MySpace killed the candidate….critical job interview tip
Another candidate with inappropriate material on his myspace…who is now no longer a candidate.
It’s REALLY important to sanitize your social network pages (anything on MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) while you are looking for a job in medical sales, pharmaceutical sales, clinical diagnostics sales, laboratory sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, medical device sales, cellular products sales, molecular products sales, or biotech sales, which is why I have addressed this in previous posts.
Why? According to a Vault.com survey, which I found in Net Etiquette for Job Seekers, 44% of employers surveyed looked up potential employees on social networking sites and 82% of those employers would think twice about hiring candidates with something perceived as negative in their on-line profiles. And FYI: 39% of employers have searched the on-line profiles of current employees, so don’t think you’re good to go after you’ve got the job. It may seem unfair and an invasion of your personal social life, but it becomes fair game once you’ve put it out there in public.
Additional great advice in this article–not only make sure your sites are “PG,” but also make sure they are complete, since they are serving as another resume. For instance, identify yourself as a healthcare salesperson (or even better, as a laboratory sales rep) rather than just say you’re “in sales.”
If that many employers are using social networks to gather information, I would imagine that any recruiter worth his or her salt uses them, too. (I know I do.) Social networking sites are one of the gold mines for finding candidates.
Social networks can be general or focused on a particular group, and it’s worth it to companies and candidates to find out how to effectively use them. The New Way to Network for a Job offers an overview that shows you how important they have already become and solid advice for how to use them to your advantage.
By the way, no one will tell you that this is what killed your chances…managers will just assume that you have bad judgment and want nothing to do with you.
Job hunting in a tough market
We’re in some tough economic times right now, and that can make it that much harder to find a job. Although laboratory sales, medical device sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, molecular products sales, cellular products sales, and biotechnology products sales are much less susceptible to economic downturns than pharmaceutical sales, any person searching for a position in healthcare sales can have a hard time.
To help you out, Fortune magazine has 7 tips for job hunting in a tougher market. They include:
1. Request more face-to-face meetings. Get your face in front of recruiters and your network instead of relying on e-mails and phone calls. It will make more of an impression.
2. Step up your job-search activity. This makes sense. In many ways, a job search (like sales calls) is a numbers game. Increase your odds by increasing your activity.
3. Try to be as flexible as you can. Consider contract work, part-time work, or starting at a lesser salary than you were hoping for. It gets your foot in the door for other opportunities later. Besides, less money is better than no money, right?
4. Consider relocating. Top jobs aren’t always where you are. I love the idea of relocating and expanding your horizons…trying something new.
5. Scour the hidden job market. Many jobs aren’t advertised. Be proactive. Use your network. Or contact employers directly. They might appreciate your initiative.
6. Spend very little of your time on Internet job boards and help-wanted ads. Look, but don’t focus. Everyone’s looking here.
7. Take advantage of social networking sites. Personally, I love LinkedIn. But also, use MySpace or Facebook as part of your networking tactics. Just be careful to keep it professional.
One tip they missed: In tougher job markets, a medical sales recruiter is a gold mine of job opportunities and information.
Here are some more great tips to heat up your job search. One last great idea (from the Sales Hub):
Good luck.
How free is your FaceBook page?
Do you use MySpace or FaceBook? It’s getting hard to find someone who doesn’t, these days. If you do, this is just a little FYI and a warning for you: please be mindful of what you put on it, especially if you are looking for a sales position in the biotech, pharmaceutical, clinical pathology, or medical device industries. It’s becoming standard practice for employers to look at the social network pages of potential employees. You don’t want them to find something that will make them think you’ll be an unstable or undesirable employee. (see What’s on YOUR MySpace?) “Adapting to Social Network Surveillance” points out that “job boards are where companies go to find qualified job candidates, but social networks are where they go to disqualify job candidates”….so don’t put anything on there you wouldn’t want to see as a “national headline” in the newspaper. “Big Brother” has become not just the government…it’s all of us, including (potential) employers.
What’s on YOUR MySpace?
Just a quick FYI: If you have a MySpace or Facebook profile and you are looking for a job in pharmaceutical sales, laboratory sales, medical device sales, or biotech sales (or even if you’re not) be careful what you put on it. Medical sales recruiters and hiring managers will go check those out to see the “real you.” The pictures and profanity that some people have on their MySpace page will prevent them from moving further in the placement process (at least with PHC Consulting). RecruiterGuy has posted some info from Allison Doyle about MySpace job hunting tips, and she says that many recruiters search MySpace to look for candidates. What will they find on your space?
Corporate Website
-
Mailing List
