Pivot out of retail sales into B2B / enterprise sales within 24 months (SaaS SDR → AE track at a name-brand tech vendor) — top-quartile enterprise reps are the anchor 30 points above you, and the senior-leader refs you already have are the precise asset that opens that door.

Finish the bachelor's and stack one credible commercial credential (a sales methodology cert like MEDDIC/Challenger, or a vertical certification in the target buyer's stack) — converts 'trainee' positioning into 'junior AE' positioning and unlocks variable comp.

Build a measurable, public track record of attainment from day one of the next role (quota %, deal sizes, logos closed) and keep it portable — sales scarcity is priced almost entirely on verifiable numbers, and that single artefact is what eventually drives transfer value into six figures.