Sales, Recruitment or Research? How to Choose Your First Commercial Role
Three routes into a commercial career, and how to work out which one is right for you.
If you're a graduate looking to break into a commercial career, three paths come up again and again: sales, recruitment, and research. They overlap in some ways (all three require strong communication skills and a degree of resilience), but they suit different people in different ways.
Sales
Sales, particularly SaaS sales, rewards people who are competitive, target-driven, and comfortable with rejection. The learning curve is steep but the earning potential is high. SDR roles at early-stage software companies are some of the best graduate entry points available right now: structured, well-compensated, and full of transferable skills.
Recruitment
Recruitment suits people who are relationship-oriented, energised by variety, and not put off by the pace of a 360 desk. It's harder to explain at dinner parties than "I work in tech sales," but good recruiters build meaningful networks and earn extremely well. The commercial skills you develop are genuinely portable.
Research
Research roles, within executive search firms or market intelligence companies, appeal to graduates who are analytical, thorough, and prefer to influence decisions from behind the scenes. The progression path is less obvious than sales or recruitment, but for the right person it's a rewarding long-term career.
The honest answer is: try to speak to people doing all three before you decide. Most graduates who say they "know" which one they want haven't actually explored the alternatives properly.
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