Trusted as a recruitment partner to some of the most prestigious companies, we have recently engaged in exclusive conversations to recruit sales people for Linked Finance, an exciting Fintech start up based in the heart of Dublin city centre.

Let us take away some of the stress of securing a new job. We have all you need to know to support your application. We have an in depth understanding of these roles and our client. Upon getting in contact with us we will tell you all about the role, the company, the culture, your career path, as well as discussing salary expectations and remuneration.

 So what’s on offer and what exactly are we looking for?

We have a number of Graduate Sales jobs, perfect for recent graduates or those with 1-2 years sales experience. These roles will suit ambitious, bright, communicative, driven individuals. Those who are strong influencers will excel in this role.

So do you fit the bill? Are you ready to begin your career in a fast paced, results driven environment? Call us now and tell us why sales is for you and how you will prove your value in this exciting new role!

Jamie Goulding is our client’s recruitment advisor. Call him now on 01 6618740 or email you CV to jamie@executiveconnections.ie and he will get the ball rolling for you. We look forward to supporting and advising you through your application, mentoring you through each step of the process.

We have also developed the video below, giving you more information on the kind of candidates we want to speak to. Take a look and get in touch today!

The post Graduate Sales Jobs – Fintech – LinkedFinance appeared first on Executive Connections.

Why the sudden surge?

Open your Twitter feed, a news site or listen to a jobs announcement and Fintech is guaranteed to be mentioned in some form. Fintech – or financial technology almost feels like a natural progression, given the success of the already thriving Irish Financial Services and Technology sectors. These two successful industries have now collided, merging to create new companies, products, ways of doing business and endless opportunities.

The industry has been described as booming with the government supporting Fintech strongly in its IFS 2020 (A Strategy for Ireland’s International Financial Services Sector 2015-2020). The Irish Venture Capital Association reports investment of €520 billion in Fintech start-ups in 2015, making it a record year for investment.

As more innovative Fintech start-ups start to pop up throughout the city and those already established continue to scale, Dublin has an excellent opportunity to cash in on this growth. Many of our clients, established financial institutions also see Fintech as their next opportunity. These global Financial Services providers are seeking competitive advantage by adopting Fintech services for their clients. In an effort not to be left behind, they are investing heavily in technology, creating new products, services and in turn career opportunities for talented individuals.

An increasing volume of Fintech companies means increasing numbers of people working within the sector. The number of Fintech career opportunities are growing at a rapid rate due to a couple of key factors:

• The start-up scene is full of hungry entrepreneurs ready to make their mark.
• A commitment from the Irish government to provide funding and pump investment into the sector shows that they recognise the potential to boost Ireland’s reputation as an internationally recognised Fintech hub.
• Both the large global and indigenous financial institutions are tracking both the opportunity and challenge provided by Fintech companies. The international trend has seen increased M&A activity as they seek to acquire competence in this sector and/or set up innovation labs internally in an effort to launch their own Fintech services & platforms independently or in collaboration with partners.

Hiring Trends

Our list of Fintech clients is beginning to grow and as we speak to more and more candidates whose aim it is to enter the Fintech space, here are our insights as to what it takes to be successful in the area.

What are Fintech employers looking for?

• Of course it goes without saying that to enter this exciting industry employers will be looking for top talent. Those who challenge the norm and are ready to make a lasting impact on the development of the industry in Ireland will be of main interest to employers.
• Those who are visionary in their work and excited to be a part of the evolution of Fintech will also be attractive to employers.
• Many Fintech companies are scaling rapidly, and with no solid structural environment in these start-ups someone who can work without ambiguity will thrive in this sector. It is likely that project scope will change, with changing priorities and objectives being the norm. Employers are seeking candidates that can adapt in these situations, adjusting to inevitable changes in this fast paced environment.
• As it is a relatively new space, finding large amounts of people with extensive Fintech experience may not be a reality. Therefore those who can display a broad level of knowledge in the area are more likely to be hired. Furthermore those who demonstrate a passion for Fintech and are ambitious will have a distinct advantage in securing employment.
• When it comes to education and skills, candidates are required to be highly technical. In reality many of the start-ups are tech companies moving into the financial services space. Employees will need to be methodical and analytical in their work, almost scientific in their approach such is the complexity of the sector.

With an effect on Banking, Asset Management, Payments, Insurance, Trading and more, we are excited to see how the industry matures and are delighted to be directly involved, working with the best talent Dublin and beyond has to offer.

Are you ready for a career move in to a brand new and exciting industry? Is Fintech where you see your career soaring to the next level? If yes, we would love to hear from you. Call Aisling on 01-6618740 or see more of our Fintech roles here.

The post What does it take to build a successful Fintech career? appeared first on Executive Connections.

There is undoubtedly a huge amount of roles out there for skilled Software Account Executives and Account Managers, BUT, the very best Account Executives and Account Managers are all looking for roles in the same select few companies (and we all know which companies they are!). I have met hundreds of these candidates – they know they are good and I do too.  While it is my job to dig for information if candidates don’t articulate it right away – this should not be the case when faced with a hiring manager in a progressive tech company. This information should be on the tip of your tongue, prepared and ready to impress your potential employer from the off.

With this in mind I have laid out below the key information you should have ready for your next tech sales interview.

Sale Type

This will be very important depending on the type of role you are interviewing for. If you are interviewing for a role with a new business focus be sure to be able to tell the employer what percentage of your current role is new business acquisition. Also be able to explain your process, step by step, for bringing a new client to the business. Similarly for roles with a focus on Account Management, be able to explain how you retain and grow business.

Sales Cycle

You should be able to explain how long a deal will take from first contact to close. Highlight shortest, longest and average sales cycle. Employers want to see how transactional / complex your sales are. This can be very important to potential employers depending on their business model.

 Deal Size

Similarly to sales cycle, know your average deal size as well as your smallest and largest deal. Also, if small deals are used to “land and expand”, make potential employers aware of this and give concrete examples of times where you have achieved this with success. Deal size can be a big factor for potential employers especially for companies with large deals; only highly skilled Account Execs can close out the largest deals!

Annual Target & Performance in Relation to Target

This is massively important – if you don’t know this, don’t bother showing up! Being able to ream off this information does two things. Firstly, it shows how good you are at your job but it also shows potential employers how commercially aware you are. Secondly, being able to explain variance in figures in relation to target (good or bad) shows you know exactly how the sales process works and will instill confidence in those interviewing you.

Target Market

Again this is important, possibly not a deal breaker but still a “need to know”. If you are a skilled software sales professional, the size of the companies you target can be important. Some employers may want people who have sold to a particular size organisation in a particular territory. Given the demand for software sales professionals this may not stop someone with good experience securing a new job, but at enterprise level it can be slightly more important.

Target Verticals

For employers who target particular industries, this can be a key influencer and can be the difference between getting a job offer ahead of another candidate.  There are a number of reasons behind this, you may already have an established network of contacts in this industry, you will be able to talk the talk with senior stakeholders, and with your strong industry knowledge you will be aware of the latest market trends, making you able to spot red flags in the sales process early.

Decision Makers

The final element relates to people you engage with during the sales process.  Who do you speak to when closing out deals? This shows at what level and what division of a business you can build credibility. For certain employers, depending on their technology, it may be important that you can establish strong relationships with senior technical staff such as CTOs. Other employers may want you to be able CMOs and VPs of Sales. Also the ability to talk numbers with a CFO can be instrumental in closing out a deal as they are often in control of the purse strings and ultimately sign off on large deals.

If you are thinking about a move and would like to chat about any of the points above or are thinking about a new job opportunity in the Sales & Marketing space feel free to get in touch with me. View my live opportunities here or call me on 01 – 6618740 or email jamie@executiveconnections.ie. 

The post Preparing for a Tech Sales Interview? You need to have this information ready… appeared first on Executive Connections.