Article · 8 min read

Transitioning from a Software Engineer to a Sales Engineer

Akshat Srivastava · Sales Engineers of New York Free Beginner

Written by someone who went from Java developer to AppDynamics to Solutions Architect at AWS with no prior sales experience, so the path is proven rather than theoretical. His five signals (do you enjoy demoing, do you want to know why you are building this, are you comfortable in the room) are a genuinely useful self test before you burn six months applying.

  • The author took 11 years from Java developer to solutions architect, switching to sales midway.
  • Moving into sales engineering needs basic pre-sales reading plus a network of mentors.
  • The job carries real risk, with CEO-level visibility on a seven figure deal.
  • Travel varies by territory; in New York most customers are local.
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The question it answers

  1. I am an engineer, a consultant, or fresh out of an MBA. How do I actually switch into GTM?

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