Job search toolkit for sales people
Where to find sales jobs in South Africa, how to get ready for the interview, free government help, and how to stay safe from job scams.
Where to find sales jobs
Most sales jobs are advertised on the big job sites. Create a profile on two or three of them, upload your CV, and set up job alerts for the roles and areas you want.
One of South Africa's biggest job sites, with many sales roles. CareerJunctioncareerjunction.co.za
Large South African job site. Search by "sales" and your area. Careers24careers24.com
Thousands of local jobs, including entry-level sales. Indeed South Africaza.indeed.com
Collects jobs from company websites and recruiters. LinkedIn Jobslinkedin.com/jobs
Best for account manager, B2B and management roles. Keep your profile up to date. SAYouthsayouth.mobi
Government-backed jobs and learnerships for young people. Free to use on your data.
Also check the careers pages of companies you'd like to work for, and tell your network you're looking: many sales jobs are filled through referrals.
Free help from government
ESSA (Employment Services of South Africa) is the Department of Employment and Labour's free job database. Register as a work seeker so employers looking for your skills can find you.
Getting your CV noticed
- Put your numbers first. Targets hit, rankings, growth and awards are what sales managers look for. A line like "Averaged 120% of target" beats "Responsible for sales".
- Match the advert. Use the job title and key words from the advert in your profile and skills, so the right people (and online systems) see a match.
- Keep it to about 2 pages. Recent jobs in detail, older ones short.
- Send a PDF unless the advert asks for Word, and name the file with your name, e.g. Thandi-Nkosi-CV.pdf.
- Add a short cover letter that says which job you're applying for and your one or two best results.
- Follow up. If you haven't heard back in a week, a short, polite email or call shows the drive every sales manager wants.
Preparing for a sales interview
- Know your numbers by heart: your targets, how you did against them, your rankings and your biggest deals.
- Research the company: what they sell, who they sell to, and who their competitors are.
- Prepare three short stories: a deal you closed, a time you missed target and turned it around, and a difficult customer you won over.
- Expect "sell me this pen" or a role-play. Ask questions about the customer's needs before you start pitching.
- Ask good questions at the end: how targets are set, what top performers do differently, and how commission works.
- Close the interview: say you want the job and ask what the next step is.
How to spot a job scam
A real employer will never ask you to pay to get a job.
Be careful of adverts that ask for money for "training", "uniforms", "admin" or "registration", offer very high pay for very little work, or only talk to you on WhatsApp from a private number. Never send copies of your ID or bank details before you've had a real interview with a company you can verify.
Ready to apply?
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