Natalie in LA LA LAND

Working as a contracted sales agent has really spoiled me. I could never work a regular nine to five again. Now, many people wonder why I take such very odd jobs, and it's true I've had a few. But they all have one thing in common...well recently anyway: sales.

Now, I never actually wanted to get into sales. I had many terrible experiences, as we all have had, with pushy sales people. They're always super greasy, oily windbags who try to force you to buy products which I, at least, am always sure are not all their cracked up to be. I wanted to never have anyone dread talking to me the way I dreaded talking to them.

But then I started working for Cibola Vista a resort company. I justified that I wasn't really in sales because I wasn't getting anybody to buy anything. But I was working on commission...

Anyway... fast forward a few years and I am still in sales. Call it Promotions, market demonstration, retailtainment... let's face it; it's sales.

So why, Nat, why?

I'll tell you:

1. I set my own schedule. I have with some sales jobs, been able to set even my own hours. (that alone is a spoiler)

2. Commission: the smarter I work the more money I make. That is quite an exciting challenge. It means that I can actually make a goal of how much I want to make for a month or a week, and how much time I want to put in, and without working extra hours, actually make that goal. In my current sales job, trainers will start hovering over me if I only make $300 or less for one week. I'll get in trouble and they will work steadilly with me to get me back up to $500.

3. Tax wright-offs: now this is the real sweet spot. Wright-off mileage (and/or gas), food during shift, any out of town expenses, and anything related to work. For me that includes a manicure. Now I'm not super excited about getting a manicure, I'd rather have real nails, but the new product I am demonstrating forces me to soak my hands in a lot of water and a lot of Diet Coke. So my nails go soft and turn an unsightly brown...which all means I need to have manicured nails for work, which means: tax wright-off. Clothes for work, tailoring for work clothes...etcetera.

There are a few downsides to being independantly contacted as well, but the perks more than make up for it.