee to fill the position. If you find the wrong person it could damage the working environment and upset your other employees which could in turn affect your businesses success. He mentioned that he wanted someone that has experience in many different sales backgrounds. When I look at someones resume that is something that I look for because it tells you that they are not afraid of changes, and that they have been in many different situations and they know how to deal with them. It is important to find someone that is self driven if they will be the only one handling a certain department. They need to be the kind of person that sets goals for themselves without being told to do so. This seems to be a hard trait to find, but it is possible. I wish Bill the best of luck finding the perfect person to fill the position!

I liked what Bill Wagner had to say here. As a person with zero full time management experience, only part time management over only a few employees at a time and an almost completed college degree it contradicts everything I thought I should be saying to a potential employer. Not purposefully, but I think our professors some times make it seem as if teams are the answer to everything. Wagner’s simply saying, “That’s great, but what else can YOU do for me”? As managers begin losing their jobs they go to sales and speak of what they did as managers as a team. Wagner asks the questions, what can the individual bring and what did you individually do? He said, it would be great to have some experience with meeting quotas. I thought this was interesting to be his major quality because most would think it would be desirable to say, “Works well with other”. I will go forward and certainly try and bring out some of my individual qualities when applying for a sales position. The point about not having to have extensive experience in software sales was really interesting to me. I am worried once I get out of school I will be stuck in management and will never be able to change careers. I have been told this is false but to hear from a top guy like Wagner in software sales says he would hire a person who didn’t have extensive experience in that field was great. I have learned there is a lot of emphasis towards on the job training from experiences and school but Wagner spoke on this in great lengths. His example of his decision to hire his lawyer due to her knowledge of software really stuck out to me and made sense. I am glad I real this article because Wagner is giving real time inside information in an evolving hiring process and recruitment.

I enjoyed listening to the interview with Bill Wagner of SRT Solutions. Hearing this really made me believe how much his company meant to him. He wasn't just looking to hire someone to fill the spot, he wanted to wait for the right one. He's gone a few years without a salesman, what's a little more time? Mr. Wagner has but his blood, sweat and tears to make his company successful and he doesn't want to hire someone who isn't fit for the job. Being a business owner comes with a lot of responsibility, as there is a lot at stake. When you are a manager for a corporate company I would honestly say you aren't paying as close to detail as if it were your own company. When your company is on the line you are ensuring the candidate you hire meets every requirement you are asking for. Mr. Wagner was also concerned about the products his company had to offer and how much knowledge the salesman/woman actually had of them. It's hard to sell products you have little to no knowledge about, or aren't interested in. He mentioned he had an attorney who didn't know a lot about software products, but in her line of work she isn't required to. All the attorney needs to know are the laws that protect his business. Hiring someone who doesn't have a background in a smaller company is a big concern. The salesman from the larger company may be used to teammates helping him/her out, or a manager constantly assigning him/her tasks. For Mr. Wagner, that isn't the case. He wants someone to hit the ground running with a lot of direction. I wish Mr. Wagner luck as he continues his search for the right candidate. Regards, Ashley Demyanovich

In this video, Bill Wagner gave some good tips on those looking for a job. His company, SRT Solutions, is looking for a new salesperson, obviously with the hopes of increasing sales. This will be only the second non software developer the firm has hired. The video was taken in some of the worst economic times for the state of Michigan. Unemployment was over 11% Workers were forced to leave positions in jobs with big companies where they had been for a while and tread new waters with smaller companies where they wouldn’t feel as comfortable and were not as familiar with the standards or requirements. Bill is looking for one person to be in charge of the whole sales department. This person will not be overseeing others or being watch over by others. A main point that he brought up was that he needed a person that was well rounded in the skill of sales. He said that many people include the biggest companies and highest positions in their resumes because they think that is the most appealing to other companies. That is not always the case. He suggests emphasizing all your strong points that will assist you in your new endeavors with a new company. This video tied back to the Adrian Pittman video that I also reviewed. In the Pittman video he made the point that you should always view yourself as a student. Bill Wagner also made this point toward the end of the video in different words. He said that things around you are always changing; you need to adapt to further increase your knowledge in the sales world to be a more effective sales person. Lifelong learning is a huge part in business as there will be factors changing constantly. You need to always be on your toes to keep up with new trends to be well rounded and successful.