What was your first sales or marketing job?

My first "real" sales job, not to include my career as a student chocolateer, was selling windows and insulation (home improvements).

My first sales job (and only...hurray! I suck at sales) was as a pharmaceutical rep.

My first (of several) marketing jobs was Assistant Product Manager for a candy company.

My first job as a salesperson was selling new and used cars.

I'd say "complell children to push product" is more like "compell parents to buy overpriced product!"

Mine was selling newly devloped land in Florida to strangers over dinner. I was so naive. I needed the money and just did what I was told to say and do and often walked away from the dinner table with a cash deposit (sight unseen!)

my first, other than selling candy for youth football and hockey teams, was for an electronics distibutor selling pcs and LANs to dealers. Televideo and Cordata were the hot brands in my bag. tough racket, talk about low margins

So THAT is why you are so helpful...

I was moved from being an engineering manager at an electrical power measurement products company to product manager literally overnight. Since I shifted product lines, I knew nothing about it, didn't understand how customers used the products, and knew NOTHING about marketing or product management.

That experience prompted me to go back to get my MBA, which after two years of struggling in product management, I finally quit to go to school full time.

Not the ideal start--but I certainly learned a lot!

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When I was in Middle School me and a friend started a business called "CallAKid" in which people in our neighborhood would call on us to help them with computer or electronic needs. We would help families purchase their first computer with everything they needed. We would teach some of the older folks in the neighborhood how to use their new computers (sometimes starting from the difference between the right and left click and a single and double click). It was a great time with GREAT pay for a kid who just rode his bike around his neighborhood to help people with their needs. I enjoyed it a a lot and everyone thought I would end up taking some kind of IT classes in college. Instead, its been Political Science for me.

Mine first sales job was to sale , computers to offices, i had to go to diffrent offices and persuade them to buy our Pcs and that was way back in 2000