Women Who Sell With Jess Addenbrooke

‘Women Who Sell’ is all about showcasing women who sell, and are thriving and challenging stereotypes. We feature real perspectives of what it’s like, the barriers and the breakthroughs.

Here, Jess Addenbrooke, Senior Recruitment Consultant at enable recruitment shares her take.

What is your job title?

Senior Recruitment Consultant.

How did you get into sales and what makes it the career of your choice?

I fell into sales after finishing my Film degree in 2021.

I was unsure what direction I wanted to take and ended up in a Recruitment Consultant role, where I initially had absolutely no idea what I was doing! After 6 months of nothing but confusion, something clicked, and I finally understood the job and how important my role is when supporting candidates in finding the right role and supporting clients through their hiring processes.

Since working in recruitment, my confidence has grown massively and I am lucky to be a part of something that gives me such high job satisfaction.

Are there any barriers you have faced as a woman working in sales, and how have you overcome them?

At the very start of my career, I began struggling with endometriosis, a life-long chronic illness where tissue, similar to the lining of the womb, begins to grow on the outside of the womb. Endometriosis can be triggered by stress, and of course, working in sales can be very stressful.

In turn, this means that I have had, and will continue to have, time off for hospital appointments, operations, and generally feeling unwell more regularly than the average person. This can then cause more stress to hit targets. Sales is still very male-dominated, so it’s always been important for me to find the right environment where I feel comfortable to speak up and educate those around me. I’ve been lucky enough to be supported throughout my whole career in recruitment, however, it’s easy for women to be overlooked and I would encourage anyone to speak up about women’s health.

What do you like the most about being a woman in sales?

My favourite thing about working in sales is feeling empowered as a woman working in a male-dominated industry. I have overcome so many barriers with my health, both physically and mentally, and still managed to build strong relationships, consistently hit targets, and push my career in the right direction.

What advice do you have for a woman wanting to get into sales and those wanting to advance?

Sales is an incredible confidence builder and I would encourage any woman who is interested to push themselves out of their comfort zone and do it. One of my favourite stats is “Women in sales are, on average, 11% more likely to close a sale than their male counterparts”. Most women keep their successes to themselves whilst men have a tendency to be much more vocal. Throw yourself in the deep end and go for it!

If you would like to get involved with the blog series and share your story as a woman in the sales industry, we’d LOVE to hear from you. And head over to Women Who Sell’s LinkedIn for more content.