I broke into tech sales after working in construction. Here's how I landed a more flexible job with higher earning potential.

Bryan Ruiz.

Courtesy of Bryan Ruiz Bryan Ruiz transitioned from construction to tech sales for a higher earning potential.

Ruiz used online courses such as CourseCareers to gain the skills needed for a career in tech sales.

His perseverance led to a flexible and profitable career path at a SaaS company.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bryan Ruiz, a 27-year-old tech sales representative based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Puerto Rico, and about seven years ago, I moved to the US to look for construction work .

After working in construction for a couple of years, I found it to be really back-breaking work.

It didn't matter how hard I worked or how many skills I developed; there was always a cap on what I could earn because I was paid by the hour.

I tried to get noticed and eventually get a raise, but it didn't work.

I started thinking about pursuing a career where I'm really rewarded for the amount of work I put in.

Within a year, I went from earning $18 an hour doing physical labor to a new career that put me on track to earn six figures.

I decided to look into sales I was drawn to sales because it offered more upside than hourly work, and I liked the idea that strong performance could directly affect my earnings.

I didn't know anything about sales.