The Secret to Standing Out in Your Medical Sales Job Search – Part IV
Today is Part 4 of our series, The Secret to Standing Out in Your Medical Sales Job Search. To recap,
Part 1 was Rethink Your Job Search
Part 2 was Use Social Media
Part 3 was Use the Right Tools to Impress Your Interviewer
Tip #4 is:
Try Job Shadowing
Job shadowing is not just a “try out” for your new health care sales career (although it’s great for that). Job shadowing gives you
- keywords that get your resume noticed in HR computer systems,
- material for your 30-60-90-day plan, and
- more informed answers to interview questions.
Not only does it supply you with a more substantial base for your job search, it also sets you apart as someone who’s willing to go the extra mile (literally). You will have demonstrated that you have energy, enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and a drive to be successful–must-have qualities in medical sales, surgical sales, medical device sales, laboratory sales, imaging sales, or pharmaceutical sales.
So what’s your first step?
Find someone to shadow (most people are flattered to be asked). You can ask your local doctor’s office or laboratory for contacts. (Assure them that you’re not after their job or interested in working for the company they are with–you’re not the competition.) The day of, find out what a typical day is like, and ask the person you’re shadowing how to be more competitive in the job search and on the job. Have a list of questions ready to go, but be observant and come up with new ones as you go through the day. Be sure to ask your mentor for their advice (and maybe treat them to lunch). Absolutely send a thank you note.
A job shadowing experience increases your odds of landing the job dramatically. It sets you apart as a “go-getter” and shows that you can make contacts, and it’s another way to help the hiring manager see you in the job.
Bonus Info: Check out these free one-hour webinars for additional tips on landing a job in medical sales:
How to Land a Job In Medical Sales
How Interview Coaching Can Help You Get a Medical Sales Job
Are you going to interviews, but not getting the offer? Or not even getting called back for a second interview?
Maybe there’s some issue you don’t have a great explanation for: a gap in your employment history, why you’re willing to take a pay cut in a new job, why you’ve been out of a job for so long, or something.
Maybe you don’t even know why–you think you’re doing a great job, but you’re not getting the call back.
It’s time for you to invest in interview coaching. Great interview coaching can help you with confidence, communication, presence, wording, emphasis, and other areas that are stopping you from getting the job offer you want and deserve. It focuses on your particular situation and your individual personality and style to give you the boost you need.
In this video, I’ll give you some examples of how I helped real candidates with roadblocks in their job searches that gave them a breakthrough and got them job offers. And we did it in less than an hour.
The Secret to Standing Out In Your Medical Sales Job Search – Part III
Welcome to part 3 of my 6-part series on how to stand out in your medical sales job search. Medical sales has always been a competitive sales arena, but it’s even more so these days with an influx of candidates from harder-hit areas of sales. So, you really have to bring your game to stand out when competing for jobs in health care sales, laboratory sales, medical device sales, pharmaceutical sales, surgical sales, and more, which led to this series. I started off with Tip #1, Rethink Your Job Search, and Tip #2, Using Social Media Effectively. Today, we’re at Tip #3:
Learn to Use Interview Tools That Impress Hiring Managers
The single most important interview tool you can use is the 30/60/90-Day Plan. It’s an outline for the specific tasks you’ll perform in the first 30 days, the first 60 days, and the first 90 days on the job. Those are usually focused on training, getting to know your customers and market, and penetrating new territory and gaining new business. The more detailed you can be by doing things like naming the training you’ll need or knowing the names of their top accounts and competition, the better.
Having a written plan like this for how you’ll attack the job in the first 90 days is guaranteed to make a powerful impression on the hiring manager. It shows that you understand the job (or you never would have been able to create the plan), that you want the job (it takes some effort to put one together and requires significant research), and that you can do the job (you know what it’s going to take to be successful). It’s especially useful for when you’re new to the business and have no experience because it helps the hiring manager “see” you in the job.
Another effective tool is the brag book. While a 30/60/90-day plan is a forward look at what you can do for your employer, a brag book is a historical look at what you’ve been able to accomplish in your career. Organized into a binder, it would include things like project summaries, brochures you’ve created, any complimentary letters from customers or rewards letters from supervisors, performance statistics, reference letters, or similar things. One candidate of mine created a massive brag book and then highlighted several things to point out to the interviewer. It was a good move for her and contributed to her getting the offer. But any past “evidence” of what you’ve done contributes to the hiring manager’s comfort level in hiring you.
These tools go beyond the expected resume and interview preparation that are the basics for all candidates–which is exactly why they’re impressive. The fact that you are willing to put this kind of effort into the job before you even get the offer says volumes about your dedication, your work ethic, and the likelihood of your success. It takes the risk out of the hiring decision for the manager and makes you seem like a safe bet and a desirable component of the team.
How Can a 30/60/90-Day Plan Help the Hiring Manager See You In the Job?
A 30/60/90-day plan is a very powerful interview tool for medical sales jobs. Why?
- It’s a demonstration of your go-getter attitude, and it shows that you are someone who will go above and beyond to get the job done. Most other health care sales candidates won’t have done this plan (if they even know about it) because it takes some effort to do it–before you even know if you’ve got the job. It’s a tangible demonstration of your energy and enthusiasm for THIS job.
- It helps you to have a targeted interview, focused not just on what you’ve done before, but on what you can offer for this job, at this company. And it allows you to have a conversation between professionals, rather than a ping-pong style Q&A session.
- It helps the hiring manager “see” you in the job, because the whole plan is focused on what you will do in it for the first 90 days, and that’s what you’ll be talking about.
Watch the video and I’ll show you what you should say and how you can use the 90-day plan to tip the interview in your favor by helping the hiring manager see you in the job.
The Secret to Standing Out in Your Medical Sales Job Search – Part I
I’m starting a new 6-part series on how to stand out in your medical sales job search. Medical sales jobs are very competitive, top-tier sales jobs that require a lot from candidates–whether you’re in medical devices, laboratory sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, surgical sales, pharmaceutical sales, or any health care sales arena. The economic upheaval in general and the shakeups in the pharmaceutical industry in particular haven’t helped matters at all. You’ve really got to bring your game in order to be successful and land the job.
So what’s your first step?
Tip #1: Rethink Your Job Search
Most job seekers don’t understand that the job search is a sales process, even if your job has nothing to do with sales: you want an employer to hire you, which essentially means to buy your product (that would be you). So here are the questions you must ask yourself:
- Why should he buy your skills and talents over someone else’s?
- What benefits can you offer?
- What makes you different from other products?
- Where do you “fit” in the marketplace?
- With this in mind, is your resume acting as the marketing brochure that it should be?
Strategically analyzing these issues and constructing compelling answers to these questions is the first big step toward your goal.
Watch this short video for more insight:
See what I mean?
Here’s another couple of links you should find helpful:
- A free, one-hour webinar on How to Land a Medical Sales Job.
- An exclusive kit packed with over 15 years of experience in medical sales designed to give you the edge in every aspect of your medical sales job search: How to Get Into Medical Sales.
How To Ask For the Job
OK–you’ve written a killer resume, prepared to within an inch of your life for the interview, practiced your answers, and even written your 30/60/90-day plan. Now you’re in the interview, and it comes down to the end. What are you going to do? You need to ask for the job.
This is where many candidates stumble, even in medical and health care sales. Let me teach you critical tips about what to say, how to say it, why it’s important, and what it demonstrates to the hiring manager. It’s hard to try to close the deal and ask for the job, but it’s vital to the success of your medical sales or health care sales interview.
A 30/60/90-Day Plan Can Help You Get the Promotion!
Usually, when you think of using a 30/60/90-Day plan, you associate it with landing a job at a new company–and it’s a fantastic tool for that because you’re demonstrating your skill, your understanding, and your strategic thought processes, among other great qualities. It’s even more impressive when you use it while transitioning to a new position, because it demonstrates that you understand the job and can do the job, even though you don’t necessarily have that much (if any) experience.
But, a 30/60/90-day plan is also a powerful tool when you’re going after a promotion within your own company. Watch to see me explain how you can use the plan at increasingly higher levels in the company, and what you have to keep in mind in that situation.
Post-Interview Follow Up Tips: After The Thank You Note
Candidates often ask me, “Post-interview, how long should I wait AFTER I send the thank you note to contact the hiring manager again? What should I say? Should I call or email again?“
The post-interview follow up period can feel like the trickiest of situations for candidates. Push too hard, and you’ll annoy them. Don’t push, and you risk not looking like a go-getter. If you’re working with a recruiter, the recruiter will do the calling to see what’s up. But if you’re going after this job on your own, then it’s all up to you.
I put this question to my LinkedIn group to see what the experts think. (Yet another reason why LinkedIn groups are so valuable.) I got some fabulous answers from business leaders in management and HR, and wanted to share them with you.
The VAST majority of those who replied said that candidates can and should avoid that whole awkward situation by being direct in the first place. Ask about the time-frame for the hiring decision while you are still in the interview: “When do you expect to make a decision?” or “What are the next steps?” That’s a move that feels bold to some candidates, but it’s a really important step that’s going to tell you where you stand and what you can expect. And it shows the hiring manager that you really do care about landing this job. (Watch my video on How to Close for the Job to see how to ask for the job, or at least find out when they’re going to make a decision. )
At the very least, you should ask if it’s OK to call if you haven’t heard anything in say, a week. Or just ask them when it’s OK to call to follow up. Then call. ALWAYS follow through with whatever you’ve said you will do. They will be paying attention.
If you’ve gotten out of the interview and haven’t asked, then here’s what to do (although here’s also where they start to differ a little more in their opinions): wait no more than a week, and then call. Or email, and tell them you’ll call. If they tell you they haven’t reached a decision, ask if it’s OK for you to call again in another week.
Overall, the hiring managers who responded seemed much less concerned with being “hassled” by potential employees than with finding someone with initiative who really wanted to work for them. So, aim for politeness, directness, and clarity, and you should be just fine.
Job Search Tip: CNN’s Advice for How to Overcome the Stigma of Unemployment
If you’ve been another victim of our terrible economy in the last few years, you’re not alone. Thousands of people have been laid off across all industries in a major shakeup of our workforce. Recession-related woes affect medical and health care sales less than other industries, but there has still been a major effect–especially within pharmaceutical sales.
If you’ve been out of work for a while, it can take a toll on your finances, certainly, but also on your morale and your job hunt itself. There’s a stigma that can become attached to candidates who’ve been out of work for a while. Employers think, basically, “If that person is so good, why hasn’t he/she found a job yet?” Obviously an unfair blanket assumption, but there it is.
If you are finding yourself in this situation, there’s a terrific article on CNN.com you should see called In the job hunt, the stigma of being unemployed is hard to erase (and I am thrilled to have been quoted in it!). It talks about the effect that being laid off can have on your job search, but more importantly, it shows you what you can do to overcome it. Very worth the read.
If you’re unemployed, you’re in a defensive position in the job search. That affects what you might normally do or say in the job search, but not by much. Here are some of my strategies you can use to get past this negative situation and land the job:
- Have an explanation ready. Prepare a short but simple explanation about what happened. You don’t want to spend your time defending yourself–you want the focus to be on what you offer the employer.
- Quantify your achievements. Just as in any job search, you want to have the evidence that you’ve done a good job–with performance stats, sales numbers, or specific instances where you saved/made your company money. Improving efficiency or pulling in customers works, too. Just be sure to quantify it with percentages, dollar signs, or other relevant numbers-based stats.
- Gather fantastic references. If you have evidence that someone else thought you were fantastic, then it’s more likely you’ll get a favorable reception. People like recommendations. Personal phone calls are best, but an email or letter you can show in the beginning could work very well here.
- Use creative job interview tools. This is absolutely the time you need a brag book (to show how fantastic you were in past jobs) and a 30/60/90-day plan (to show you have a strategic plan for success at the new one).
- Be strong in the interview. It’s more important than ever that you close for the job. Ask for it. Uncover objections while you’re right there. It could easily turn the tide in your favor. If not, you’ll know what to fix for next time.
No matter what, stay active. Keep reading articles about job searching strategies. Learn to use social media like LinkedIn, and network like crazy. Invest in yourself and hire a career coach who can help you spin your situation and give you strategies for success.
Job hunts can be a numbers game, and you have to keep playing. Eventually, you’ll win. Good luck.
Meanwhile, check out this free training on “How to Get a Better Job Faster”
2: Click here to register for this no charge webinar.
Medical Device Sales Job Search Tip – What Have You Done to Prepare For Your Interview?
medical devices job interview
You might be surprised at how little time many health care sales candidates invest preparing for an interview. Then again, you might be even more impressed with how much time other medical sales candidates do invest preparing for an interview. But the bottom line is, you probably would not want to attend an interview without being as well or better prepared than the individuals that you will be competing with for a given role–especially if you’re trying to land a position in the extra-competitive field of medical device sales. How do you ensure that you are clearly the most-prepared candidate? Read along and you will find out.
A medical sales job interview begins long before you step in front of the interviewer. Wise job seekers will prepare with this in mind. Some important steps to take on the journey to your interview are:
- Research the company. Know about finances, product plans, recent news, noteworthy executives, physical locations, operating challenges, the range of products, pricing, typical sales processes, operational approaches, and anything else you can find out prior to stepping into the room.
- Make the best possible physical impression. Rehearse what you will do if invited to a meal. Refresh your basic etiquette points. Have your hair, nails, suit, shirt, shoes, belt, etc. in the best possible condition – everything pressed, cleaned, trimmed, shined up and ready to go.
- Know the route to the interview. Plan for traffic issues. Ensure you arrive early and are not pressed for time. This is not a time to arrive anxious.
- Spend time rehearsing the interview. Try to anticipate questions. Develop fully your thoughts on various issues impacting the company. Look at the financial, local, and global news to see if issues may be pertinent to this business. Be aware of macro economic and technological trends that may be important to the this business either for future course or already driving action. Work with an interview coach to role-play questions.
- Have your 30/60/90-Day Plan plan ready to go. Ensure you are prepared to take control of the interview and set it on a course where your profitable value to this company is clear and well-defined.
- Network. Reach out to contacts, check blogs, and try to get the inside story on what is happening at your prospective company. Be prepared to be conversant on these points.
- Have a plan to follow up once you leave the interview. Write appropriate thank you notes and email them quickly (try not to use your phone, though). Be sure to say a kind word to the receptionist, the assistant, and other folks you may meet. Be clear about any post-interview actions you may have. Ask your references to follow up reassuring the hiring manager that you are a great fit.
As you can see, an interview is a major event that should be supported with a full range of well-considered actions providing the best possible likely endpoint–your hire.
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Ace Your Sales Interview If you are a sales professional, or want to become one, looking for a new job, you will face one of the toughest interview processes of any job seeker.
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