Moving from Mechanical Design Engineer to Engineering sales

[jackofall84]

I've been offered the opportunity to move into Engineering sales from my current post a mechanical design engineer. I've been a design engineer for the best part 15 years and worked in Automotive, aerospace and general industry. I know my trade/profession well and am reasonable at my job. This opportunity has arisen at my current employers to move into sales and I'm on the fence as to whether to move across or not and think there are more reasons not to take it than to proceed.

Positives - A change of role would be nice (but for how long?), I like meeting new people and seeing developing industries and learning about new customer products available or that we can help with, potential to earn more in sales at a later date for an alternative company (only offered the same as I'm on now)

Neutral - money will be the same as I'm on now

Negatives - Future job opportunities seem to be less for sales than design engineers, I like going home at the end of every day to see my partner and 3 year old - and my new role would potentially see me having to make stay over trips away for customers that are further afield.

I was looking for a bit of advice from anyone that's made a similar move?

[ADogg]

A good friend of mine from uni has gone from Product Design in to sales and he loves it - he is money driven and a social beast however.

I myself was a Design Engineer/Product Designer but recently started teaching CAD at 6th form for a change, it’s early days and whilst terrifying I like it!

[ClaphamGT3]

You’ve answered your own question, it’s not a role for you

[Macneil]

I don't know much about engineering, I'm a buyer of printed materials. Sales people come and go, rotating around the industry. Good skilled operators - printers, repro operators, designers, platemakers etc stay in post are well paid and in demand. You'd be daft to move.

[Jumpy Guy]

I'm an electrical engineer, moved to sales around 8 years ago

Pros? get to work with lots of interesting people, on interesting projects, money is better if you're good,
I'm out of the office as often as I like, travel can be fun

Cons? travel can be no fun
can be hard to keep engineering skillset up to date

overall, I'm happy I moved, and there are no shortage of jobs for good tech sales people