Position Plus Points: Good remuneration from commission sales, open work environment, good benefits package and opportunities for training and advancement in a stable company.

Carol Campbell smiles quietly when she hears people say they could never undertake a career in sales because they don't think they could do it.

"Every day, everyone has to sell something," she explains. "You may be selling yourself, you may be selling your idea, but you just can't get through life and not sell something. So we can all do it."

She believes it's just confidence that makes the difference between those who actually make a career of sales and those who confine their sales activity to what they must do to reach other goals in life.

Carol speaks with a quiet confidence herself, because she knows first hand that you can move into a sales career at different points in your life.

"It is also a very stable company where people are encouraged to speak up and present their ideas and say what's on their mind, and I appreciate that."

For herself, she had a variety of different job experiences and even some stay-at-home mom years before she found herself accepting a position as an advertising consultant with the Miramichi Leader, part of the Brunswick News Inc. group of newspapers.

That was just two years ago, and she has discovered in that time how much she enjoys sales as a career.

Carol says being comfortable in your own shoes is the first step to developing confidence in sales. Next comes knowing your product inside and out and then listening, really listening, to your client.

"I call it the process of engaging, where you learn not only about your clients products, but also about their goals and aspirations for their company," she says.

Another vital key to success is developing a strategy. As well, each salesperson must learn a technique they feel comfortable with in closing a sale.

Carol also places a high emphasis on learning about her customers, their businesses and their needs so she can tailor an individual advertising campaign that will be really effective for them.

"I think you have to learn as much about their business as you do about your own," she said. "You accomplish that over time by listening to them and observing and asking questions."

When she prepares to contact a new potential client, she researches the business prior to visiting and tries to learn as much as she can prior to their first meeting.

"Building relationships is really the most important aspect of this job," she says passionately. "It's a wonderful point in the relationship when you know that the clients trust you enough to share their budget with you and ask you to develop a campaign that you believe will be most effective for them. That's rewarding and you do your absolute best job for them, because you want them to succeed as much as they do."

A native of Chatham in Miramichi Carol lived away for about 15 years, settling for periods of time in Edmonton, Vancouver, Ontario, and Moncton. Eleven years ago Carol came home to settle in her beloved home city, along with her son Liam, now 13.

With a background in banking and accounting, she embarked on retraining herself, first, jumping into the familiar field of administrtion and eventually serving as general manager of the Business Improvement Area Historic Water street.

She said the newspaper sales job evolved over a meeting for coffee with the management.

While admitting that she was looking for a change, Carol said she finds Brunswick News an appealing career option for a number of reasons.

"That meant more time to spend with my son and my family, and that was very important to me."

"The job had a very definite focus and I found that attractive. I wanted something where I could really concentrate on it from Monday to Friday, but not have it constantly on my mind even when I wasn't at the office. And I knew that I really enjoyed working with the business community, so I thought it would be a good fit."

Carol said she was also persuaded to take the plunge when she considered the other pluses of the job. These included an attractive benefits and remuneration package and a work week that ran Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"That meant more time to spend with my son and my family, and that was very important to me."

Adding to that were training options offered by Brunswick News, and opportunities for advancement.

"That is one of the nice things about working for a big company. These options are made clear to us and we are reminded of them each year when we undergo our annual review," she explained.

"It is also a very stable company where people are encouraged to speak up and present their ideas and say what's on their mind, and I appreciate that."

First year advertising sales consultants can expect to earn about $35,000 and that grows as their client list does to around $40,000 to $45,000. Experienced sales consultants make more than $60,000 a year.

"It is scary to leave a straight salaried position and take one that depends significantly on commission sales, especially when you are the sole breadwinner of your family, but you really can do very well as you work at it," she says now.

Carol was serving on seven community boards when she moved over to work at the Miramichi Leader, and gradually she divested herself of some of this workload and tried to leave a year open just to re-examine her work/life balance.

Recently she felt ready to again immerse herself in a volunteer project, and the one she chose is intensely special and personal to her. She is involved with a legacy project entitled "Lifting the Stone" to raise $1.2 million over 24 months to help sustain St. Michael's Basilica at 10 Howard St. in Miramichi.

The amazing structure is a dominant feature of Chatham and is one of the largest churches in Eastern Canada. Construction on the neo-Gothic structure started in 1903 and was finished in 1921. It is a rare work of art that needs to be lovingly sustained, even though it is facing declining membership and resources as most historical churches are.

Carol said her small committee, which includes Rev. John Fraser, pastor, has provided a gateway for parishioners to share their knowledge, talents and resources through a host of activities, fundraisers and conservation strategies. Now everything is falling into place, with lots of eager parishioners involved.

"This kind of project can continue forever to help keep the church up," says Carol happily, clearly so pleased to be connected back into the community she loves and shares with four sisters and her mother. Her brother lives in Niagara Falls.

Asked if she had any tips for young people just starting in the sales business, Carol suggested that people just be themselves and suggested that's where the confidence comes in.

"And have fun with it," she adds.

She said the working environment at Brunswick News allows people to basically be their own bosses.

"You know the goal and you can develop the agenda to make it happen. You have to build those relationships and manage your own schedule with the tools you are given. You must be truthful and honest with your clients and feel good about the reward of helping them grow their business."

"I really value the relationships I grow on the job more than anything," she confessed. "Any job is meaningless if you only do it for the pay cheque, even though you need it."

Carol's quick guide to being an advertising sales consultant with a weekly newspaper:

• Skills needed: Confidence, relationship-building, good organization skills, effective time management and the ability to be one's natural self.
• Pluses of the position: Good remuneration from commission sales, open work environment, good benefits package and opportunities for training and advancement in a stable company.
• Negatives of the job: If you're used to all your income being derived from a salary, the idea of commission sales can be scary.
• Advice to someone hoping to do this work: Be yourself. That's where the confidence comes from. Develop a strategy, great relationships and have fun with it.
• Salary: $35,000 - $60,000 plus
• Pace of the day: You have a lot of autonomy about how you plan and execute your day. You have goals to meet and it's up to you how to achieve them.
• Most unique aspect of this career: The reward of building sustained relationships and bonds of trust with customers as you help them grow their businesses is a wonderful feeling.