Alright, now everyone who has went through this program is like, “Okay, but are they really going to be honest here?”. And the answer is yes, James, I am. This job is like…insanely difficult. And I’ll let you know why – you can decide if the risk is worth it.
Mental Health Stress:
So, this one’s a big one (and something that still impacts me daily in my field role). This program is not for the faint-hearted. Understand you are walking into a job where you are expected to learn a ton and hit the ground running from day 1. Remember up above how I was talking about how big AT&T is as a company and how they have their hands in so many spaces? You’re going to learn about all of it, all while trying to sell and having a quota your very first month. Not to mention, you are being stack ranked against your peers month-to-month and your job placement (position and location) hinges on that success. Have a bad month 1? You better be willing to work ten times as hard to hit 200% to make up for that in month 2. Also, your quota is on a ramp, so expect your month 2 quota to be at least three times what it was in month 1. Get the picture? This job is HARD. You need to be able to pick out what is important from the trainings, find your selling style, and figure out AT&T’s many archaic systems FAST or you will get overwhelmed. And I know what you’re thinking, “but this is supposed to be a training program!!!”. And you’re right, it is. So many reviews harp on the fact that the job is harsh considering it is supposed to be an entry level training role, and honestly, I agree. Even as someone that graduated top of class, the entire time I felt like I was drinking through a water hose.
HOWEVER, I will say, despite the program’s difficulty, you CAN find success. It’s hard, but it’s possible – I am living proof of that. Some days, I wanted to cry and felt so confused and under so much stress, but other days I was able to get out of my head and look at how much I had learned in such a short period. So, while this job is really difficult, you need to stay positive, committed, and patient, or you will literally lose your mind and give up. Lots of people will give up for different reasons – for some it’s the easy thing to do, for others sales really isn’t right for them, etc. Whatever the reason, I believe most reviews on Glassdoor have come from individuals that gave up. I don’t say that to judge people, in fact, I am a huge advocate for mental health and believe if something is truly messing with your head, then removing yourself from the situation is the best play (I often think of switching positions even now because of this). That said, please give this job your true best effort before tapping out. This isn’t an easy first job, but if you are patient and committed and can take on the challenge, you will be rewarded.
Manager and Technical Overlay Support:
This was my biggest pain point while in the program. At AT&T, you are not just a salesperson. In your role, you will be prospecting for business, closing the deals, ordering the product(s), overseeing installation, and then owning the account once the product is installed. That is a lot to do, especially as a new seller selling multiple different products. So, one would hope that management and technical support would be top notch while in the program. Unfortunately, that isn’t necessarily the case. While managers and technical support want to help, they are often aligned to too many sellers, and don’t have the time/incentive to help out with the hard parts of the job such as ordering/billing/customer support issues. If you have a deal and are bringing in business, your support will usually show up, but otherwise you may feel ghosted/left on read. Especially with COVID/in a virtual environment, this can feel awful. Some managers are better about this than others, and what manager/technical overlay you get will heavily influence your perspective on the program. I happen to have had a few managers while in the program, so I experienced the full spectrum of support discussed in these reviews. A lot of these reviews discuss the lack of the support, and I noticed managers/technical overlays would often ghost a seller that repeatedly asked the same question/didn’t put in any effort to find the solution themselves/learn how to do something. That said, if you are taught how to do something, take notes. Then, when a peer has issues, teach them. Open up a bridge and teach multiple people. If a peer is having an issue, figure out how to help them, even if you don’t know how. Be a team player and learn from each other. If you do that and primarily come to your manager with questions only after you have exhausted your other resources, they will take you more seriously and will be more inclined to help. In my opinion, it sucks that this happens, but in a job where this is such high turnover (as people leave the company or go into the field), I can see why managers choose to delegate their time to those that “deserve” it.
Poor Communications on Program Expectations:
This is honestly a short point. Every class is told certain criteria that will determine their placement. Your placement is determined by job availability, performance (sales and “knowledge checks”), your class, and your manager input. I really can’t tell you why, but some people in my class were held back while others could place. That said, develop a good relationship with your manager and B2B program staff so you know what’s going on – that shouldn’t have to happen, but it helps.
Payback:
Ah, yes, the $13k payback. Again, I don’t have much to say here. You should have a pretty good idea if sales at AT&T is right for you after your first few months in the program – if you leave before getting placed in your field job, the $13k payback will not apply to you. It’s certainly hard in the program, and is still hard in the field, but in the field, you are aligned to one manager and one technical overlay and are surrounded by vets in the field. You are on a ramp, are selling a specific product, and can be more laser-focused on finding success in one area. That said, if you try in the field and find out the job isn’t right for you after a few more months, owing the $13k really blows. However, this number isn’t ALL bad. Understand that AT&T believes they invested in you during the training program. Because of that, they do not want to fire you. They are patient with you in the field and many B2B sellers don’t hit their field numbers for months and aren’t put on a PIP/let go right away. Lastly, I’ve heard rumors that you don’t always owe the money depending on the circumstance.
