Many people choose a job based on basic criteria: salary, schedule, and necessary requirements. They simply compare their skills with the vacancy and decide yes or no, to send a response or not.
But sometimes a job can choose you long before you even know it. For example, being a Sales Engineer might be a perfect fit for you, but you don't know it yet. The base salary for this profession varies from company to company, but it's safe to say that it's always $75K a year or higher, and it’s usually around $100K a year.
We invite you to rate yourself against the following list of character qualities. If you find three or more describe you, it's time to think about a job in tech that’s well paid, remote, and promising.
1. You are charismatic
Do you often find that your friends and family listen to you passionately? Do they laugh at your jokes? Do you easily win people over and enjoy communicating with them? If so, it seems that you’re all about charisma!
Howard S. Friedman, professor of psychology at the University of California, came up with a special test. It consists of 13 statements and allows you to assess one of the important qualities of a charismatic personality: nonverbal expressiveness and emotionality.
Let's see how you do with charisma.
Rate each of the statements on a scale of 1 to 9 and add up the results.
1. When I hear good dance music, I can't stand still.
2. I have a loud and infectious laugh.
3. I can easily express emotions over the phone.
4. I often touch the person during a conversation.
5. I like having a lot of people looking at me.
6. I have a very expressive facial expression.
7. People say I'd make a good actor.
8. I prefer to stand out from the crowd.
9. I'm not shy around strangers.
10. I can do the seductive look if I want to.
11. I'm good at games like Crocodile, where you have to act things out.
12. At small parties, I am the center of attention.
13. When I like a person, I touch them or hug them to show it.
The average level of most people ranges from 56 to 86 points. And the higher the final score, the more charisma you have.
If you scored higher than 65, add 1 point to your results.
2. You know how to communicate and convince people
If you are involved in an argument, it is quite easy for you to convince others that you are right. You know how to ask the right questions, make a strong argument, and keep the conversation going.
You like interesting conversations with both close friends and unfamiliar people.
An important point: You have to distinguish the ability to persuade people and conduct a conversation from imposing your opinion. In conversations, of course, it is important to talk, but it is just as important to listen.
If you feel this describes you, give yourself 1 point.
3. You like to give advice and people come to you for help
There is a type of person who is regularly asked for advice. What to wear, what to do, what words to choose, what restaurant to go to—it doesn't matter what they ask you specifically. The important thing is that your family and friends trust your opinion.
If you recognize yourself in this statement, give yourself another point and move on!
4. You like it when you can influence your own income
People have different attitudes toward money and wages. Some are psychologically more comfortable receiving a fixed paycheck—a certain amount at the same time each month—without the risk that this amount will go down, but also without the chance of increasing it. Others have an entrepreneurial streak from a young age, and risk is their middle name. But it is gratifying that there is an option in the middle, which is exactly the characteristic of income in the Sales Engineer profession: you get a fixed salary (about $100K per year), and if you make good deals and meet your sales plan you get bonuses—about $20K.
If you feel this option would suit you, give yourself a point and move on to the last statement.
5. You want to work remotely
You might think, “Who wouldn't want to work remotely?” but believe us, many people prefer being in the office from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day.
However, if you want to work from home so you don't have to waste time traveling and packing, the Sales Engineer profession is definitely for you! +1 point!
Results
If three or more items from the list describe you, we seriously recommend thinking about the Sales Engineer profession.
And here's why:
1. It's in demand. In LinkedIn’s 2020 rankings, the “salesperson” profession was firmly in first place:
2. It's easy to find a remote job. As of 2021, there are 950,000 open tech sales jobs.
3. You can get a competitive salary starting at $100K + bonuses.
4. It’s promising—you can level up in 6–12 months and increase your base salary.
5. You don't need a technical background. All you need to get started is experience working with people in support or sales.
Don't be afraid to change your life for the better and get a remote, well-paying career in tech now!