I made this transition about 8 years into my career, moving from a software engineer specializing in performance to an OEM sales engineer customizing a product

I made this transition about 8 years into my career, moving from a software engineer specializing in performance to an OEM sales engineer customizing a product to hit a market’s performance needs. Some of the most enjoyable time of my career. Unfortunately, the sales people treat you as they’re inferior. Simply a tool in their bag of tricks to make their sale. As your innovation doubles their sales, somehow it was their amazing sales capabilities instead… I eventually transitioned to an end customer sales engineer role, and found myself demoing a product that was effectively shrink wrapped software, searching for customer fit. In those roles it’s feast or famine, and current economy suggests it’s going to be famine for a few years. I’d recommend against making the transition for a couple years especially in these end customer positions. I’m now back on the development side of the house, and my view of the product development is forever changed. While I’m looking for innovation to immediately improve customer experience, my colleagues are focused on ivory tower solutions that will make their own lives easier in 2 years. I feel I’m more aligned with what our executives want to achieve for our customers and business. Although I recommend the experience in your career, don’t do it now unless you bring a unique skillset to the role which is a key differentiator for the product.