How to Write a Better Medical Sales Resume
Medical sales resumes have certain requirements that other resumes don’t. In the video below, I’ll tell you more about how you can learn to write a resume that will give you a big advantage in trying to break into medical sales.
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Mac Users Beware…
If you’re a Mac computer user and you’ve sent your resume as a Microsoft Word document, there’s a decent chance that the recruiter or HR department you sent it to can’t read it. It can also be a problem if you’ve sent your resume in any other program besides Word.
Most folks using Macintosh computers don’t realize that even though Mac says the programs are compatible with all PCs, they aren’t. Every time we get a Word document sent from a Mac, we can’t open it. We also can’t open resumes using PDF files/web links or PowerPoint programs because they’re not compatible with our computer systems. We respond to our candidates, letting them know so they can resend, but most recruiters and HR departments won’t…which means your resume will never be seen and you’ll never know. And if you’re sending your resume to a resume database or applying online and they can’t open it, it will end up in the trash for sure.
For safety’s sake, when you’re submitting your resume online, always send your resume as a Word document, and find a PC to send it from.
If you must send it from a Mac, take the extra step of sending it to a PC friend first who can verify that it arrived and can be opened successfully before you send it to a recruiter or Human Resources.
Photos On Resumes Or LinkedIn – Advice To The Job Seeker….
Recently, someone who has seen what I’ve said on the importance of LinkedIn for the job search asked me this: “If it’s not a good idea to include a photo on your resume, why is it a good idea to include it on LinkedIn? Doesn’t the photo on LinkedIn invite the same potential discrimination issues as including it on the resume does?”
Smile for your LinkedIn picture!
This is a tricky issue. We’ve all been told over and over again never to use a photo on the resume, and there are good reasons for that. Anti-discrimination laws in our country have resulted in many Human Resources departments throwing out otherwise great resumes if they include a picture. Companies are so afraid of being sued that they avoid the slightest appearance of bias by eliminating any resume with a photo right off the bat. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing—your skills and accomplishments should be what gets you the interview, not your looks.
On the other hand, what’s the first thing a hiring manager will do after receiving your resume? See if he can find out more about you on LinkedIn. What’s on LinkedIn? Your picture.
You could easily argue exactly that line of reasoning for eliminating your photo from LinkedIn, also. Just like on your resume, you want the focus to be on your accomplishments, not your physical appearance. A LinkedIn profile photo seems questionable.
Here’s where I think the difference lies: The resume is always completely and exclusively targeted toward your ability to perform a particular job, and your looks have nothing to do with that (unless you’re an actor!). Anti-discrimination laws are targeted to job applications, which a resume is.
But, LinkedIn is first and foremost a networking site. Even though LinkedIn is an extremely valuable tool for your job search, not everyone on LinkedIn is looking for a job. They’re using LinkedIn to build their contact list, join groups that relate to their current careers, and see what the competition’s up to. When you make networking the focus of your LinkedIn activities, it becomes clear that you need to include a photo, because we (all humans) bond more with a face than with the typed text. LinkedIn users expect to see a photo, and it looks a little odd if you don’t…like you’re trying to hide something. A photo makes other users more comfortable connecting with you, which is one of your primary goals.
So, never include a photo on your resume, because you don’t want to sabotage yourself in the HR screening process—and graphics don’t usually mesh well with Applicant Tracking Systems, anyway. But always include a professional (business-appropriate) photo on your LinkedIn profile. Not only is it expected, it’s a valuable part of your online credibility and networking success.
The Most Important Medical Sales Resume Tip Ever
What’s your role as a medical sales rep–whether you’re in clinical, laboratory, diagnostics, devices, software, or pharma?
Do you know the best way to show me, the medical sales recruiter and reader of your resume, why I need to submit you for a position?
Watch the video to see what I’m looking for in your resume that will give you the best chance of landing the medical sales interview you want. It will be one of the best resume tips you’ll ever hear.
Are you concerned about the best way to market yourself in the medical sales job search? Sign up for personalized career coaching today.
3 Simple Things You Can Do To Strengthen Your Resume
As a medical sales recruiter, I specialize in placing sales and sales management professionals, and I’ve seen tens of thousands of resumes throughout my career. Since I often sift through them quickly, it takes a great resume to stand out from the crowd and get my attention. And job seekers in health care sales, medical device sales, laboratory sales, and pharmaceutical sales always ask “What can I do to get my resume noticed?” Beyond the basics of an easy-to-read, error-free, well-structured resume, there are qualities that catch my eye and cause me to consider candidates more closely, and I’d like to share them with you. Here are some easy changes you can make to your resume:
1. Highlight your performance. If you’re in sales, it’s vitally important that you demonstrate that you can ring the cash register. You show the hiring manager why he wants you on the team by highlighting your sales numbers, number of closes, key influencer sales, expense budgets, revenue, profit, growth, sales rankings, goal attainment, and so on. You can list that as numbers, dollar amounts, percentages, or whatever is appropriate. I have seen some eye-catching resumes that incorporate colored graphs to illustrate, but be careful not to overdo it. Use whatever style that best represents your growth.
2. Write a well-crafted objective statement. Think elevator pitch. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that a resume objective statement will limit your opportunities. It won’t. What it will do is capture the reader’s attention and lead him or her into reading the rest of your resume. (So make sure it’s compelling and not a canned filler statement.) It’s entirely appropriate to tailor your objective statement to the job opportunity so that you can highlight what you can bring to that particular organization. Once I’ve read the rest of your resume, I might see that you’d also be a great fit for another opportunity.
3. Add something special. If you’re new to the field, try a preceptorship, and put that experience on your resume (it’s a great keyword source). It shows that you’re serious, and willing to go the extra mile. And it can go a significant way to answering the “experience” question for hiring managers. Also, I have seen resumes with quotations that sum up their attitudes, drive, determination, etc. Or, I’ve seen others with a list of their recent reading material (although you must be able to talk intelligently about those books). But be careful about listing too much information. For instance, hobbies work only if they’re relevant to the job. Don’t let anything on your resume take away from your message: you have something to offer to contribute to an organization’s success.
Above all, remember that your resume is not about you; it’s about the employer. You’re using the resume as a marketing document that highlights why you’re the person to help them succeed.
If you need more help, check out this Resume Training video from Career Confidential.
Lose the big title on your resume if you want to be considered for my sales role.
Job seekers can mistakenly think that the big job title they’ve had is always impressive on a resume. Some sales reps have the title of VP, or Sales Director, even though they were actually in a one-to-one sales role. This can cause a problem for you in your job search if you’re looking for another sales role.
Especially if you’re transitioning into medical sales, you’re not going to get a VP role, or a Director role, or even an Account Executive role with that title on your resume, because every recruiter and hiring manager will assume that you won’t be happy as a sales rep.
You need to downplay the big titles, and maybe think about a competency-based resume. Emphasize your skills, point out your technological or science background, and highlight your sales numbers to get hired in medical sales.
Sales Resumes Should Have Sales Numbers!
There is one thing that hiring managers are really looking for when scanning resumes of sales reps for medical device, laboratory sales, biotech sales, imaging sales, or any other health care sales position: revenue. That means they want to see the numbers (or percentages) of revenue generated, revenue saved, or labor saved.
The only way to show a hiring manager what he wants in a sales rep (and why he should hire you) is to include those numbers on your resume. You’re not going to be hired based on what you were “responsible for.” You’re going to be hired based on what you’ve done, and what you can do for them.
What kinds of numbers should you include on your sales resume?
- Gross revenue
- Profit
- Growth (in # of customers, increased units sold, etc.)
- Budget numbers (over, under, higher than others?)
- Sales rankings
So, your resume should say things like:
“I closed X accounts, which resulted in Y dollars.”
“increased my revenue numbers by $ ____ or _____%”
“increased my ranking from #10 to #1″”
As a sales recruiter, I’m looking for sales numbers, dollar amounts, percentages, etc.–anything that’s going to help me see that person in the job. If I can’t see a salesperson generating dollars, then I don’t see a very good salesperson.
Use Job Shadowing to Get Resume Keywords
Job shadowing is just what it sounds like: you be someone’s “shadow” for the day, to learn what a typical day is like in their job. It’s also known as a field preceptorship, or a ride-along (especially accurate for going with sales reps on their routes). It’s a “tryout” for you with no pressure. It gives you a chance to see if you like that work environment, and see what it takes to be successful in it. If you work it right, you can ask questions throughout the day that will give you better insight into the work.
A big benefit of job shadowing for you is that you can gather keywords for your resume you might not otherwise have, especially if you’re just learning how to get into medical sales. You put the job shadowing experience on your resume and you write about which doctors you called on, what the products involved were, and what kind of medical sales accounts they are. The words you’ll use are the kinds of keywords that will get your resume noticed by computerized tracking systems, and then read by recruiters and hiring managers.
So now that you know why job shadowing can be so important to someone transitioning into medical sales, how do you go about getting that experience?
First, find a sales rep. If you’re interested in pharma sales or medical device sales, you can ask your doctor or medical specialist for the names of people who sell to them and their offices. If you’re interested in lab sales, find a small lab and ask for the names of the sales reps who call on them. Then, ask the sales rep if you can ride along for a day or half a day, to see what that job is like. It will be a nice touch if you offer to buy lunch, or maybe give them a small gift afterwards (maybe a LinkedIn Profile Tutorial or new sales book). Add that experience to your resume, and you’ve made a huge positive step toward landing a medical sales job.
If you need help with this, contact a career coach who can guide you through the process of how to break into medical sales.
Don’t Send Your Cover Letter As An Attachment to Your Resume
Just a quick heads-up:
When you send your resume to a recruiter by email, don’t send a cover letter as an attachment. For the most part, it’s a waste of time. A busy medical sales recruiter doesn’t have time to open extra attachments, and expects that you’ll say what you need to say in the body of the email. Do what you can to make life easy for the person reading your documents.
BTW: A resume objective is a great way to summarize who you are and what you want, too.
Sales Interviews Are About Sales! Quantify Your Experience.
A sales rep’s job is to make the sale. So if you’re looking for a new sales position in laboratory sales, medical device sales, or any other health care 
sales arena, the best way to get a medical sales job is to make it your mission is to demonstrate that you can ring that cash register, and do it well.
Start with your resume. Your resume is your marketing document….your “brochure” that’s going to draw them into calling you for an interview. And a sales resume is all about the numbers. That’s what hiring managers (and medical sales recruiters) are looking for. What kind of numbers can you pull down? What’s your sales ranking? Did it increase? What does your customer/units sold/profit growth look like? What was your budget? What kind of revenue have you generated? (Either in actual dollar amounts, or percentage increases.)
Be prepared for the interview. There’s a good chance that you’ll find yourself in a behavioral based interview (also called BEIs, or Behavioral Event Interviews). The reason hiring managers like these so much is that they get a better picture of what you’re like in everyday situations, as well as in difficult situations like the ones you’ll surely be in on the new job. They want to know exactly how you’ll represent the company in every circumstance. The best way for them to get an idea of that is to see what you’ve done before, because past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. And, any sales rep worth his or her salt can talk a good game, but only a few can back it up. SO: When you’re thinking about possible behavioral interview questions in a sales interview and coming up with outstanding examples of your fine selling and customer skills, quantify them as much as possible.
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