Presales (Field Application Sciences)
Do you like being challenged?
Do you love science?
Do you love solving new problems every day?
Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment?
PreSales may be the career path for you!
I remember the first time I reached out to a sales rep regarding a “Field Application Scientist” position. I became a bench scientist to contribute to the “greater good” by using science to help people—specifically by increasing the time to diagnosis in the clinical oncology space. However, after years at the bench, working and developing new tests became a bit of a grind. Pipettes were fun, but the only reward for having “great hands” seemed to be processing more tests per hour. I had some experience in automation, but I wanted more. I wanted a greater diversity of projects—more projects each week that felt truly satisfying.
I had always considered myself more of a scientist who would be great at “having a beer with other scientists,” but I never knew that was an actual job. Turns out, it is! Thankfully, due to that one day 10+ years ago, I ended up completely changing the course of my career. I still spend a large amount of time in labs, but now I use the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to expand my sphere of influence, travel to new and interesting places, and see how the specific application segment I was passionate about is conducted on a much grander scale. Even today, the nuances, trends, and deviations are frustratingly fascinating to me.
Mastery of science and automation together is a tall order, but being a SME (subject matter expert) alone is not enough. You must also have the soft skills and emotional intelligence to win over a customer in a competitive environment in real time—it’s a real challenge! Being an SME will only get you so far, but being able to sell yourself as the authentic you is just as important to the process. Of the two, learning the jujitsu of technical sales may actually be harder than mastering the technical aspects, as it is forever changing based on a nearly infinite number of potential variables.
All in all, I am very lucky to have pursued my career in PreSales. Over a decade later, every day is still new and exciting, and even as an "old dog" at this point, I never know what will happen next. I’ve been to fascinating places, worked on projects that have impacted millions, and built lifelong relationships along the way. It is truly one of the most rewarding life choices I have ever made, and I am humbled to owe it all to one fateful day, a phone call, and some very wise people who saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.
I would recommend this path to anyone who wants more than life at the bench, enjoys talking to fellow scientists and engineers, and loves working in a dynamic and ever-changing environment.