Job Seeking
Start with the selling motion, not just the title. An SDR role typically emphasizes prospecting and qualifying opportunities; an account executive role may involve discovery, demonstrations, negotiation and closing. Account management can mean retention, expansion or both. Read the responsibilities because employers use these titles differently.
For each opening, identify the customer, buyer and sales cycle. Selling software to a finance team requires different preparation from selling advertising services to an agency. FinTech, SaaS and AdTech are useful search categories, not evidence that any particular employer is hiring.
Separate three searches: jobs based in New York City, jobs elsewhere in the surrounding metro, and remote jobs covering a New York territory. A metro listing does not necessarily mean a city office. A remote position may still require residence in an approved state, customer visits or specific working hours.
Try searches such as “SDR New York City SaaS,” “account executive NYC financial software,” “account manager New York advertising,” and “remote sales New York territory.” Use borough names or nearby locations only when they match your commute preferences.
Verify location requirements directly with the recruiter before investing in a lengthy process.
Build a resume that connects your work to the role’s actual responsibilities. Include the period, scope and context behind results. If you state quota attainment, distinguish an individual quota from a team target and explain whether you worked a full ramped period. Never replace missing data with a guess.
Prepare one short, relevant sales-work example. An SDR candidate might create a hypothetical prospect list and outreach sequence. An AE candidate could present a discovery agenda and deal plan. An account manager might outline a renewal-risk assessment and expansion conversation.
On-target earnings, or OTE, generally combines base pay with variable earnings at a defined performance level. It is not guaranteed take-home pay. Request the compensation plan and confirm when commissions become earned, payable or subject to adjustment.
For an external wage reference, use the BLS occupational wage tables. Select the occupation that best matches the duties, then verify the available geography and data year. A metropolitan estimate covers more than New York City; a broad national occupation is not a local salary quote or a direct equivalent to a specific OTE plan.
Use interviews to test whether the job is executable, not merely attractive. Request examples from the role you would actually hold rather than companywide success stories.
Ask to speak with a potential peer. Compare their description of lead quality, onboarding and day-to-day expectations with the manager’s account. Treat differences as questions to resolve, not automatic proof of a problem.
Do not assume every reposted job is a fresh vacancy. Ask whether the opening is approved, actively interviewing and intended to start within a defined timeframe.
Use the same checklist for every finalist. Mark missing information as unknown rather than awarding it an optimistic score.
Hypothetical comparison: Offer A advertises higher OTE but leaves territory allocation unresolved. Offer B has lower OTE, a defined account list and written ramp protection. Neither is automatically better. Ask A to resolve territory ownership, then compare both against your minimum guaranteed-income needs and appetite for variable-pay risk.
Keep commute and travel costs separate from compensation so you can see how each arrangement affects your own budget.
Not necessarily. Confirm office attendance, approved residence locations, travel and territory coverage for each role before assuming you qualify.
Consider it when the requirements allow transferable experience. Show relevant buyer knowledge and sales skills; do not claim expertise you lack.
Separate your base-pay requirements from target variable earnings. Ask about the role’s budgeted range and plan structure before anchoring on headline OTE.
Use O*NET to research occupation tasks and skills, and the BLS wage tables for appropriately matched occupational, geographic and year-specific context. Neither substitutes for an employer’s current offer or commission plan.
Next, browse sales openings or create a Salesfolks account. Verify current vacancies, location rules and compensation directly with each employer, then apply using the evidence and questions prepared above.