Seems like a great opportunity on the surface...
Pros
Fantastic training department that prepares you for hitting the sales floor. The trainers truly care about the success of the academy reps and whether or not they are successful when they join their new teams. Culture can be great when you are on team that works hard to have fun. Limitless opportunity - as it relates to the types of companies that will consider you as a candidate after your time with Gartner.
Cons
Huge morale issues on the sales floor currently as the SMB organization is growing but he territories are not. Every year the leadership team adds 7-8 new teams of 4-5 people without growing the prospecting territories. As much of the job is focused on net new prospecting, many people are finding it hard to sell due to the shrinking territories and favoritism coming from managers. Leadership in the SMB channel can be hit or miss. You may have a manager that was hired for the right reasons and know what they are doing or you can have a manager who was hired solely because they were successful as an AE. When the latter occurs, you get a manager who cares only about themselves and their career rather than their people. I have heard from people personally that their manager went above and beyond to put someone on a performance plan just so they can eventually coach them out of the sales organization. Additionally, there are many people that are leaving the sales organization and also leaving Gartner as a whole right now due to the issues SMB is facing. The success you have in the role can largely depend on what team/territory you are assigned and also whether or not your manager likes you. Managers have the discretion to decide who gets certain leads when they come into the team rather than there being some sort of rotation.
