| Topic Name: |
Sales Engineeing vs. Consulting |
| Message Name: |
Sales Engineering is NOT consulting |
| Date Posted: |
02/16/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
I received a few job offers recently. None of them are very exciting, but I think I'm going to be forced to choose from them if nothing wonderful comes in soon (and I don't think they will - see "Consulting Glass Ceiling" for details).
Most of them are in two fields - pre/post-sales engineering and consulting (in a project management capacity). The pre-sales offers are with mainly unknown companies, with a couple of larger companies, like Interwoven and Vitria. The consulting jobs are ALL with unknown companies (has anyone on this board ever heard of Dynax/Purple Crayons, DMIND or K2 Digital?). I have no chance with more reputable firms (see "Consulting Glass Ceiling"), so unless my interview with IBM GS this week goes REALLY well, I'm probably stuck with those choices.
My question, to the esteemed members of this board, are as follows:
1) I understand what sales engineers do, both in pre and post sales support, but what is their career path? Where do they go from there?
2) Can I apply sales engineering experiences to the case I'm steadily building towards becoming a consultant for a name brand firm? Or are they a class unto themselves?
3) Which is preferable, between SE and boutique e-consulting?
4) Are salaries/bonuses/raises comparable? I know a lot of it depends on the company, but I was wondering if there were general practices and guidelines followed by most companies.
5) What is the general industry perception of SEs? Are they well respected, laughed at, ignored?
The ultimate goal is to land a leadership job with a household name and build a career from there, but as I'm 22, they all laugh and hang up on me. So I'm kind of stuck for now, unless doing entry level business analysis is preferably and more respected than both...in which case, I'll reconsider.
Thanks in advance for any advice! |
| Message: |
Couple things.....Sales Engineering is NOT consulting. Period. Regardless of how the pay may be comparable, etc.
Sales engineering is a good gig, depending on which company and more importantly, which sales team you are part of. That is really the key. If you are hooked up with the right sales person, you can back the truck up because you will make a ton. All with very little downside risk since SEs make a very good base to go along with commissions....However, if you are with a bad/annoying/micromanaging/non-producing salesperson you are fucked.
The other thing to note, is that SE is a dead end job. Im not knocking it, just saying being an SE leads to nowhere. However, many SEs hook up with the right sales people and make enough dough that they don't give a shit. However, if you have ambitions of rising the ranks and being an exec, the SE role will not get you there.
Another note, SEs generally don't get alot of respect from other consultants/engineers. Basically because an SE is nothing more than a "product specialist". Yes, there are good SEs who have broad skill sets. But most are puppets who can only regurgitate facts about their particular products. Just telling you the perception.
If you go to Vitria or Interwoven, you will become expert in those specific products....not a "general" e-commerce consultant. You may think you are, but you are not.
To your questions:
1) No career path. An SE will become a "Senior SE"...a bullshit title that means nothing. If you are really ambitious you will become an SE Manager or VP Prof. Svcs. Both boring, boring, boring. Like I said above, a good SE with a kick-ass sales person makes buckets of dough. Trust me, there are SEs at IBM, BEA, Siebel, that are easily pulling in 200-300K a year. So earning potential can be huge, but career path is nil. However, for some that is just fine....
2) You can get there one of two ways. Either become so specialized in your Vitria/Interwoven knowledge that a big consulting firm wants you for those skills or go get an MBA (what Im doing). The first way will not require an MBA, but you will still be doing the same shit, just different place. You are likely to continue to be pigeonholed into that one role. The only way to really brak out is to suck it up, get the MBA.
3) Question is, do you want big cash although your work will become repetitive and boring (i.e. SE) or do you want to have broad general skills and rise the ranks and be an exec and also make good cash down the road (i.e. consulting)?
4) Depends purely on the company/sales team you are with. Like I said, at the guerilla tech firms there are SEs who probably make as much or more than mid-level folks at consulting companies. However that pay is not guaranteed, not consistent. The consulting track definitely has more long-term potential...although the SE role could pay you more initially.
5) SEs are a joke. I say this having been an SE for about 4 years. However, they can be a joke all the way to the bank at the right place. But they get no respect from engineers nor other consultants. If you really want to be an industry guru type expert, stay the hell away from being an SE. An SE role is good for a young guy who wants to make alot of money, travel, pretty stress free....but after a couple of years you see that it goes nowhere.
At 22, I was an SE for a few tech firms, travelled, got great exposure, etc. Now Im off to Bschool to take that experience and go to mgmt consulting. That is a good route. If you try to get into a big firm now (without an MBA) you will be a grunt and do bullshit work.
My advice, at 22 with no MBA, take the SE job and work it hard. Improve your presentation skills, writing skills, technical skills, publish some tech articles, gain some expertise in a few areas, travel, etc. Then go back and get the MBA in a few years. Then you are good to go....
Hope this helps....
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