Field trainers are responsible for helping new employees to learn their jobs. In most cases, these professionals work in areas such as sales and accounts management, where employees meet clients, sell products, and develop positive relations with outside parties. It is especially common to find field trainers in fields where a specialized knowledge is required, such as in medical product sales. To become a field trainer, it almost always is necessary to have an undergraduate degree in a field such as management, human resources, or education. It might be helpful to think of field trainers as educators or instructors who specialize in teaching sales skills to employees.
In most cases, a graduate degree is not necessary for a person who wants to become a field trainer. This kind of credential, however, certainly cannot hurt your chances of landing this position. In more competitive job markets, a graduate degree that allows you to focus on training and management might help you to stand apart from the competition. If you want to become a field trainer in a specialized area, such as software sales, some advanced courses in a related field might help you to be a more appealing job candidate.
A person who wants to become field trainer should get as much hands-on experience in his or her area of choice as soon as possible. Many people take internships and entry level positions while they are college students. For instance, if you want to become a field trainer in the insurance industry, you might want to work toward a degree in education, management, or human resources. While you are studying, take an entry level position in an insurance company as a client service representative or in data entry. By the time you graduate, you might be eligible to take an entry level position in the human resources or training department of an insurance company.
It is common for a field trainer to be a relatively high level position. Individuals in these roles tend to have been in a specific industry for a number of years. They might have a strong understanding of a number of different aspects of an industry. It is just as important, however, to be able to communicate this knowledge in a clear way that new employees can understand.
A person who would like to become a field trainer might be a great motivational speaker, as well. He or she should have a knack for inspiring confidence in others. It is also important to make employees feel that they are working together to meet common goals.
