Manufacturing and engineering affect virtually every aspect of our lives. From the vehicles that take us to work, to the roads we use to get us there and the buildings in which we make our living, engineering impacts virtually aspect our daily lives. And the sector in which you operate can be as varied as the number of jobs available within this industry.
Most sectors claim to be varied and diverse, but engineering and manufacturing are industries that border on the ridiculous in terms of the variety of roles and divisions operating under their umbrella. For instance, in your role as a sales executive, you could be dealing with clients based in factories, manufacturing plants, construction sites, chemical works, recycling plants or even in offshore locations such as oil and gas rigs – the list goes on.
But the manufacturing sector also incorporates a number of allied industries, including food, drink, tobacco, paper, printing, publishing and textiles.
In most cases, you will be working for a company that specialises within a certain sector, such as automotive, renewable energy, aerospace, medical or industrial. And it is your job as a sales executive to research, identify and develop business-to-business opportunities within your designated sector.
On the one hand, you will be targeted to win new business by selling to clients either over the telephone or face-to-face. On the other, your role will be to manage and develop your existing client base by identifying opportunities to sell additional products or services.
Unlike some sales roles this is not simply a numbers game. This is a solution-based sell that places a great deal of emphasis on improving a customer’s efficiencies, market share and increased margins. And with some of the deals you will be negotiating of significant value, your customers will not be rushed into making a final decision. So your personal resolve and negotiation skills will inevitably be used to the max in your new sales role.
Hours and environment
Sales executives will usually work 37 to 40 hours, Monday to Friday. However, as with most sales positions, you may be expected to work outside these hours when it is necessary to attend meetings or when you are approaching the end of a sales campaign and the pressure is on to drive sales.
There is a perception that the engineering and manufacturing industries are populated by men with oily rags and spanners, pottering around in small, smoke-filled huts and a rolled-up cigarette dangling from the corner of their mouths. That may have been the case 50 years ago but not anymore. Today, you and your clients will more likely be suited, and booted and while this industry may not be quite as formal as say banking, there certainly won’t be a tin of Swarfega in sight.
Skills and interests
Few sectors change as rapidly as that of engineering and manufacturing, so you will need to keep up to date with the latest developments in your field and be prepared to learn new skills. Talking of which, employers look for a number of transferable skills that can be used in other sectors along with one or two that are more industry-specific:
- Practical approach to your work
- Excellent problem solving ability
- Lateral and logical thinker
- Technically minded and skilled at explaining complex things to laypeople
- Understanding of budget controls
- Determination to succeed and overall career ambition
- Good time management skills and ability to prioritorise tasks
- Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
Industry
Until the beginning of the 20th century, Britain was the world's leading industrial nation. By the time the United States took its first tentative steps onto the global scene, no other nation spawned more engineers and manufacturers than the UK; and for over two centuries the UK remained the undisputed ‘workshop of the world’.
Although the number of people employed within the engineering and manufacturing sectors has fallen from 1 in 2 of the working population in 1945 to around 1 in 10 today, the legacy of the likes of Stephenson and Brunel et al. lives on and ensures Britain’s prominence on the industry’s world stage.
The industry has taken a bit of a battering over the last few years both in terms of job losses and a drop in client orders. However, recovery is already taking place and employers are recruiting once more as the order books start to fill up. There around 6,000 engineering and manufacturing organisations employing people across a range of job roles, including sales.
We may not be able to predict the future with any certainty, but we are already seeing how the industry will probably develop over the next few years. The rail industry, for instance, is expected to double the number of passengers it carries today by 2030.
With increased pressure to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 20% and produce a fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, the long term prospects for those within the renewable energy sector are good. Meanwhile, the rapid development of faster and more accurate medical diagnostic equipment will ensure the long term demand for engineering sales people to promote these new products.
Entry
While knowledge of the manufacturing or engineering trades would be beneficial to your application, what most employers will be looking for is someone who is enthusiastic and willing to develop a career within the sector. As such, personal drive and attitude are more valuable commodities to employers than academic credentials.
That said, you will need to have a standard educational background, with at least five GCSEs including English and Maths.
Training, other qualifications and advancement
Given the technical nature to your role, most employers will take you through an initial training course that will arm you with the core skills and industry knowledge to help you start your new career in the right way. Where you go from there is down to you.
In terms of getting on and moving up, this is an industry where experience is a valuable commodity, combined with a proven track record of hitting your sales targets on a consistent basis. And although a degree or postgraduate qualifications are no barrier to career progression, they will – if you have them – give you an added push when the next round of promotions come along.
Employers will always favour candidates who can already perform some or all of the duties required for the position they are applying for because, as the saying goes, time is money. If you can demonstrate that your honeymoon period will be short and you can hit the ground running in your new post, you will quickly become a valued employee as you’ll be saving your employer both time and money.
Top employers
Some of the best companies hiring in this sector are:
- St Regis
- Panasonic UK
- Wolseley UK
- Ford
- JCB
- Rio Tinto Group
- Tata
- BAE Systems
- Diageo
- Unilever
- Scottish-Newcastle
- GlaxoSmithkline
- Johnson Matthey PLC
- Smiths Group PLC
- Smith & Nephew PLC
- Marconi
Search latest manufacturing and enginneering sales jobs
Professional organisations
There are a number of professional bodies and associations that can provide a more in-depth insight into engineering and manufacturing sectors, including: