The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Field Sales Representative (FMCG)
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Direct customer interaction, merchandising, basic sales reporting, territory management, product knowledge.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding sales targets in a field role.
- Demonstrating strong product knowledge and ability to influence store-level decisions.
- Proactively identifying and solving problems in your territory.
- 2
Sales Analyst / Sales Coordinator
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Data analysis (Excel, BI tools), sales reporting, understanding of commercial terms, internal stakeholder management.
You're ready to move on when
- Building compelling data-driven reports and presentations.
- Proactively identifying commercial insights from sales data.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to support multiple sales managers.
- 3
Junior Buyer (Retailer Side)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Category management from a retailer perspective, supplier negotiation, understanding of retail P&L, inventory management.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven experience in managing a category or sub-category.
- Strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen from the buyer's side.
- A desire to move to the supplier side to drive brand growth.