Shawn writes:
I am currently a retail sales manager and I have made a personal choice in my personal life that would keep me from working on Saturdays. I would be happy to work any other day of the week. I am interested to see if you have any direction for me as I conduct a confidential job search. I live in Northern Colorado and have been working for the same company for more than seven years.
Some additional information about myself: I have a bachelor’s degree in general business. I have an agricultural and some construction background while I was growing up. I have thought seriously about getting into the real-estate, insurance, or construction fields.
Do you have any suggestions on which Colorado companies or fields of work I should focus on, in order that I may keep my personal choice of not working Saturdays?
The Career Doctor responds:
Shawn, you have a lot of transferable skills. Retail sales is a great training ground for many other types of employment in marketing and sales. If you are looking for a more corporate atmosphere, the insurance sales might be an option — either in consumer insurance or business-to-business. Real-estate agents also use sales skills, but I know many that work on Saturdays since many people can only look for houses on weekends. I think the key for you — if you enjoy sales — is to keep your options open as you look at employment opportunities.
The first place to start? Look at your network of family, friends, and colleagues. See if any of these people have contacts with companies you might want to work for. Try to get some interviews from your network; this avenue will have the greatest potential for success.
The next step? Go online. Colorado has a couple of cool job sites (both with a number of sales positions listed in their database, both allowing you to post your resume, and both free to the job-seeker), including: Careers Colorado and Colorado Job Connection
You can find more regional job sites by going to this section of Quintessential Careers: Western United States Jobs.
Finally, you should also look on the Web or in your local directory for any recruiters in your area. Again, I would recommend only those where the employer pays the fee for services. In many areas, recruiters often handle sales openings.
The good news, Shawn, is that you should have a number of choices open to you because sales is a popular field, and you should be able to find a position that does not interfere with your decision not to work on Saturdays.
