How do I get a job in software sales?

I didn't get the job, but I have been sort of offered a better job?

• I didn't get the job, but I have been sort of offered a better job at the same company in the future? Is there anything I can do besides wait? I'm currently an office manager for a small marketing firm. It's a very small company, the owner and I are the only administrative staff, everyone else is a sales manager. I've been sort of applying for jobs here and there that sound appealing since I have the advantage of already having a job and I'm worried about the financial health of my company. I applied for an executive assistant position for the president of a medium sized, successful, local company. I killed my interviews and it was between another person and me, they went with the other person. I wrote the customary "thank you for not hiring me" letter and asked if they had any feedback. The president called me and spoke with me for about 40 minutes about how I should not feel bad at all for not getting the job, the other person's personality fit the assistant role better, but he did want to hire me for a marketing position. Yay!! It was a very flattering phone call, but essentially he said he recognized my creativity and talent and thought my personality would be wonderful for a marketing position. He said he still very much wants me to work for the company and he will "make" a position for me. However, he said their budgeting was done at the beginning of the year and there's no position for me to fill so I might have to wait until then. After further discussion he seemed to think that maybe he could make it happen sooner. Now, I have very little marketing experience, but I was a digital art major and am very familiar with most creative software. I currently work at marketing firm and produce a great deal of marketing material and come up with marketing ideas. I didn't study it at all, but I am very interested in it and so far I've made significant contributions to my current company. In short: THIS COULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIELD THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, BUT DIDN'T REALLY INTEND ON GETTING INTO. I am SOOO stoked and feel like this could really be like my "big break" into the marketing field. The company I would work for is really wonderful to their employees and seems to value innovation and out-of-the-box ideas. I REALLY REALLY want to work for them. In this phone conversation the president pretty much told me that they would be happy to pay to do everything I love to do! My question: How do I make sure this opportunity doesn't slip away? I didn't send a thank you note for his phone call (this was Friday), because I already sent a thank you note for not getting the job and thanked him many times over the phone and I thought it might be overkill. When and how is it appropriate to e-mail him to follow-up? Is there anything that I could send him to help further affirm that I would be a great employee? I think I can clearly articulate specific examples of how I've boosted my current company's social marketing, e-mail campaigns, web visibility, etc. Should I at some point send that in an e-mail? Wait until I get maybe another interview for this potential job? Help? I have no idea what I'm doing here. I know mostly I should wait, but I just want to make sure that I follow-up on this as appropriately, professionally (but persistently) as possible because I really, REALLY, REALLY want this job. Any advice is highly appreciated.

• Answer:

  Money talks and bullshit walks. Unless and until there's an actual job, this is just "drunk talk", sweet, sweet, drunk talk. I'm sure they really liked you, but at the end of the day, unless there's a position, with money, it's a sweet fantasy. On a scale of 1-100, I'd say that the chances of this actually turning into something is about 15%. He basically said, "If you wait for seven months, I might have something for you, no promises." Connect with this guy on LinkedIn and keep looking for other jobs. Apply to other jobs you think you'd like, if Marketing is an interest, join some marketing groups and do some workshops. Read up and see if you can worm some experience into your current job. Put out a newsletter, create some social media presense, etc. I'd say touch base with this guy periodically, via LinkedIn, and keep checking the company website for other positions. But don't hold your breath. Yes, the president went above and beyond to talk with you, but I wouldn't start campaigning for him to hire you. If he's serious, he'll make it happen.