Career Forum - anybody sell cars, insurance, mortgage LO, other sales???

Part 1

I haven't been around here much lately as Monster, CareerBuilders and HotJobs have been my internet haunts.

Recently I was speaking with Powstash about my future in the working world. We both agreed that this board - made up of both internet and real world friends - has an amazing sense of camaraderie. A willingness among people, that may never have met, to help one another that I find to be very, very cool. Proof positive that it is a who-you-know-world.

It has previously been proposed, by others, that we need a forum aimed at the work-a-day world. A forum for career advice and networking, job posting and placement. While I wouldn't expect it to rival the success of the Sprocket Rockets forum, I believe it may be a valuable tool for many of us. Would you support such a forum?


Part 2

Other than my very part-time job, I have been unemployed since the end of July. For the record, I have a 12 year history in residential mortgage lending. Currently, I have the following prospects/offers and would love any feedback you may be able to offer:

• I've interviewed with numerous brokers and big-name banks and have a couple attractive prospects that will keep me in the mortgage/banking business.
  12 years experience
  Position requires little or no travel
  Full benefit package
  W2 position
  
• I have an offer to sell supplemental insurance (think AFLAC) that could be quite lucrative.
  I have no experience
  Overnight travel 7-10 days a month
  Benefits consist of a $240 contribution toward health insurance that I have to otherwise obtain myself
  1099 position
  
• I have an offer pending to sell cars for the Lexus dealer in Salt Lake City.
  I love cars, but have no experience selling them
  Little or no travel
  Full benefit package - including college tuition for my children after two years on the job. WOW!
  W2 position
  
• I have applied and interviewed for a couple other positions that could very interesting and rewarding, but I'm not holding my breath.

To you accountants out there: With equal gross income from a W2 and a 1099 position, which translates into more real or spendable income?

Any input would be very much appreciated.

IG:
I can only comment on the car sales position. I sold cars for a summer after college before skiing in JH that winter. It was a decent sized Jeap dealership in SoCal.

I would have a hard time selling cars permanently. It can be lucrative if you are aggresive and good. If my feable memory isn't completely failing I think I would have made around 60-80k if I had stayed at the same pace which was to be one of the top couple guys. I would expect you would definitely do better at a Lexus dealership and the owner of the dealership said that the sales manager was making about 150k. It has lots of down/boring time, Who buys a car on Monday morning at 10am?, but you still have to hang out on the car lot. Most of the money was made from either selling used cars where the consumer doesn't know what the dealer paid for the car, or on the aftermarket stuff/financing stuff. I didn't like the down time, the need to always approach every/any customer that came on the lot consistently, and the slimy reputation that the business has and slightly deserves because of where the money is made. You screw the consumer, you get more commission. It is hard to actually "build a business" even though that is what they tout.

A career forum would be very interesting and sometimes very usefull, but I wonder if it would languish on the side and not get the traffic to make it as effective/efficient as posting here in Chatter is? The thing with forums is they don't work unless there is traffic and would a dedicated career/jobs forum get enough visits to make it effective?

Good luck. I'm currently trying to figure out what to do with my life as well...

I have never been in sales and can't say what would benifit you the most financially, but I have worked at a car dealership, and let me tell you, most of the salesman there were misarable. First, unless you are pretty damn good, you won't make much money. If you are good, you can make some pretty serious bank. Regardless of how good you are, the hours suck. The salesman all arrived around nine, and most of them were there until at least six. Many of them would end up staying until nine or ten every night. Because of the stress, the turnover rate is very high. Why do you think they are offering to pay your children's college tuition if you stay for two years? They wouldn't do that if they thought most of the salesman would actually still be there two years later.

At the place I worked one of the Audi salesman made over six figures. He quit a couple of months ago because the stress was just too much.

If you don't mind the hours and are very aggresive and good at selling, go for it, but otherwise I would save that for a last resort.

I sold cars at the local BMW store for 5 years. I'd echo what was said above. Don't do it!!!

BobMc

The forum sounds like a great idea. It'll help people with serious jobs and also be a good place for newcombers to get the seasonal hookups.

if you must go into selling cars, be the finance guy. They make more money and aren't dependent on their own selling.

I'd be into the forum on jobs as I should probably find one with a greater potential to make a decent living,I just don't really want a 9-5 mudane one.The money I make as musician & writer sucks,but the lifestyle & benefits are great.I've been toying with the idea of going back to the "real world",but it's not something that I'm looking forward to.

I've thought about selling cars as well,I worked in retail at ski shops for many years & was consistantly one of the top salesmen.

If you think selling cars is hard,it's nothing compared to the 2 faced,back-stabbing,cut-throat,drug-addled glamour magnet of the music.Trying selling your self/ music & promoting your band to a bunch of narcissistic,self-indulgent,egocetric ,self-aggrandizing coked up imbeciles with Napoleon complexes!

Hunter S. Thompson said it best,"The music industry is a cruel shallow money trench;a long plastic hallway where pimps & thieves run free & good men die like dogs,....Oh yeah,there's a negative side to it too!"

For those wondering why I do it, I love to play music,create & to entertain.I didn't I think I was going to be rich or a rockstar.I Just wanted to make a decent living & be respected for my talents & accomplishments.