Account Executive
Paraform · San Francisco, CA
- Base
- Not disclosed
- OTE
- $200K–$240K
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 1mo ago
Why it matters: OTE tells you what you could earn. Attainment tells you how realistic it is.
Ask: “What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?”
Still open · checked 2h agoon Paraform's careers page
What Paraform sells
Recruiters and AI find startups their next hires
A fast-growing startup needs to hire good people, but finding them takes too long. Paraform connects the company with specialized recruiters and AI helpers that work together to fill open jobs faster and more accurately. Startups get the people they need sooner, so their teams can keep growing.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us
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Worth a lookSolid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
- Pay
- OTE is listed. Ask what the base is.
- Transparency
- Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
- Pipeline
- A mix of self-sourced pipeline and inbound or SDR help.
- Time on market
- Open 39 days. Normal, but not fresh.
- Company hiring
- 2 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.
Red flags
None spotted.
Green flags
- Publishes OTE. It tells you the on-target earnings up front. Most postings don't.
Based only on what the posting says. Flags are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.
Questions to ask on the first call
Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.
- 1.
What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?
OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.
- 2.
What percentage of reps on the team have been here more than 18 months?
Tenure shows whether people stay long enough to get paid.
- 3.
Has the comp plan changed in the last 12 to 18 months? What changed?
A plan that changes every year means the goalposts keep moving.
- 4.
Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?
Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.
- 5.
What's the base, and how is the rest paid out?
OTE without a base doesn't tell you what you can count on.
- 6.
Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?
New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.
When the offer comes
Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.
- 1.
Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?
What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.
- 2.
Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?
The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.
- 3.
I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?
Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.
Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →
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Got an offer from Paraform? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
The role
You'll sell Paraform's AI recruiting marketplace to venture-backed early and mid-stage startups, owning the full cycle from discovery to close. The role mixes inbound conversion with outbound and referral pipeline.
New Logo
Selling motion
Who you're selling to
- Buyer:
- Founders, Heads of Talent and hiring leaders at startupsIn their words: “You will work directly with founders, Heads of Talent, and hiring leaders to help them solve hiring challenges and scale their teams faster.”
Pipeline expectations
Compensation
What is not disclosed
This posting doesn't tell you:
- Base salary
- Quota size
- Quota attainment
- Average deal size
- Territory
- Sales cycle length
The questions above cover the big ones.