Whoa!Thank you so much for sharing this interview . It really answered many looming questions for me. Gained refreshing insight into what merging into SE from SDR experience could look like. I’m currently in a Tech sales bootcamp, but even before starting I knew I wanted to become a SE. Never saw anyone that had actually accomplished this until now. I appreciate you both.
This is awesome! I'm a manufacturing engineer looking to go into sales engineering. This is definitely the path I might take! I want to connect with you ASAP!
Nice. Let me know if I can help with any questions and feel free to connect with Devon on LinkedIn as well for more Sales Engineering specific questions as that gets a bit out of my depth
This explains a lot, I’ve recently graduated an SE bootcamp and I’ve been struggling to get interviews. After watching this I might look towards SDR and AE positions. My question is do hiring managers look for specific things in resumes and cover letters before reaching out?
The SE’S I see getting jobs and sticking come from 7 to 10 years at F1000 or tech heavy billion dollar companies. That engineer can listen to business goals and covert them to solutions.
Agreed, the most successful SEs I've worked with typically have had a host of engineering and engineering related jobs by the time they become SE. Are you an SE yourself?
I’m new to looking into this. But, I’m surprised he took such a long track to get into an SE role. Why not just interview for an SE role from a mechanical engineering background? Why go through a boot camp, and take on an entry level position to get there?
Sales engineers almost always have industry experience before becoming SEs. It is very rare that a new grad, even in engineering, would be hired for an SE role. Most SEs I know had at least ~3 years of experience before being considered.
@@techsales-higherlevelsok that makes sense. I’m a senior software dev looking to transition into sales engineering. I have 20+ years of experience, so I was planning on trying to land interviews. Just wondering what to expect. Working on soft skills to prepare.
@ChicagoJ351 nice, I highly recommend finding people in your network or at target companies that have made that transition and reach out to them as well. No expectation of referral or anything, but many love helping those on a similar path. Happy to help along the way if I can, keep me posted
@higguma disagree. Devin broke in in a common way and had an engineering background before making the transition. He did not take a bootcamp like careerist, etc.... I've said in other videos that bootcamps are not a realistic way to break into sales engineering, especially if you do not have any tech experience.
This is a dried up well, there was a hiring frenzy during covid and now it's gone. Nobody had 2 years post grad to kiss a** and then they just might get in to a terrible company.
What's your point? The whole purpose of this video was to show a realistic path to sales engineer. I've made several videos acknowledging that Sales Engineering in particular is not an entry role, and that I thought SE bootcamps were very misleading. Devin broke in in a much more common way which was to get engineering and customer facing experience, and after a few years in the industry he successfully made the transition. And for reference, I'm still seeing a lot of hiring on the SDR front. I agree, sales engineers that are getting hired now have to have experience. That is not the case in a direct sales role.
Many thanks to Devon for the insights! If you don't know, we did a follow up and deeper dive here: ua-cam.com/video/Re5e1xTI988/v-deo.html
Former SDR here turned presale professional.
Loved hearing his story 👌
Thanks for watching!
"Drop the ego" -- love it, great advice, thanks Devon.
Loved this interview! Informative on the path to SE and the possibility after. Will definitely be connecting with you both!
Whoa!Thank you so much for sharing this interview . It really answered many looming questions for me. Gained refreshing insight into what merging into SE from SDR experience could look like.
I’m currently in a Tech sales bootcamp, but even before starting I knew I wanted to become a SE. Never saw anyone that had actually accomplished this until now.
I appreciate you both.
Thanks for watching! If you have any questions along the way let us know!
Just got my first SE role and this was very eye opening, enjoyed the video.
Great to hear, good luck in the role!
Great interview! This answered a lot of my questions.
This is such a good interview!
Thanks for watching!
This is awesome! I'm a manufacturing engineer looking to go into sales engineering. This is definitely the path I might take! I want to connect with you ASAP!
Nice. Let me know if I can help with any questions and feel free to connect with Devon on LinkedIn as well for more Sales Engineering specific questions as that gets a bit out of my depth
exact path I want to go!
Let us know if you have any questions
This explains a lot, I’ve recently graduated an SE bootcamp and I’ve been struggling to get interviews. After watching this I might look towards SDR and AE positions. My question is do hiring managers look for specific things in resumes and cover letters before reaching out?
Hiring managers for SDR/AE roles or SE roles?
@@techsales-higherlevels SE
@Dave Guillaume can I ask what bootcamp you went to
@@rmitchmitch3182 careerist and im now doing course careers
@Dave Guillaume thank you, careerist isn't good in your opinion?
The SE’S I see getting jobs and sticking come from 7 to 10 years at F1000 or tech heavy billion dollar companies. That engineer can listen to business goals and covert them to solutions.
Agreed, the most successful SEs I've worked with typically have had a host of engineering and engineering related jobs by the time they become SE.
Are you an SE yourself?
@@techsales-higherlevels Former SE at F5 now AM at Palo
What’s his updated LinkedIn? That link doesn’t work
I'll check with him thanks for the heads up
I’m new to looking into this. But, I’m surprised he took such a long track to get into an SE role. Why not just interview for an SE role from a mechanical engineering background? Why go through a boot camp, and take on an entry level position to get there?
Sales engineers almost always have industry experience before becoming SEs. It is very rare that a new grad, even in engineering, would be hired for an SE role.
Most SEs I know had at least ~3 years of experience before being considered.
@@techsales-higherlevelsok that makes sense. I’m a senior software dev looking to transition into sales engineering. I have 20+ years of experience, so I was planning on trying to land interviews. Just wondering what to expect. Working on soft skills to prepare.
@ChicagoJ351 nice, I highly recommend finding people in your network or at target companies that have made that transition and reach out to them as well. No expectation of referral or anything, but many love helping those on a similar path. Happy to help along the way if I can, keep me posted
How hard is it to transition from a QA to an SE? I became a QA to get into tech but I believe my people skills are suited more for a SE.
What have you been doing in QA up to now?
What is a SER?
or is it SDR?
SDR. Sales development representative
7:50
He got in when it was hot. If you're watching this, it's too late.
@higguma disagree. Devin broke in in a common way and had an engineering background before making the transition. He did not take a bootcamp like careerist, etc....
I've said in other videos that bootcamps are not a realistic way to break into sales engineering, especially if you do not have any tech experience.
This is a dried up well, there was a hiring frenzy during covid and now it's gone. Nobody had 2 years post grad to kiss a** and then they just might get in to a terrible company.
What's your point? The whole purpose of this video was to show a realistic path to sales engineer. I've made several videos acknowledging that Sales Engineering in particular is not an entry role, and that I thought SE bootcamps were very misleading.
Devin broke in in a much more common way which was to get engineering and customer facing experience, and after a few years in the industry he successfully made the transition.
And for reference, I'm still seeing a lot of hiring on the SDR front. I agree, sales engineers that are getting hired now have to have experience. That is not the case in a direct sales role.
This interview was amazing…is Devon on LinkedIn?
Link is in the description, glad you got a lot out of it!