Is Sales Engineering right for you? And is it possible to become a Sales Engineer without prior technical experience?

We’ve had many guests in the past who shared their experience of how they got into their Sales Engineering roles. A lot of them were accidental, others were a little more calculated, and others just found their way into the role eventually. If you’re still on the fence about becoming a Sales Engineer, then perhaps this episode might help you.

In today’s podcast, I talk with Tony Moze about what to expect or prepare for when switching from different careers into Sales Engineering. Tony, coming from a healthcare and psychology background, just recently discovered his interest in the tech side of things and wants to explore Sales Engineering. We hope that by the end of our conversation, you get a glimpse of what it’s like being in a Sales Engineering role and consider it as a possible career even if you’re from a totally non-technical background.

Key Takeaways:

Tune in to our conversation and learn about:

• What sparked Tony’s interest in technology, web development, and now, Sales Engineering
• How does one make their way into being an SE without having prior technical experience?
• The importance of building connections and building relationships
• What are the different paths one could take that could lead them to land an SE role?
• Which certifications should one take if they’re looking to become an SE in a specific industry or company?
• Ramzi shares the wisdom of focusing on one niche of expertise rather than learning everything to put under your toolbelt especially when you’re just starting out
• Why hiring managers prefer either new grads or seasoned SEs, and how you can stand out even if you’ve just recently switched careers
• How Ramzi switched careers himself 
• Why people are only hearing about Sales Engineering now and what they often get mistaken about the SE role
• How anybody can come from any background and become an SE 
• The different types of roles that fall under the SE umbrella
• How you can leverage your former experience in your sales engineering role now
• Why knowing your end goal is so important if you’re thinking of entering any career
• The differences between being a solutions architect and a Sales Engineer
• The distinctions between an SE, senior Sales Engineer, and staff or principal Sales Engineer 

Quotes:

11:53 On being told that Tony might have difficulty adapting to new tech knowledge: “My brain is like a muscle, it’s gonna be weak in the beginning but I know if I continually consume this information, in due time, I will know it will crystallize.”

16:04 Ramzi on the best way to get any job: “Through connection. If you’re not getting a job, start making projects. So you’re applying to jobs, at the same time, you can do projects on the side and then you can put that on your resume and you can start building, make connections.”

31:01 Ramzi on how to get a job as an SE: “It’s a challenge for a non-SE to become an SE but I’ve done it, the guy I was talking to you about it did it, it’s more common than you think, you have to put a lot of effort into it. And know who to target and know who to talk to and connect with in order to get the job.”

31:29 “It’s like sales, you have to build a funnel, you have to connect to as many people as you can and then through that, figure out where your best chances are and becoming an SE who’s gonna give you that chance.

37:07 “Basically anybody can move into sales engineering. Maybe the role is not called SE it could be solutions consultant, or whatever it is. But if that’s what you want, there’s a shortage of SEs basically. We need SEs in the world, and if you can do the certification, do the work. If you don’t wanna do certifications, do projects like what we talked about.”

57:46 Why you should choose a career based on your end goal: “It all depends on your end goal. If your end goal is to be a Sales Engineer or to move up the corporate chain from a SE role, then SE is the role for you. If your end goal is to open your own company, then maybe you should reverse engineer the path that gets you there before deciding which role you’re gonna get into.”

Follow Tony Moze on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TonyMoze/featured

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