Advice Landing first Saas SDR position
I could use some advice from people who have broken into SaaS sales.
I’m 27, live in Texas, don’t have a college degree, and have about 3 years of sales experience. I’ve worked in trade show sales, remote life insurance sales, and I’m currently a Retail Sales Consultant at one of the largest telecommunications companies in the U.S.
In my current role, I’m consistently one of the top reps in North Texas, usually finishing around 135–150% to quota. Over the last month, I’ve completely reworked my resume and LinkedIn to target SDR/BDR roles at SaaS companies.
I’ve been fortunate enough to make it to the final rounds with two companies, but came up short both times.
Company #1
HR interview
SDR Team Lead interview
CBO interview
I was ultimately told they went with another candidate, but didn’t receive any feedback.
Company #2
HR interview
Sales Enablement Manager interview
The feedback here was actually encouraging. They said my interview went well and they were impressed with my background, but they wanted more specific examples that demonstrated my skills and how they would translate into an SDR role.
I understand that not having direct SaaS experience means I have to prove myself more than someone who’s already been an SDR. I’m okay with that. I just want to figure out what I can improve.
For those of you who have made the jump into tech sales (or who hire SDRs):
What would you focus on if you were in my position?
Is there something you commonly see career changers do wrong during interviews?
What helped you finally land your first SDR role?
Should I keep targeting companies in the $60k–70k base range, or would you cast a wider net just to get that first year of experience?
The two roles were around $60k/$85k OTE and $69k/$95k OTE, so I know I’m getting close. Missing out on both was frustrating, but I’m trying to use it as a learning experience instead of getting discouraged.
I’d really appreciate any advice or honest feedback.