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With more Americans looking for work these days, you have got to be more creative and more tenacious than the other candidates if you are going to land a job. Sure, everyone talks about the importance of networking, but do you really know how to do it?
Is your idea of networking sitting in front of your computer every morning (maybe still in your pajamas!) with a steaming cup of coffee and looking through all the big job search sites?
I hate to break it to you, but the majority of sales representative jobs in the pharmaceutical and medical sales industry are never even posted on the big job search boards.
The internet has made a whole generation of lazy job seekers who think that the next perfect job is just going to pop up in their inbox one day, and they are off to easy street in their dream job.
Let’s wake up and actually talk about some old-fashioned, grass roots networking efforts and some new, creative, and more high-tech ways to find a job in pharmaceutical or medical sales.
Networking Is Critical to Success
Simply stated, networking is the backbone of any job search.
Without networking, how will you ever find out about the available pharmaceutical or medical sales jobs in your area?
Sure, using the internet job search boards is a piece of the job hunt pie, and you must be diligent about staying on top of jobs posted on various job search boards and the company websites themselves.
But I know for a fact that you are going to miss out on a lot of opportunities if all you are doing is sitting in front of your computer and sending out resumes. If it was that easy, everyone would be working in this industry! After all, you are selling yourself, and your marketing strategy has to cover all the bases!
Here is one of my favorite ideas for “outside the box” networking that anyone can use to find their dream job in pharmaceutical or medical sales. I know this technique works and since most job seekers out there are not using it, you will put yourself at a great advantage.
Network in and through Medical Conventions!
Every medical specialty, from optometry to cardiology, has annual conventions. At these conventions, every major manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies has a booth in the exhibit hall. Throughout the convention, doctors have an opportunity to walk through the exhibit hall to see the latest in technology and talk to their local sales representatives.
The convention is a perfect place for you to meet several sales representatives and find out about many different companies, but finding out about these conventions can be tricky.
You can always check the hundreds of medical associations on Job-Hunt (see the links in "Additional Resources" above), but many networking opportunities are available elsewhere.
Finding events off-line:
- Check out the trade publications for several different specialties at the library. In these journals, you will find ads and information on upcoming conventions. Although most annual conventions are held in resort cities like Palm Springs and Orlando, nearly every medical specialty has a local state association meeting in the major metropolitan city in each state. (But don’t overlook medical conventions held in resorts like Colorado and Tahoe in the winter time.)
- Check with local hotels in your area for any upcoming medical conventions. Conventions will only be held at large, major hotels or convention centers because medical conventions can have several hundred doctors in attendance, not to mention their spouses and/or office staff.
- Ask your doctor about any upcoming conventions that they know about. While your doctor may only have limited information about conventions in their specialty, it is still a place to start.
Once you find out about the convention, you can network with the sales representatives working the booth. However, remember that they are there to work and talk to their customers, not to you. Simply introduce yourself, state that you are interested in getting into medical sales (or whatever related field you want), and you would like the opportunity to call them at a later date. Ask for their business card and be on your way.Do not waste the sales representative’s time by trying to give a sales pitch on yourself.
If the exhibit hall is closed to outsiders, see if there is a place that you could catch sales representatives just outside of the exhibit hall, probably where they are serving food and coffee for the exhibitors.
If all else fails and you cannot get into the convention, this is where a good relationship with an existing pharmaceutical/medical sales representative or your doctor can pay off. Ask them to pick up business cards of all the sales representatives at the convention and pass them on to you for your database. Even if you do not call the sales representative on the card, you can always use the corporate address for contacting the company directly.
Bottom Line
I know there are some of you out there coming up with a hundred different reasons why this networking technique will not work. But I am talking about true grass-roots networking that causes you to get away from your computer (and out of those pajamas!), actually look someone in the eye, and shake their hand to find a job.
You cannot afford to be doing exactly what everyone else is doing – the competition is too stiff in the pharmaceutical and medical device sales industry. I guarantee with a little extra effort on your part, you will land a job in this lucrative industry of pharmaceutical and medical sales because you are being creative and tenacious. You are greatly reducing your competition and increasing your odds of landing that dream job - and isn’t that the ultimate goal?
© Copyright Nikki Kerzic, 2009. Used with permission.
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About This Author:
Nikki Kerzic is the president of Executive Connection, Inc., one of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical and medical sales recruiting firms, and is now also the owner of Find Your Dream Job Now! to coach job seekers looking for jobs in medical and pharmaceutical sales. Visit Nikki's Website, PharmRepConnect.com, for additional free tips for landing a job in pharmaceutical sales and to learn more about Nikki's exclusive job search tools and strategies.
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