Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

Hi Prudence,

I have about 5 years of regional sales management experience for one of the big lighting companies and am interested in running a branch for an electrical distributor, can you help me find a job?

Tony

Hi Tony-

I don’t intend to be rude, but no. When I’m contracted by a distributor to find a branch manager, they’re looking for someone who has already managed a branch for another electrical distributor, typically of similar size P&L  and headcount with experience in whatever market they serve. The rules are different when a client hires a recruiter, they are looking for someone they can ‘plug and play’ and someone with no experience in the above mentioned areas can’t do that. Not to say that distributors won’t hire manufacturing candidates directly, they will, but when they work with me, they want someone who can provide an fast ROI. Recruiters just aren’t a great way to break into that end of the business.

Prudence