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Dear Quota Team,
I doubt this is something you guys can even help me with but here goes: I had the perfect sales job. The PERFECT sales job. And I stupidly walked away.
This was about eighteen months ago. I had worked at this company for just over a year. We had good leads coming in, and the comp plan was ridiculously good. I was making close to 150k a year and barely working forty hours a week. Not only that, but management was super hands-off with us, totally understanding when it came to any personal issues, and catered lunch two days a week.
Then a friend from a previous job told me about this fast-growing company he had just started at and said they were recruiting for their sales team and it would be a great opportunity as all the new reps would end up with their own teams, and basically talked me into interviewing. They offered me a higher base and it seemed a bit more exciting so I went for it. And it’s not that it was bad, but it was just super disorganized, and I ended up leaving after about four months for a bigger company, which is where I am now.
My current job isn’t terrible, but both of these roles (and the ones I had before it) are nowhere near as good as the one I walked away from. I’ve reached back out to my sales manager and he politely told me that they’re not hiring right now, so it doesn’t seem like I have any chance of getting back in, especially with how the economy is doing.
Do you have any advice? Is there anything you think I can do to get back to my dream job, or did I screw it up forever? Thanks in advance.
Regretful in Massachusetts
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Dear Regretful,
We’ve all been there. Seriously! The grass isn’t always greener, and sometimes we have to find out the hard way.
Here’s what you should do: take the time to compose a nice, clearly-written email to the sales manager at the company, explain (in detail) that this was by far the best job you’ve ever had, that you made a mistake by leaving, and ask for another chance.
Will it work? Maybe. But it’s really your only shot.
If it doesn’t, then it’s time to move on. Sitting around and regretting things you’ve done and pining for the past is a pointless exercise. Unless you know someone with a DeLorean that has a Flux Capacitor, there’s nothing you can do to change what happened. You can only look forward, not backward.
And, while this might be difficult for you to believe, there are other sales jobs out there that are just as good as the one you left. Yes, they’re harder to find and don’t come along every day, but it’s not impossible to find a good work environment, a competitive comp plan, and some free lunch. (Check out the jobs link in our footer for some examples).
So give your old company one last try, then do yourself a favor and move on. Good luck!
