What advantages does a career in high-tech sales have over investment banking? Picking between IBD at JP Morgan & SDR at Oracle

IBD no question.

I know Oracle. Those field reps who make $300-$400k make that because Oracle has to pay premium to keep talent around for what they put their sales rep through. 40-50 hours a week is a light week. Expect 80+ during quarter and year-ends.

Oracle cannibalizes their sales force. Think Gladiator. You will be competing against other Oracle reps in the same accounts. Software reps will be promoting non-Oracle hardware. 'Oracle on Oracle'. A lot of Oracle software is included for free with the hardware. The Engineered Systems reps will be competing against hardware and software reps. Engineered Systems are an all-in-one solution. It's cutthroat.

Customers hate Oracle and hate dealing with Oracle.

The best and most lucrative Oracle reps are the ones who have the relationships going back 20+ years to their college days and a roommate is now a VP or CxO.

I'm not trying to bash Oracle here, it's arguably the best sales experience and exposure you'll see in the industry. You would need to be willing to make Oracle your life for the next 5-10 years to get to the level you are describing. It's a great stepping stone as an SDR new to the industry to learn and leave in 3-5.

It does not compare to the opportunity you have with JP Morgan. You can always go back to Oracle. A lot harder to go back the other way around.

/r/sales Thread