Pros
There’s a clear and somewhat achievable path to becoming an AE. It’ll be terrible, but you can do it—if you’re willing to set aside any other priorities in your life for a while. Whether you like it or not, the training is intense, and you’ll sharpen your skills quickly just from the sheer amount of responsibility and workload—first as an SDR, and even more so as an AE. Anywhere you go after this, you’ll be absolutely miles ahead of peers with “similar” experience.
Cons
Short answer: Overworked, under paid, under appreciated. Background: Leadership leans heavily into micromanagement, tracking your every move while shutting down any real ask for needed support. You’re expected to grind without question. SDR and AR teams operate in silos with conflicting goals, and comp plans are extremely unrealistic (one year, only one AE hit quota). Burnout isn’t a risk—it’s fully baked in. Honestly, the most common conversation and initial bond between reps is about how much they hate everything.
