Opening doors in a ‘hidden’ career path

Earlywork, founded in 2020 by Moriah College alumnus Jono Herman, Emanuel School alumnus Dan Brockwell, and Miranda Wu, has become a game-changer in helping young people break into technology and startup sectors, specifically in sales roles.

It began when a significant gap was identified – a lack of educational development and pathways for entry level sales positions in those sectors and an absence of awareness about the genuine opportunities available.

That conclusion was drawn from regular feedback the co-founders had from international tech companies and startups that operate in Australia – particularly from those based in the United States, Europe and Israel.

“The biggest role type by headcount in corporate Australia for juniors is actually in sales, but staff tend to gain those roles accidentally, rather than with intent, while working in a different department,” Herman said.

“If you’d walk onto a university campus and mention sales or business development representative roles, people would not know what you’re talking about.

“It’s become a hidden career path,” he added, despite current entry-level annual salaries of up to $100,000, plus commission, without a requirement to have a degree.

Herman claimed this disconnect stems partly from lingering stereotypes that don’t reflect the nature of today’s corporate sales sector.

Earlywork provides – for free to potential sales jobseekers – initial suitability assessment, introductory training and if shortlisted, direct interview opportunities.

It also offers a 10-week fee-based sales accelerator training program.

That’s taught by Brockwell, who in a special moment in May, was invited to speak at his former school’s annual “Careers Space” alumni event.

As AI disrupts numerous industries, Herman points out that sales jobs remain “relatively defensible” due to their human-centric nature, “as no one wants to receive a call from a robot”.

Having helped more than 500 people land their first sales jobs, Earlywork recently set up Earlywork Sales Club – a networking community providing ongoing support for sales reps across all business sectors, not just the tech space.

Herman said its been so rewarding for the Earlywork team to witness its positive impact, especially on young jobseekers, amid the rising cost of living.

“People spend so much time at work – sometimes more than with family members.

“So it’s rewarding to help someone find a meaningful career they can enjoy and be proud about and also get paid well in.”

He recently caught up with another Moriah College graduate who is now the chief sales officer and second in command, at the Australian office of Notion, an AI-powered connected workspace company.

“We spoke a lot about the need to shift the narrative around people getting into sales and how, in reality, it’s an attractive career.

“So, I think it’d be great if more Jewish parents encouraged their high school-aged kids to consider getting into tech sales.”