Career Zone
Career ZoneCareer Research and PlanningEmployment sectorsSales and Business Development

Sales and Business Development

Sales and business development are related but separate areas. Roles may focus solely on sales or business development or be a mix of both. Sales involves researching and following leads and converting directly or through a salesperson to close the deal. Business development is more strategic, identifying new areas for business growth to pursue. Employers often converge the two roles so look carefully at the job description to see what it entails in the context of that particular employer.

Sector overview and areas of work

Sales and business development roles can be found in all industries. You could work in finance, retail, health or transport. You could sell houses, holidays or mobile phones. You don't have to commit to one industry as the skills and experience you gain in sales or business development are usually easily transferrable into another sector.   These roles might be business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C). Most large companies - from car manufacturers to energy suppliers - employ graduates in sales and business development roles. 

You can expect to work in a target-driven environment, where you may have the opportunity to earn bonuses based on your performance. You may be required to travel to visit clients / customers. Communication and relationship building skills will be really important in either role. 

Graduates from all disciplines can usually apply to these roles.  There are sometimes technical sales roles which require a specific level of knowledge, for example in science or engineering or computer software.

Sector Careers Advice

For sector statistics, please visit the Consumer Goods Industry Report on My Career Zone Digital. This Overview of the Business Sector in the UK from Prospects is also useful.

For a deeper insight into the differences between Sales and Business Development roles, look at Indeed’s ‘Sales vs. Business Development: What’s the Difference?’

Sector News

Sales and Business Development roles are often closely linked to Commercial roles or Advertising, PR and Marketing as well as  Retail. Although there are key differences between these sectors, there is useful overlap with Sales & Business Development which may help your sector exploration, as well as placement or job search.

If you would like to do further research into this sector, the following webpages may be useful:

  • Business, consulting and management from Target Jobs- Sector information, along with tips for getting hired, information on employers and specialist sector advice
  • Sales (targetjobs) - Sector specific support on the key areas of having a career in sales, such as commercial awareness and topics such as commission
  • Sales (Prospects)– A summary of the UK sales industry, jobs, training courses and more
  • Selling Power – Leading digital magazine for sales managers and sales VPs, offering an insight into the sector
  • Professional Academy – Professional Academy offers training, qualifications and insight into various areas across all business sectors. This link discusses how to start a career in sales

Have a look at the following resources on My Career Zone Digital which will give you an overview of role relevant skills.

Information and links from Professional Bodies

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary, however it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.

Making Contacts

Making contacts is essential for success especially in this sector, where an ability to network and build relationships is key. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start by speaking with the experts – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice using the Career Mentor Scheme or Ask An Alum. Also consider using the LinkedIn alumni tool, to proactively reach out to fellow Exeter alumni working in these roles or in target organisations.

Events

Recruitment fairs, open days, talks, and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. For details of future events visit Handshake. If you have not yet activated your account, select the Single Sign On (SSO) option and follow the onscreen instructions.

Job Roles

Explore roles in the sector by visiting the job profiles below. Each profile covers typical duties and responsibilities, entry requirements and the key skills required for the position.

Skills employers look for in a sales role will vary from company to company but here are some key skills identified by Indeed:

Relationship-building – networking – storytelling – communication & negotiation – time management – product & industry knowledge – an ability to sell – active listening – research – organisation – ambition – adaptability – social extroverts – authenticity – empathy

Work experience and placements

Getting a graduate role is competitive. Undertaking relevant work experience will not only make your applications stand out, but it will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector.

Placements

Placements in the UK usually refer to 9-12 month paid work placements, are often credit-bearing and are normally designed for undergraduate students during year 3 of a 4-year degree programme.  You can search for placements on Handshake and on all of the normal jobs platforms such as Rate My Placement, Bright Network and others listed here.  Many degrees at the University of Exeter offer the option of a placement year, so do contact your department Info Desk or programme director to enquire further. Applications are just as competitive as graduate jobs, and the process is broadly similar.

Finding Work Experience

Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page.

Use these resources to find additional advertised work experience:

University of Exeter Employability Schemes

These employability schemes can help increase your work experience and networks in this area.

Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships are a great way to gain experience and insight into a career area.  Search for Student Campus Partner (SCP)or Student Business Partner (SBP) roles on Handshake.

  • Professional Pathways: a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships that take place in June.  Two programmes, particularly relevant to Sales or Business Development roles are Pathways to Marketing or Pathways to International Trade.
  • Green Consultants: an award-winning programme designed to provide students with additional skills and experience required to work in the highly competitive environmental and sustainability sector.
  • Grand Challenges is a project week in June each year in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges.

There are also lots of Student Guild societies to get involved with during your time at Exeter. These societies could help you build the necessary skills for your first role. Balancing your time between part-time roles, study and/committee contribution in a society can really show employers how flexible and organised you are. You may be able to gather relevant experience in teamwork, sales, communication or negotiation by actively taking part in societies during your studies.

Finding part time work

Many students work part-time during their studies.  Part-time jobs are often in the hospitality or retail sector where you can gain transferrable interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills.  

Search for part-time work here:

  • Handshake. 
  • General job sites such as Find a Job or Indeed (filter on “part-time” and “Exeter”).
  • Identify and call into local businesses in Exeter with your CV to ask about part-time jobs.
  • Attend the part-time / casual jobs fair, held twice yearly on Streatham Campus.
  • Penryn Campus Careers Fairs

Internships

Internships in the UK are usually, but not always, designed for undergraduate students, so do read application criteria carefully.  The internship does not necessarily need to have ‘sales’ or ‘business development’ in its title and could be in any sector which will help you gain relevant transferrable skills. You can filter to internships on Handshake, targetjobs, Bright Network, RateMyPlacement or any of the other jobs platforms.

Virtual Internships

  • Forage provides short virtual internships in a range of sectors, with opportunities to connect with employers.
  • The Bright Network provides virtual internships in a range of sectors and fast-track opportunities for graduate programmes and internships for virtual-intern alumni. Look out for the Bright Network annual June internship week

Speculative applications

As jobs are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page.

Making a speculative application is where you send a CV and/or a cover letter or email to an employer, asking whether they have any current job opportunities, even though they are not advertising at the moment.

The challenge is to identify companies you wish to apply to. Chances of success will probably be higher with SMEs rather than large multinationals who have more formal recruitment processes.  You might consider known companies local to your home or the location where you want to live.  Or you could identify target companies by sector using library resources such as the FAME database – pop into the library to find out more. You may be inspired by some of the articles below:

Volunteering

Voluntary work experience will give you an opportunity to develop your communication, organisation and other skills.  Perhaps you might also be able to find a sales assistant role in a charity shop, for example,  which would provide useful experience for a career in sales or business development.   

Graduate jobs and graduate schemes

Graduate Jobs

Competition is strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers. There are many other Jobs Platforms you can also search on.

  • Handshake – our own University of Exeter vacancies platform, where employers can target Exeter students.
  • The Bright Network, targetjobs and Prospects – jobs boards where you can filter by role, sector, location and salary for graduate jobs, placements and internships
  • Student Circus – a jobs platform specifically for visa-sponsored jobs for international students.
  • Indeed – worldwide jobs platform, can search for part-time or full-time jobs in any sector. Large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) advertise vacancies on this platform.

Graduate schemes

Graduate schemes are typically between 1 and 3 years long and are very competitively applied for. They are (usually) with larger multinational corporations and may involve a rotational element. Recruitment is typically in the autumn for following summer/autumn start dates.

Some well-known graduate schemes in sales, business development or general business functions include:

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page, and for a list of general job search engines please visit our general job sources page. 

Further sources of support

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally.

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal. Log in using your University email address. The worldwide country guides cover everything from job search resources and CV guidelines to cultural advice and visa information. Watch a short training video on how to get the most from GoinGlobal 

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to build their skills and knowledge of the sector. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. You may have the option to gain professional qualifications after graduating which will show your commitment towards the industry. Use the sites below to research your further study options.

If you would like to pursue postgraduate study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study. If you are unsure whether further study is for you, you may wish to attend our ‘Postgraduate study: is it right for you?’ session which runs termly. Find these advertised on Handshake.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Many major graduate recruiters have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting graduates from diverse backgrounds. To find out the policies and attitudes of employers that you are interested in, explore their equality and diversity policies and see if they offer ‘Guaranteed Interview Schemes’ (for disabled applicants) or are recognised for their policy by such indicators as ‘Mindful Employer’ or as a ‘Stonewalls Diversity Champion’.

Schemes which aim to increase diversity in the sector include:

The UK law protects you from discrimination due to your age, gender, race, religion or beliefs, disability or sexual orientation. For further information on the Equality Act and to find out where and how you are protected, as well as information on what you need to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Government’s webpages on discrimination.

To learn more about how to share details of a disability with an employer and the support you can receive applying for jobs and work experience visit our equality and diversity page.