How will your CV stand out?

Why will the he or she read YOUR CV?

What difference will having a great CV make?

Let’s start by looking at what exactly a CV is.

A CV is an advertisement for you.  It contains all your personal details, your educational achievements, a record of your employment history or career to date and an outline of your key skills and personal attributes.

Sounds like a boring list, doesn’t it?

It need not be and it should not be.

Let’s start at the beginning again.

Your CV is your first opportunity to impress.  It should emphasize your strengths and abilities. It should outline in some detail why you are the ideal person for this job based on your educational qualifications and relevant experience.

The CV should be well laid out, aesthetically pleasing, typed in an interesting but conventional font, reasonable size (12pt is ideal) and ideally no more than two pages long.

Start with personal details at the top of first page.  Confine yourself to Name, Address, Tel number and Email address.  There is no need for Date of Birth, Marital Status and Driving licence in this section.

INTRODUCTION

In one or two sentences tell the interviewer why YOU are the most suitable candidate for the job, what three skills you would bring to the role and why you want the job.

PERSONAL PROFILE

In five bullet points summarize your experience to date, your achievements and your strong personal qualities. e.g. 2007 Representative of the year, 2008 Highest monthly sales ever recorded for Product X

KEY SKILLS

In five bullet points list your readily transferable skills that you think might be key to this job. e.g. Organizational skills, planning skills, selling skills, sound scientific and medical knowledge

CAREER HISTORY

This section is your opportunity to elaborate and explain in detail what you have been doing and what you have achieved since you left school/third level education.

If you have been working for ten or more years or had more than two employers then only give a detailed account of your last job and mere details of the previous jobs.

Give:

Title of Role: e.g. Medical Sales Representative

Company:

Territory Covered:

Products detailed:

Customer base: GPs/Retail Pharmacists/Hospitals etc

Key Achievements: e.g. Targets met and exceeded (give figures in percentages)

Knowledege and experience acquired:

Reason for leaving:

Always be honest as to why you are leaving or have left your last role.  You will be very surprised how people will react to honesty.

For your second and third last role(s) just give bare details.  You can expand on them at interview.

INTERESTS

In this section you need only briefly mention interests, hobbies and sports you like to play that you really do play and enjoy.

REFERENCES

It is enough at this stage to say that references are available on request

Details of you referees may be supplied at the very end of the selection process.  You do not want an employer being made aware that you are looking for another job and equally well you do not want referees approached until you have asked their permission to quote them as referees.

Your CV is now complete.

To return to our original questions:

How will your CV stand out?

YOUR CV will stand out by being well laid out, easy to read, brief, bright, energetic and confident (it needs to reflect YOU)

Why will the he or she read YOUR CV?

Because it is very interesting, the first two sections have caught the attention of the reader and drawn them into the main section of YOUR CV.

What difference will having a great CV make?

All the difference in the world.  A great CV will lead to an interview and then YOU will get the opportunity to shine like a beacon, stand out from the crowd by a country mile and you won’t just kill the opposition – you will BURY them!

Good Luck Now!

The Pharmaceutical and Medical Sales Industries were not recruiting in great numbers between August 2009 and December 2009.

In the main only experienced candidates were being hired as Medical Sales Representatives.

Has the situation changed in 2010?

In reality it is too early to say.

What can the novice Medical Sales Representative do to secure an interview and ultimately secure a job?

1. Prepare a good CV. 

It must read well, be well laid out and reflect your strengths and abilities.  It must stand out from the other 25 the Regional Sales Manager is going to receive.

2. Work with the Recruitment Consultants.  You should be with at least five agencies.

The Recruitment Consultant knows the Client company very well and knows what they are looking for.  Listen to their advice.  Ask for their help in preparing for an interview.  Be guided by them.

3. Research the Company, their products and their competitors very well.

Consult their website, MIMS and the Irish Medical Directory.

4. Take an Introduction to Medical Sales course.

Such a course will help you decide if you are suited to a career in Medical Sales.  Taking such a course will also show terrific commitment and dedication to the cause.

5.  Shadow a Medical Sales Representative.

Spending time with a Medical Sales Representative will show you how the job is done, what the job entails and why the industry employs Medical Sales Representatives.

Finally a word of caution:

Two years ago it was realistic to register with a Recruitment Agency and have a first round interview within 4 -5 weeks.  Now it is possible to wait 3 months for an interview.

Use the time to read and research all you can about Medical Sales.

It really is a battle to obtain employment now.  The competition is fierce so arm yourself, prepare yourself and GOOD LUCK!

It is not where you are today, but where  you are going that counts.

Try it, and experience the payback!

Would you say you are underqualified or overqualified for this job?

The answer you give should reflect that you are both.  You are underqualified but willing to learn and your overqualification brings a maturity, understanding and confidence to the job.

What are your strengths?

This is not the time to brag about drinking seven pints and still being capable of discussing the finer points of Ulysses.

List your strengths and relate them to the position you are interviewing for.

What are your weaknesses?

Weaknesses can sometimes be strengths so list your weaknesses, relate them to the position and turn them into positive strengths.

Oh by the way I was offered that job on my birthday and accepted! Always be yourself at interview.

To those readers doing interviews today or sometime soon..GOOD LUCK! KNOCK ‘EM DEAD!!

The questions will focus on YOU as a person and will be asked to ascertain your personal qualities, skill set and attributes.

This is your opportunity to really shine

The first question will be fairly general: Tell me about yourself

You should outline your background, educational achievements, goals and aspirations.  Be as clear, succinct and articulate as you can.

Personal attributes of

• Ability to sell
• Good raport building skills
• Highly organized
• Good planning skills
• Good communicator
• Highly self motivated
• Highly driven
• Thrive on a challenge
• Enthusiastic
• Friendly
• Fast learner

These are the attributes the interviewer is looking for.

How would your friends describe you?

This is a common question which allows the interviewer to see what you think of yourself through someone else’s eyes.  It is a clever question.

The ideal answers are:

• Friendly
• Outgoing
• Charming
• Loyal
• Highly organized
• Practical
• Team player

What do you think of your present boss?

Always be POSITIVE!  A typical answer might be: I am very lucky in my present boss.  He/she is firm but fair, demanding but realistic, and above all encouraging and supportive.  He/she is a great leader.

Name three things you like doing

• Interacting with people
• Organizing my day myself
• Achieving targets on a daily basis

Always remember the golden rule of interviews: Never say anything that is not documented on your CV and cannot be substantiated.

Good luck with those intervews!

The first section will relate to your CV

You will be asked to talk through your CV, starting at any point.

HINT: KNOW YOUR CV BACKWARDS

The second section will focus on what you know about the job

HINT: DO YOUR RESEARCH THOROUGHLY

This section will include the following three questions:

What so you think the most difficult aspect of the job of Medical Sales Representative is?

The simple answer is ACCESS

The Pharma Representative (calling on GPs and Retail Pharmacists) will have to contend with the receptionist

The Pharma Representative will also have to work with GPs who do not see representatves or who see only once a year by annual appointment.

The Medical Equipment Representative will have difficulties making sure that they are seeing the right person and are in front of the purchaser.

How would you reach a doctor who does not see representatives?

Liaise with and work with ancillary staff (receptionists, medical secretaries, Practice Nurses, Ward Nurses, Theatre Staff, and Practice Managers)

Ask if you could write to the Medical professional and send him product information and literature

Invite him to spreaker meetings

See him at CME meetings

Support his practice or team in other ways (always complying with Code of Practice 2008 (IPHA)

You have strong Nursing experince/Management experience – why should I hire you as a Representative?

You could answer: I bring a wealth of experience which I can apply to managing my territory as a small business.  I have managed and been managed and in adopting the best of all that experience I would be an active team player, a willing employee and an excellent Medical Sales Representative

The next section of the interview will focus on YOU and questions abot YOU, your qualities, personal attributes and skills

Do you know?

Are you able to articulate your answer?

Is it for the Challenge of the role?

Do you Love Selling?

Would it be a Good utilization of your skill set and experience?

Would it be a Good Career Move?

Is it because the industry is so Professional?

You have Shadowed a Medcal Sales Representative and were mpressed with what you saw?

You will also be asked WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO RESEARCH THE ROLE?

• You should have shadowed a Medical Sales Representative
• Talked to your own GP and Retail Pharmacist to get their opinion on Medical Sales Representatives
• If possible talk to Hospital based Medical Professionals and hear their opinion
• You should join the MRII as a student member
• Consult the company website
• Consult the Irish Medical Directory
• You may have trained with MEDrep

In the next part we will look at questions which may be asked – focussing on the actual job itself.

1.  There will be an introduction by both sides

2. There will be a review of your CV.  You will be asked to talk your way through your CV from any year and backwards and forwards. (HINT – know your CV very well)

3.  There will be questions arising from your CV

Questions will then follow on THE ROLE OF THE MEDICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE:

4.  What is the role of the medical sales representative?

Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Companies employ Medical Sales Representatives to COMMUNICATE directly with the Medical Profession, CONVEY MEDICAL INFORMATION, and SELL COMPANY PRODUCTS

The role of the Medical Sales Representative is to improve patient lives by bringing the doctor the most up to date information and to increase market share.

5. What is the job of the Medical Sales Representative?

Increase Sales

Increase awareness of the brand

Increase market share

Meet and exceed targets

Achieve 6-7 face to face calls per day

Manage the territory like a small business

Build relationships

Convey product information

————————————————————————————-

In part two of this post we will look in detail at WHY you want to be a Medical Sales Representative and WHAT research you have done

Your work is not done!

To focus your efforts to find work in this area you should be keeping faithful records of what agencies you are working with, what companies your CV has been sent to and finally an analysis of each interview

Approaching the job search with such a degree of organization will yield terrific results.

Reviewing the interview:

This interview may have been a first round interview, in which case you will need your notes to prepare well for a second round interview.

Record who interviewed you and retain their business card

Record what went well and what did not go so well

Think what you might say differently if you are granted a second round interview

Make notes and refer to these notes over the coming days as you prepare for a second interview

During the course of the interview you should have been given a business card for the person interviewing you

Immediately after the interview send a simple, handwritten note of thanks to the interviewer.

It should read as follows:

Dear Ms Blog

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to interview me for the position of Medical Sales Representative on the South Dublin territory with Pfizer.

I am really interested in the position, more so now that I have met with you.  I really feel I could work very well for you.

I look forward to having the opportunity to meet with you again.

Yours sincerely

A simple thank you note will help you stand out from the crowd and even if you do not get a second interview, the Pharmaceutical/Medical Sales world is small and your paths will cross again over the next few years.

Good luck with all those interviews!