If you’re building a sales career, there will be moments that don’t go to plan.
Recently, we spoke to a candidate who had been a high-performing Sales Development Representative in enterprise software. They stepped into an Account Executive role with a smaller vendor. Bigger title. Bigger salary. Clear progression on paper.
Four months later, they were out of the business.
In brief:
- Not every SDR → AE move is the right move at the right time.
- Short stints happen — but lying about them will end your offer.
- Ownership and clarity make you more credible, not less.
Overview
Progression from SDR to Account Executive is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — transitions in B2B sales.
On paper, it feels logical. You can build pipeline. You understand the product. You’ve earned the right to close.
But closing revenue consistently is a different discipline. It requires commercial judgement, deal strategy, negotiation confidence, forecasting accuracy and executive-level conversations. In larger organisations, that transition is often supported. In smaller vendors, it frequently isn’t.
When the move happens too quickly, or without the right environment, performance can suffer. That isn’t unusual. What matters is how you handle it afterwards.
In the UK and EMEA market, reference checks are standard. Employment status is verified. And integrity matters more than most candidates realise. One poor decision on a CV can undo an otherwise strong application.
The SDR to AE Jump: Where It Often Goes Wrong
The candidate in this case was capable, intelligent and credible. They could generate pipeline consistently. They understood enterprise sales cycles.
But generating pipeline and closing enterprise revenue are not the same skillset.
In a smaller vendor, expectations are different:
- You are expected to run full-cycle deals immediately.
- You are expected to manage complex objections alone.
- You are expected to forecast accurately from month one.
- You are expected to close quickly.
There is rarely a long runway.
Larger software organisations often build structured AE development paths — shadowing, deal reviews, leadership coaching, late-stage support. Smaller businesses usually hire AEs because they need revenue now.
If you step into that environment before you’re ready, the gap shows quickly.
That doesn’t make you a bad salesperson. It means the move was mistimed or unsupported.
The Bigger Mistake: Trying to Hide It
After being let go, the candidate received advice from another recruiter: list the role as a contract on your CV.
This is, quite simply, terrible advice.
Here’s why.
When you receive an offer in the UK or EMEA, most organisations will conduct reference checks. They may not ask about performance. They may not ask why you left.
But they will confirm:
- Job title
- Employment dates
- Whether the role was permanent or contract
If your CV says “contract” and the employer confirms it was permanent, the offer is very likely withdrawn.
At that point, the issue is no longer performance.
It’s integrity.
And in sales — where trust, transparency and commercial credibility are fundamental — that is far harder to recover from.
Short Tenures Are Not Career-Ending
Let’s be clear.
A three- or four-month stint in a first-time AE role is not automatically damaging.
Most hiring managers understand that:
- Not every progression move works.
- Smaller vendors can be high-pressure environments.
- First-time closers need development.
What concerns hiring managers is avoidance of responsibility.
If a candidate blames:
- The market
- The economy
- The product
- The leadership
- The lack of support
…without acknowledging their own readiness gap, it raises questions.
Strong hiring managers in UK sales teams are not looking for perfection. They’re looking for coachability, self-awareness and resilience.
Everyone has a blip somewhere in their career. What differentiates high performers long-term is what they do with it.
How to Position It Properly on Your CV
First: don’t remove it.
Second: don’t disguise it.
Third: own it.
Your CV should clearly state the role as permanent. The dates should be accurate. The title should be accurate.
In your interview — and, where appropriate, briefly in your CV summary — you should articulate:
- Why you took the role
- What you underestimated
- What you learned
- What you would do differently
For example:
“I moved into a first-time AE role in a smaller vendor environment. In hindsight, I underestimated the step-up required in deal strategy and late-stage negotiation. I learned quickly that I need structured coaching and exposure to complex closing scenarios to perform at my best. It clarified the type of environment I’ll thrive in.”
That answer builds credibility.
It shows reflection.
It shows maturity.
And most importantly, it shows ownership.
If you need practical guidance on structuring this properly, watch our CV Writing tips.
Why Ownership Matters More Than Excuses
In sales, results matter. But so does mindset.
When hiring managers assess candidates for AE roles — whether mid-market or enterprise — they are looking beyond numbers.
They are assessing:
- Judgement
- Commercial awareness
- Accountability
- Learning velocity
A candidate who says, “I wasn’t ready, and here’s what I’ve done since to close that gap,” is significantly stronger than one who rewrites history.
We’ve seen candidates recover quickly from short, unsuccessful moves. Many go on to build excellent AE careers.
What we’ve never seen recover well is dishonesty discovered at offer stage.
Once trust is damaged, especially in a revenue-generating role, most employers will not take the risk.
The Commercial Reality
There’s also a broader point here for candidates moving from SDR to AE.
Progression should not be driven purely by title and salary.
It should be driven by:
- Deal exposure
- Coaching infrastructure
- Sales leadership quality
- Time-to-productivity expectations
A well-supported AE role at the right stage of your development is far more valuable than an accelerated title change in the wrong environment.
At CN Sales Recruitment, we regularly advise candidates to wait six or twelve months longer if it means making the right move rather than the fast move.
Your long-term credibility is worth more than a short-term salary uplift.
Key Takeaways
- Do not lie about employment status on your CV — it will be verified.
- A short tenure is survivable; integrity issues are not.
- Own performance gaps and articulate what you learned.
- Blame-free explanations demonstrate maturity and coachability.
- Choose your SDR → AE transition based on support and development, not just title and pay.