Career Path Guides

Step-by-step roadmaps for every industry — from your first job to the top of your field.

💻 Technology 📈 Finance 🩹 Healthcare 📣 Marketing ⚙ Engineering ⚖ Legal 👥 Hr €握; Sales 🎓 Education 🏗 Construction
Sales Career Path
From SDR to VP of Sales — your roadmap through B2B and B2C sales.
1
Sales Development Rep (SDR)
0-2 years
£ 22,000 - 35,000 + commission/yr
Cold Outreach CRM Salesforce Objection Handling
Generate pipeline through cold calls, emails and LinkedIn. Master objection handling, learn your product inside out, and hit quota consistently.
2
Account Executive
2-5 years
£ 35,000 - 65,000 + OTE/yr
Full Cycle Sales Demo Skills Negotiation Closing
Own the full sales cycle from prospecting to close. In B2B SaaS, AEs hitting 120%+ quota can earn double their base. Consultative selling is key.
3
Senior Account Executive / AM
4-8 years
£ 50,000 - 85,000 + OTE/yr
Enterprise Sales Renewals Upsell Stakeholder Management
Managing a book of business with enterprise accounts. Renewals, upsells and expansions become as important as new business.
4
Sales Manager / Team Lead
5-10 years
£ 60,000 - 95,000 + bonus/yr
Team Management Coaching Forecasting Sales Process
Coach and develop a team of AEs or SDRs. Own team quota, run pipeline reviews, forecast accurately and hire great salespeople.
5
Head of Sales / Sales Director
8-15 years
£ 90,000 - 150,000 + bonus/yr
Revenue Strategy GTM Partnerships Board Reporting
Own the entire commercial strategy for a business unit. Partner with marketing, product and finance to build a scalable revenue machine.
6
VP of Sales / Chief Revenue Officer
12+ years
£ 130,000 - 300,000+ + equity/yr
CRO Equity Global Sales Series B+
Own revenue across all channels. Equity is a critical part of compensation. Many VPs move between companies at Series B-D stage where equity is most valuable.
Advice for Sales Career Path
Practical guidance to accelerate your career

🚀 Get started

  • Start in an SDR role at a fast-growing SaaS company
  • Learn Salesforce and HubSpot CRM
  • Read Challenger Sale and SPIN Selling
  • Track every activity and measure conversion rates
  • Ask top performers to mentor you

📈 Move up faster

  • Consistently hit 100%+ of quota
  • Develop expertise in an industry vertical
  • Move into enterprise sales for bigger deals
  • Get management experience as a team lead
  • Build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn

🌟 Top skills

  • Consultative and value-based selling
  • Salesforce CRM and pipeline management
  • Negotiation and commercial acumen
  • Sales forecasting and data analysis
  • Leadership and coaching

🏢 Top employers

  • SaaS: Salesforce, HubSpot, Workday
  • FinTech: Revolut, Stripe, Wise
  • Recruitment: Hays, Michael Page
  • Media and advertising sales
  • FMCG and professional services

Ready to take the next step?

Browse Sales jobs on TalentBridge and find your next role today.

Browse Sales jobs → View salary guide