Having worked as an instrumentation engineer at an engineering company’s design institute for three years, how should one choose between design, procurement, pre-sales, and sales?

Since one is still young, they can try many things to find the path that suits them; once a choice is made, one must stick to it.

If you’re young, you can try everything, but once a man reaches 30, he should find a direction and stick to it!

This post was last edited by ltzhxj on 2016-11-13 at 15:48. The technology is relatively stable, which gives me a sense of satisfaction. Even if you’re not good at sales, you can still earn a salary equivalent to that of a technical worker; if you’re good at it, you can become wealthy in less than three years ； A technician who stays at home for ten years can achieve a comfortable standard of living through sales work in three years. These are just personal opinions; sea friends shouldn’t take them seriously. It’s still necessary to consider one’s own specific circumstances and future plans before making decisions, as it’s not wise to act blindly.

Each position offers different people, different opportunities, different room for growth, and a different surrounding environment; one just needs to decide that it’s the right choice and persevere.

I really want to give procurement a try, but from what I know so far, it’s never too late to move from design to procurement; however, if you start with procurement first and then try to switch to design, it’s almost impossible. I’m worried that by acting on impulse and starting with procurement now, I’ll narrow down my future options.

The technology is stable, but I really don’t feel any sense of satisfaction; moreover, there’s little sense of personal achievement in designing such large-scale projects, as an individual’s contribution to such projects is almost negligible. If the financial earnings are so much lower than those in sales, it’s unclear why people still consider working as a designer in a design firm to be a good career choice.

This post was last edited by ltzhxj on 2016-11-14 at 14:01. First of all, it takes time to become skilled in technology; three or two years is only a short period of time for someone like me； By gradually accumulating technical experience, and as time passes and one gets older along with an improvement in technical skills, one can reach the position of technical manager or become a technical expert in the field, which will lead to varying degrees of improvement in financial income. Secondly, if we’re talking about designers and engineers in design firms, they are generally considered to have a decent status; compared to salespeople, that is what our technical staff think. Speaking of small satisfactions, when I manage to solve a technical problem or make a breakthrough, I feel delighted inside. It doesn’t matter whether there’s any income or not, nor does it matter if others praise me or not; I can enjoy that happiness in my heart for many years. Many friends, just like me, probably feel this sense of small satisfaction, consider themselves decent people, and have a hopeful vision for the future, which keeps them committed to working in the field of technology. There is another important reason: no matter what you do, after ten years of doing it, mental inertia sets in, and you no longer want to make any changes ； After working in technology for ten years, one generally doesn’t change careers; changing careers means starting from scratch, and unless there are special circumstances, people usually don’t do that. Whether in sales or procurement, one has to start as a junior employee. Just imagine what it’s like to be a senior figure in the industry at the age of in their thirties and having to work as a junior under someone in their twenties. In short, technology is endless; it doesn’t mean that once one reaches a certain level they should stop learning and researching. Those who are passionate about it can continue to do so. Of course, sales requires traveling a lot, being flexible, knowing how to distinguish truth from falsehood, handling social interactions, exercising patience, and building networks of contacts. Income is not stable, and in some cases one even has to give up their family and business – it’s a different kind of skill. It is advised that Haiyou should not engage in procurement. Think carefully and act with determination. A narrow perspective.

I don’t know why you want to change careers – is it for money? For the ideal? ““Know thyself,” is a famous saying by a Greek philosopher. In fact, it’s very difficult for people to truly understand themselves. Understanding oneself and finding one’s place in society both require experimentation. . . I don’t think there’s much to purchasing. If you want to change careers, you could give sales a try; if that doesn’t work, you can go back to working in technology. .

It’s great that the original poster still has so much energy to jump. . . I also graduated from an architectural firm three years ago; I lived far from home and needed to change jobs. Since I’m a woman, I thought working in design might be a good option, so I tried to find another architectural firm, but they hardly hire anyone these days. . . {:2_44:}

So what is the OP’s choice now?