There are many sales job opportunities awaiting you. Here's a quick and simple guide to sales jobs in El Paso, TX.

What educational background do you need to land a job in El Paso?

Many sales jobs in El Paso, TX, don’t require a college degree at all. For most sales representative positions, a high school diploma or a GED will constitute sufficient formal education. An associate degree or a BA may, in some cases, help you to stand and make you more likely to receive a call back for an interview, but these are generally not strictly necessary.

The only exceptions to this are if you choose to sell some kind of technical products or equipment, like software, medical supplies or pharmaceuticals. In such cases, you will be expected to have a family-deep knowledge of the product(s) in question, and that usually requires having at least a BA in some relevant area of study. The same goes if you choose to become a manufacturer’s representative.

More advanced degrees, like MAs, MBAs or Ph. Ds, are usually not requirements, even for high-level sales positions, though it certainly won’t hurt you to have them. Some companies hiring workers for senior administrative sales positions may be inclined to look favorably upon you if you have an MBA, however.

Finally, certain specialized products — like financial instruments, real estate or insurance — require you to be licensed by the state of Texas before you may begin selling these things in El Paso. Licensing requirements vary according to the field chosen, but generally, you must complete a certain set number of course hours administered by some state-accredited entity in the relevant field. Then, you must pass a licensing exam. For certain lenses, you must continue to take periodic courses in order to maintain your license.

How can I land a sales job in El Paso?

This guide to sales jobs in El Paso, TX, cannot stress enough that in order to make the best of your sales job interview and make the most lasting impression upon your interviewer that you can make, have an eye-catching cover letter ready as well as a resume that clearly lists your skills, accomplishments, education level, work experience, licensing (if applicable) and other relevant qualifications.

One of the most important requirements to succeed in the sales field in El Paso, TX, is to have a can-do attitude. Make use of your interview — whether that’s an in-person interview or one done over the phone — to show that you have this. Bring out your charm and personal charisma, as these are all great qualities in a salesperson.

Initiative is another much-needed quality in sales. There’s almost no better way to show prospective employers that you have initiative than to simply walk in the place where you’d like to work and directly ask for a job. Doing this in person shows that you’re willing to chase down what you want and will increase your chances of being hired.

What are common jobs in this area?

The most common entry-level sales jobs are those of sales development representative and sales representative. Both of these positions require you to spend a great deal of time directly interacting with and talking to customers. In the former position, you will need to track down leads and open them up to the idea of buying a product. Then, you will pass the customer on to someone who will arrange a meeting with them and actually make the sale. In the latter position, you will actually arrange meetings with customers and sell to them yourself. Both are very hands-on positions.

Mid-level sales positions, like those of account manager, generally fall to those who have already cut their teeth selling directly to customers. With that essential experience under your belt, you’ll be asked to manage customer portfolios, address customer concerns and modify portfolios as necessary. While this is a more administrative role, you will still be interacting with customers.

Senior-level sales positions are almost exclusively managerial and tend to fall to the most experienced of workers. As Regional Sales Director, for example, you may be in charge of a group of sales representatives and account managers in a given region. Your job will be to set the agenda for them and to ensure that their work is being done. A yet higher position like VP or President of Sales, will have you overseeing the sales division of your entire company.

What are the biggest industries for this field in El Paso?

The number of companies and industries in El Paso, TX with a sales department is vast for the simple reason that any company that has a product to sell needs people who are willing to sell it. This includes everything from real estate firms, software companies, insurance companies and even oil companies, which may need a manufacturer’s representatives to sell their products to other firms.

What kinds of shifts can I work in this field in El Paso?

The kind of schedule that you end up working on your sales job in El Paso, TX will depend almost entirely on the kind of product that you choose to enter the business of selling.

Sales representatives in department stores and retailers tend to work a set schedule, either part time or full time. However, if you choose to sell something like insurance or real estate, you will largely be able to set your own schedule and work when it is comfortable for you to work, be that full time, part time, seasonally or temporarily.

In some cases, such as in the insurance business, it may even be possible to end up working night shifts if you choose to specialize in selling insurance to bars, nightclubs and other establishments that are usually open late into the night.

External resources

There is no formal labor union for those who work in sales, but the El Paso branch of the Texas AFL-CIO may be of help to you.

If you aspire to a sales position in the insurance business, the Texas Department of Insurance offers you information on pre-licensing courses and the licensing exam for both insurance agents and insurance adjusters.

For those looking to enter real estate sales in El Paso, TX, El Paso Community College offers you the required pre-licensing courses.