Professional Guide
These are insights into Business Development & Sales across different sectors for you to explore in greater depth. For more information on ideal candidates, opportunities at IE, the application and recruitment process, and additional resources, please return to the main Business Development & Sales Guide.
Tech sales is one of the highest-paying, fastest-growing career paths in 2026. Companies are hiring globally for BD & Sales roles, especially junior positions (internships and graduate programs). With the AI boom and shift to SaaS business models, demand for sales talent has never been higher, and most roles offer remote/hybrid flexibility, equity compensation, and rapid career progression. Key subsectors:
Top Tech Companies
Unicorns & ScaleUps
Startups
Finance sales is about building trusted relationships to help clients achieve their financial goals: whether managing wealth, executing trades, or accessing capital. This sector offers high compensation, prestige, and long-term client relationships. In 2026, the FinTech boom has created a bridge between traditional finance and tech-style selling, opening new pathways for early-career professionals.
Financial sales roles require deep product knowledge, regulatory awareness, and exceptional relationship-building skills. Clients range from high-net-worth individuals to large corporations, and sales cycles can span months or even years, but the deal sizes and commissions reflect that investment. Some subsectors in Finance to consider if interested in Sales & Business Development roles:
Global Market (Sales & Trading)
Sales & Trading professionals execute buy and sell orders for financial products, equities (stocks), fixed income (bonds), commodities (oil, natural gas), foreign exchange, and derivatives. Traders seek incremental profit on each transaction, while salespeople build relationships with institutional clients (hedge funds, pension funds, asset managers).
Key skills: Market analysis, quick decision-making, risk management, client relationship management
Top companies: Barclays, Citi, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley
Private Wealth Management (Private Banking)
Private Wealth Managers (also called Private Bankers or Wealth Advisors) work with high-net-worth individuals and families to manage investments, plan estates, and navigate complex financial decisions. The role is deeply relationship-driven — building long-term trust with clients whose portfolios often exceed $1M+. This is a consultative sales role: you're not pushing products, you're designing customized financial strategies. Success depends on deep financial expertise, discretion, and networking ability.
Key skills: Financial planning, investment strategy, relationship management, regulatory knowledge
Top companies: UBS, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Private Bank, JPMorgan Private Bank
Corporate & Commercial Banking
Corporate Banking focuses on lending, treasury management, and financial services for mid-size to large enterprises. Sales roles (often called Relationship Managers) involve building relationships with CFOs and finance teams to offer credit facilities, working capital solutions, and cash management services. This is a major entry point for finance sales, less competitive than Private Wealth or S&T, but still high-value and relationship-intensive.
Key skills: Credit analysis, business acumen, relationship management, financial modeling
Top companies: JPMorgan Commercial Banking, Bank of America Business Banking, HSBC, Citi, Wells Fargo
Fintech
FinTech represents the convergence of finance and technology, companies using software to deliver financial services faster, cheaper, and more efficiently. Sales roles in FinTech combine tech-style selling (SaaS sales cycles, product demos, metrics-driven) with financial services expertise. Two main categories:
FinTech sales offers the fast career progression and equity compensation of tech, combined with financial services domain expertise. It's an ideal bridge for students interested in both sectors.
Top companies (B2B): Stripe, Plaid, Adyen, Ramp, Brex, Wise, Checkout.com
Top companies (B2C): Revolut, N26, Klarna, Chime, Nubank, Robinhood
Networking is everything. Many finance sales roles are filled through referrals rather than open applications. Start early:
Check out the careers pages of the companies listed above, filtering by: business development, sales, graduate program, analyst, relationship manager, wealth advisor.
Industrial sales offers high-value B2B opportunities with long-term client relationships and substantial deal sizes. These roles combine technical product knowledge with relationship management, making them ideal for students with STEM backgrounds or strong curiosity about how things work. In 2026, traditional industrial sectors are undergoing digital transformation (IoT, AI-driven manufacturing, Industry 4.0), creating new opportunities for tech-savvy sales professionals.
Sales cycles are typically longer (3–12 months), deals are larger, and the focus is on consultative selling to technical stakeholders (engineers, procurement managers, plant directors). Roles often include travel and face-to-face relationship building.
Industrial & Manufacturing
This encompasses construction materials, chemicals, manufacturing equipment, and industrial products. Sales are technical and B2B-focused, you're selling everything from building materials and chemical specialties to machinery, automation systems, and industrial components. Your clients are typically purchasing departments, site managers, engineers, and operations teams. Success requires understanding technical specifications, supply chain dynamics, and long-term relationship management.
Key roles: Technical Sales, Inside Sales, Key Account Manager (KAM), Product Manager, Business Development Manager
Top companies: BASF, Siemens, Honeywell, 3M, Sika, Saint-Gobain, Hilti, ABB, Schneider Electric, Emerson, Henkel, Air Liquide, Caterpillar
Automotive
The automotive sector includes vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) and the tiered supplier network (Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies).
Sales roles focus on managing relationships with purchasing and engineering departments. In 2026, the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is creating significant demand for sales professionals who understand battery systems, electric drivetrains, and charging infrastructure.
Key roles: Sales Engineer, Key Account Manager, Inside Sales, Product Manager, After-Sales Manager
Top companies (Traditional OEMs): BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Group, Ford, Nissan, Stellantis
Top companies (EV & Suppliers): Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Bosch, VALEO, Faurecia, Continental, ZF
Energy & Climate Tech
The energy sector is rapidly shifting toward renewable energy and climate technology, this is where the growth is in 2026. Sales roles focus on:
These roles are highly consultative, selling complex, multi-stakeholder projects to governments, utilities, corporations, and developers. The interlocutors vary by project type and size.
Key roles: Business Development Manager, Commercial Engineer, Key Account Manager, Sales Executive, Technical Sales
Top companies (Renewables): Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Ørsted, EDP Renewables, Iberdrola, Enel Green Power, Tesla Energy, Northvolt
Top companies (Traditional Energy): Shell, TotalEnergies, Repsol, BP
Technical background helps but isn't required. What matters most: curiosity about how things work, ability to quickly learn complex products, and strong relationship-building skills. Many companies offer extensive training programs on technical product knowledge. Focus on demonstrating:
Check out the careers pages of the companies listed above, filtering by: business development, sales, graduate program, key account manager, commercial manager, technical sales.
FMCG sales offers the opportunity to work with iconic, household-name brands that millions of people use every day. It's a fast-paced, competitive environment with clear career progression and strong graduate programs from companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and L'Oréal. In 2026, the sector is evolving rapidly with e-commerce, direct-to-consumer brands, and retail media networks creating new sales channels beyond traditional retail.
| SUBSECTOR | TOP COMPANIES |
|---|---|
| Food & Beverage | Nestlé Coca-Cola PepsiCo Danone Mondelez |
| Personal Care & Beauty | L'Oréal Unilever Procter & Gamble Estée Lauder Henkel |
| Household Care | Procter & Gamble Unilever Reckitt Benckiser SC Johnson Henkel |
| Health & Wellness | Johnson & Johnson Bayer GSK Reckitt Haleon |
| Baby & Childcare | P&G (Pampers) Kimberly-Clark Nestlé (Gerber) Danone (Aptamil) |
| ENTRY POINTS | |
|
Graduate Programs Rotational schemes with structured training and mentorship |
Internal Sales Roles Direct entry into field sales or trade marketing positions |
| TYPICAL CAREER PATH | |
| Field Sales Representative → Key Account Manager → Sales Director / Head of Sales | |
Hands-on retail experience matters. Many successful FMCG sales professionals start with field sales internships, merchandising roles, or even part-time retail work during university. FMCG companies value energy, resilience, and commercial awareness, often more than academic credentials.
Consider applying to graduate programs early (applications often open 12+ months before start dates). Companies like P&G, Unilever, and L'Oréal have highly competitive rotational programs with structured training. Many IE students have successfully entered FMCG through these programs, check out Ana Ibarra's journey towards a Sales Graduate Program for a real example.
Check out the careers pages of the companies listed above, filtering by: business development, sales, graduate program, field sales, key account manager, trade marketing.