The Medical Sales Job Search: What can You Do to Stand Out?

27 Jun, 2018

You’re looking for a promising position in medical sales; one that will leverage your talents and move your career forward. And though you intend to keep an open mind, you’re looking for a company that will respect your efforts and provide fair compensation and benefits. What can you do to stand out in the eyes of the right employers — the ones who are looking for you just as hard as you’re looking for them? Here are a few moves to keep in mind.

First, focus on your strengths as a candidate.

You’ll need to keep a sharp eye on potential employers so you don’t waste your time on the wrong ones or expend your energy pursuing misaligned opportunities. When you do connect with top employers, you’ll want them to notice you and push your resume to the top of the list. In the most general terms, you’ll need to shine like a star. Demonstrate a strong and articulate grasp of the latest events in the industry. Which hospital systems, medical suppliers, and manufacturing companies have recently merged? How have these mergers affected events in your area? Be prepared to talk about this.

Speak fluently about pipelines.

Know which pharmaceutical products or medical devices have recently been introduced or will soon reach the market. Speak confidently about success rates, issues, problems, interactions, and market positioning. Talk about purchasing models and how well these models work to advance, or how they hold back, various products. Also, understand how the most important products impact patient care and treatment protocols. If you fully understand the pipeline of your current or most recent employer, that’s great, but you’ll need to take your knowledge a step further and speak about the larger product landscape. If you specialize in treatment areas like diabetes or psoriasis, learn a bit about the leading products and larger players in the areas of arthritis or mental health. Gain an overview and be ready to share what you know.

Trust your recruiter.

Your recruiter isn’t just a casual friend; they have the knowledge, experience and negotiating skill to keep you front and center in the minds of potential employers. But you’ll need to help your recruiter to help you. If they make a recommendation, take it to heart. If they ask you to send some information or an updated resume, respond quickly. Chances are, they are more deeply immersed in the medical sales employment landscape than you and they may know things about this landscape that you don’t, so trust their judgment and they’ll help you reach your goals faster.

For more on how to work with a medical sales recruiter and create a great profile that can help you land the job you’re looking for, reach out to the medical sales recruiters at Buckman Enochs Coss and Associates.