The programme is designed for graduates who want to build careers in technology sales, commercial strategy, account management and customer engagement. Successful candidates will gain practical experience across Core Group’s sales operations while working with leading technology brands and experienced commercial professionals.
The opportunity is open to graduates with qualifications in Business Management, Marketing, Commerce, Economics, Engineering, Supply Chain, Information Systems, Finance and related fields. The supplied vacancy information does not include a closing date. Applicants should therefore apply through the official Core Group recruitment platform while the opportunity remains open.
Core Group Sales Programme Overview
| Employer: Core Group
| Programme: Sales Graduate Programme
| Division: Core Group
| Business unit: One Sandton Drive
| Location: Sandton, Gauteng
| Industry: Technology, Marketing and Advertising
| Functional area: Sales and Marketing
| Programme duration: 12 months
| Employment type: Contract
| Experience level: Graduate or internship level
| Best Before: Not stated
| Remuneration: Not stated
About Core Group
Core Group represents several international technology brands across Sub Saharan Africa.
Its business activities include:
- Retail
- Sales
- Marketing
- Supply chain
- Customer experience
- Finance
- Human resources
- Business development
- Technology services
The company operates across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Nigeria.
Through its graduate programmes Core Group aims to develop commercially minded professionals who understand technology products, customer behaviour and modern sales operations.
About the Sales Graduate Programme
- The Sales Graduate Programme provides recent graduates with structured workplace experience in Core Group’s commercial environment.
- Participants will work with experienced sales teams while learning how technology products are positioned, promoted and sold through different channels.
- The programme combines practical work, coaching, mentoring and exposure to cross functional business projects.
Graduates may gain experience in:
- Sales planning
- Commercial reporting
- Account management
- Retail operations
- Customer engagement
- Sales forecasting
- Market analysis
- Product launches
- Promotional campaigns
- Business development
The programme may be particularly valuable for graduates who want to understand how sales decisions affect revenue, profitability and long term business growth.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s Degree within the last three years.
Accepted fields include:
- Business Management
- Marketing
- Commerce
- Economics
- Industrial Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Supply Chain Management
- Information Systems
- Finance
- Related qualifications
Applicants should also:
- Be based in Gauteng or be willing to relocate
- Be willing to travel where required
- Have an interest in sales and commercial leadership
- Be comfortable working with customers and business partners
- Demonstrate strong communication skills
- Be able to work in a fast paced environment
- Show analytical and problem solving ability
- Be confident using Microsoft Excel
- Demonstrate initiative and resilience
A valid driver’s licence will be advantageous.
Qualifications That May Be Relevant
Business and Commerce
Graduates with qualifications in Business Management, Commerce or Economics may contribute knowledge in:
- Business operations
- Customer markets
- Commercial strategy
- Economics
- Management
- Business planning
- Revenue growth
Marketing
Marketing graduates may contribute experience in:
- Customer research
- Brand positioning
- Campaign planning
- Digital marketing
- Product promotion
- Consumer behaviour
- Market analysis
Finance
Finance graduates may support:
- Sales performance analysis
- Forecasting
- Commercial reporting
- Budget awareness
- Revenue analysis
- Profitability assessment
- Business decision support
Engineering
Industrial and Electrical Engineering graduates may bring:
- Analytical thinking
- Process improvement
- Technical product understanding
- Data analysis
- Operational efficiency
- Systems thinking
Supply Chain
Supply Chain graduates may support:
- Product availability
- Inventory planning
- Sales and operations coordination
- Demand forecasting
- Distribution planning
- Supplier and retail operations
Information Systems
Information Systems graduates may contribute to:
- Sales data management
- Customer relationship systems
- Business reporting
- Digital platforms
- Data analysis
- Process automation
Duties and Responsibilities
The successful graduates will support Core Group’s sales and commercial teams across several areas.
Sales Support
Graduates may assist with:
- Supporting the Sales team
- Helping achieve business targets
- Preparing sales information
- Following up on operational actions
- Supporting customer relationships
- Assisting account management activities
- Coordinating information between departments
Sales Planning
Responsibilities may include:
- Supporting sales plans
- Monitoring sales targets
- Reviewing customer demand
- Assisting with forecasts
- Preparing performance reports
- Identifying sales opportunities
- Supporting planning meetings
Sales Performance Analysis
Graduates may analyse:
- Sales results
- Customer buying trends
- Product performance
- Market activity
- Channel performance
- Promotional results
- Commercial opportunities
This experience can help participants understand how businesses use data to improve sales and financial performance.
Forecasting and Reporting
Participants may assist with:
- Sales forecasts
- Monthly reports
- Commercial presentations
- Revenue tracking
- Product demand reports
- Customer performance information
- Management updates
Product Launches
The graduate may learn how Core Group prepares for and supports new technology product launches.
This could include:
- Product information
- Sales planning
- Retail readiness
- Stock coordination
- Promotional support
- Customer communication
- Performance monitoring
Marketing and Promotions
Graduates may support:
- Promotional campaigns
- Brand activations
- Sales communication
- Retail promotions
- Campaign reporting
- Product awareness activities
Retail Operations
Exposure may include:
- Store operations
- Merchandising
- Customer engagement
- Retail performance
- Product displays
- Sales support
- Partner relationships
Stakeholder Relationships
The programme will involve collaboration with:
- Sales leaders
- Retail partners
- Customers
- Marketing teams
- Finance teams
- Supply Chain teams
- Customer Experience teams
- Retail Operations teams
Graduates may also present ideas, recommendations and project updates to business leaders.
Skills Graduates May Gain
Sales Skills
- Sales planning
- Customer relationship management
- Account support
- Business development
- Product positioning
- Sales forecasting
- Customer engagement
Commercial Skills
- Revenue awareness
- Profitability thinking
- Market analysis
- Commercial strategy
- Performance reporting
- Business decision support
- Sales operations
Analytical Skills
- Microsoft Excel
- Sales data analysis
- Customer trend analysis
- Forecasting
- Problem solving
- Market research
- Performance measurement
Communication Skills
- Business presentations
- Professional writing
- Stakeholder communication
- Customer interaction
- Team collaboration
- Recommendation development
Leadership Skills
- Taking initiative
- Managing responsibilities
- Presenting ideas
- Working across departments
- Supporting business projects
- Building professional confidence
Financial and Commercial Value of the Programme
- Sales is directly connected to revenue generation and business growth.
- A strong sales professional must understand more than how to promote products. They must also understand customer needs, commercial targets, pricing, product availability and profitability.
The programme may expose graduates to financial concepts such as:
- Sales revenue
- Sales targets
- Product margins
- Forecast accuracy
- Customer profitability
- Promotional return
- Inventory costs
- Market share
- Commercial performance
- Operating efficiency
This commercial understanding can prepare graduates for careers that combine sales, finance and business strategy.
Salary and Financial Considerations
- The vacancy information does not state a salary or stipend.
- Applicants should avoid relying on unverified payment figures shared through social media.
Candidates invited to an interview should ask for written information covering:
- Monthly salary or stipend
- Payment dates
- Tax deductions
- Contract duration
- Travel reimbursement
- Working hours
- Performance expectations
- Leave conditions
- Employee benefits
- Relocation support
- Possible commission or incentives
An interview is also an opportunity to understand whether the programme includes financial support for travel between Core Group locations.
Career Opportunities After the Programme
Experience from the Sales Graduate Programme may support applications for roles such as:
- Sales Graduate
- Sales Representative
- Account Executive
- Sales Analyst
- Business Development Representative
- Commercial Analyst
- Retail Sales Specialist
- Customer Account Coordinator
- Technology Sales Consultant
- Sales Operations Coordinator
- Key Account Assistant
- Product Sales Specialist
- Channel Sales Coordinator
- Business Development Coordinator
With further experience graduates may progress into:
- Account Manager
- Key Account Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Commercial Manager
- Sales Manager
- Product Manager
- Channel Manager
- Regional Sales Manager
- Head of Sales
Career progression will depend on performance, available vacancies and continued professional development.
What May Help an Applicant Stand Out
Core Group indicates that candidates may stand out if they have:
- A genuine interest in technology
- Knowledge of consumer electronics
- Strong relationship building skills
- Presentation ability
- Commercial awareness
- Confidence working with data
- Microsoft Excel skills
- Customer focused thinking
- Leadership experience
- Initiative
- Resilience
- A proactive attitude
Leadership experience may come from:
- University societies
- Student leadership
- Sport
- Volunteer work
- Community organisations
- Small businesses
- Entrepreneurial projects
Formal management experience is not the only way to demonstrate leadership potential.
Documents to Prepare
Applicants should prepare:
- Updated CV
- Certified South African identity document where requested
- Bachelor’s Degree certificate
- Academic transcript
- Motivation letter
- Driver’s licence where available
- References
- Supporting certificates
A graduate who has not yet received a degree certificate may need an official completion letter from the university.
How to Prepare a Strong CV
Your CV should clearly show:
- Degree completed
- Year of completion
- University
- Sales or marketing projects
- Microsoft Excel skills
- Leadership experience
- Customer facing experience
- Technology interest
- Academic projects
- Volunteer work
- Driver’s licence
- Gauteng availability
Include Measurable Achievements
Instead of saying:
“Helped with a university project”
Write:
- “Analysed customer survey data from 250 respondents and presented recommendations for improving product positioning.”
Measurable examples make your contribution easier to understand.
Highlight Commercial Projects
Include academic work involving:
- Sales plans
- Marketing strategies
- Business plans
- Financial forecasts
- Market research
- Customer surveys
- Supply chain analysis
- Engineering process improvement
- Data dashboards
How to Write a Motivation Letter
The letter should explain:
- Why you want to join Core Group
- Why technology sales interests you
- How your qualification relates to the programme
- Which strengths you can contribute
- Your experience working with customers or teams
- What you want to learn
- Your long term career goals
Avoid sending a general letter that could apply to any company.
Mention Core Group’s technology, retail and customer experience environment directly.
Application Tips
Research Core Group
Understand:
- The types of technology brands it represents
- Its retail and commercial operations
- Its markets across Africa
- Its focus on customer experience
Prepare for Sales Questions
Recruiters may ask:
- Why do you want a sales career?
- How would you build a customer relationship?
- How would you respond to rejection?
- How would you use data to improve sales?
- What technology product interests you?
- How would you present a product to a customer?
Strengthen Microsoft Excel Skills
Useful Excel skills may include:
- Formulas
- Sorting and filtering
- Pivot tables
- Charts
- Data cleaning
- Basic forecasting
- Lookups
Confirm Travel Availability
- A valid driver’s licence is advantageous and the programme may involve travel.
- Applicants should understand their transport options before accepting the role.
Prepare for Background Checks
Successful candidates may undergo:
- Criminal record checks
- Credit checks
- Qualification verification
- Identity verification
- Reference checks
Ensure all information on your CV is accurate.
Where to Apply
Applications should be submitted through the official Core Group Careers platform.
Search for:
- Graduate Sales
Location:
- Sandton, Gauteng
Applicants should upload all required supporting documents through the official vacancy page.
Do not pay anyone for access to the application, an interview or placement.
Best Before: The closing date was not included in the supplied vacancy information.
- Applicants should apply as soon as possible while the vacancy remains available on the official Core Group Careers platform.
- The employer may close the vacancy once it receives enough suitable applications.
Recruitment and Verification
Successful candidates may be required to undergo:
- Criminal record screening
- Credit screening
- Qualification verification
- Identity checks
- Reference checks
Being shortlisted does not guarantee appointment.
Core Group may use the verification results as part of its final selection decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the programme based?
- The programme is based at One Sandton Drive in Sandton, Gauteng.
How long is the programme?
- The Sales Graduate Programme runs for 12 months.
What qualification is required?
- Applicants need a Bachelor’s Degree completed within the last three years.
Which degree fields are accepted?
- Relevant qualifications include Business Management, Marketing, Commerce, Economics, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain, Information Systems and Finance.
Is previous work experience required?
- The opportunity is advertised at graduate and internship level. Previous formal experience is not listed as compulsory.
Is a driver’s licence required?
- A valid driver’s licence is advantageous but it is not stated as compulsory.
Will graduates need to travel?
- Applicants should be willing to travel where required.
Must applicants live in Gauteng?
- Candidates must be based in Gauteng or willing to relocate.
Is the programme paid?
- The vacancy information does not state a salary or stipend.
What work will graduates perform?
- Graduates will assist with sales planning, reporting, forecasting, customer engagement, market analysis, promotional campaigns and cross functional projects.
Does the programme guarantee permanent employment?
- No permanent employment guarantee appears in the supplied information.
What is the closing date?
- The closing date was not provided. Applicants should check the official Core Group Careers platform.
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