Four years ago I was managing 160 rental properties in Melbourne, on a salary that barely covered rent. Today I’m an SDR at one of the world’s leading enterprise software companies, living in Bali, on a six-figure income with uncapped commission.
No degree. No sales background. No one in tech in my network.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about tech sales. Big salaries, remote work, fast promotions. And part of you is wondering whether it could actually be you. It can. Here’s how.
What tech sales actually is
Tech sales means selling software to businesses. The entry-level role is called an SDR (Sales Development Representative) or BDR. Same job, different title.
Your job is to research companies, reach out by phone, email and LinkedIn, have a short conversation, and book a meeting with a senior salesperson on your team. You don’t close deals. You open doors.
It’s the best entry point into tech because every software company hires SDRs, you learn on the job, and the skills transfer to every sales role that follows.
Why Australia is a great market for this right now
Australian SaaS is scaling: Atlassian, Canva, Culture Amp, Employment Hero. Every US and European company with an APAC office hires SDRs locally too. Turnover is high, targets keep growing, teams are constantly hiring.
The Australian market is also small enough that being well-prepared makes you stand out. In the US, hiring managers sift through 300 applications per role. Here it’s often 30 to 50. You can actually compete.
30–50
applications per SDR role in Australia, versus 300+ in the US.
What companies actually look for
Tech sales hiring managers aren’t looking for experienced salespeople for SDR roles. They’re looking for entry-level people they can mould. The profile is always the same: drive and coachability. Everything else is teachable.
Drive means you’ll do the hard stuff without being chased (cold calling is uncomfortable). Coachability means you’ll take feedback and apply it.
Companies hire hospitality workers, retail managers, teachers, property managers. If you’ve worked in any job that involves humans under pressure, you have the foundation. The rest is training.
The 5 steps to land your first role
Drive and coachability. Everything else is teachable.
1. Rewrite your resume for tech sales
Hiring managers scan for specific signals: competitive achievement, metric-driven results, evidence you’ve handled rejection and hit targets. Rewrite every bullet point to surface these. “Managed front of house” becomes “Oversaw operations serving 120+ guests nightly, top-quartile customer satisfaction scores, mentored 4 junior staff.” Same job, different signal.
2. Rebuild your LinkedIn so recruiters find you
Tech recruiters source on LinkedIn first. Professional headshot, headline like “Aspiring SDR | Ex-Hospitality | Ready to transition into tech sales,” summary that tells your career-change story, and every past role rewritten with the same metric-driven language as your resume. Turn on “Open to Work.”
3. Apply strategically, not broadly
Spraying 200 applications is the worst thing you can do. Ten tailored beats a hundred generic. Focus on Series B and C startups. They hire more SDRs, promote faster, and are more open to non-traditional backgrounds.
4. Prepare for every interview round
SDR interviews in Australia typically follow this structure:
- Recruiter screen (30 minutes, cultural fit)
- Hiring manager interview (45–60 minutes, motivation and role)
- Mock cold call (you cold-call the hiring manager in a scenario)
- Panel or peer interview (45–60 minutes, meeting the team)
- Sometimes a 10-minute pitch on a topic they assign
The mock cold call is where most candidates fail. Not because they’re bad, but because they’ve never done one. Practise with a friend. Record yourself.
5. Negotiate your offer
First-time hires leave $10k to $20k on the table because they’re so relieved to get the offer. Base is usually flexible by 10% to 15%. OTE, sign-on bonuses, start date, stock, leave, and ramp period are all negotiable. Always counter.
Common mistakes that kill applications
- Generic cover letter. Every one needs a sentence proving you researched the company.
- No clear “why sales” answer. “I like talking to people” is not it. Get specific, personal, connected to your past.
- Bad-mouthing your current employer. Frame the move as moving toward something, not running from something.
- Ghosting recruiters.The Australian tech recruiter market is small. If you’re not ready, say so. Never go silent.
- Ignoring commission structure. Everyone asks about base. Almost no one asks about quota, ramp, or accelerators. Those determine your take-home.
6–12 weeks
from decision to signed offer for most QuotaClub clients.
Realistic timeline and salary expectations
Most people land their first SDR role within 6 to 12 weeks of serious effort. “Serious” means 5 focused hours a week. Entry-level base in Australia: $60k to $90k. On-target earnings: $110k to $130k in year one. Top performers push $150k+.
Senior SDR at 12 to 18 months. AE at 18 to 24 months, with OTEs of $180k to $250k. Two years in, you’re earning more than most professionals with a decade of experience in other industries. Few careers compound this fast without a degree.
The decision to back yourself isn’t teachable. The rest is just execution.
The one thing that matters more than any of this
Every person I’ve helped land a tech sales role had one thing in common. They decided they were doing this, and they didn’t stop.
The mechanics are learnable in a few weeks. What’s not teachable is the decision to back yourself. To apply when you don’t feel ready. To counter when your instinct is to accept.
If you’re already at that point, the rest is just execution.