How to get hired in medical device sales? This is a frequent question we get here at Medical Sales Authority. It can be challenging to transition from B2B sales into the medical device space. The competition is immense. It is even more difficult without previous sales experience. We have put together some of the best advice from online experts. If you are trying to break into the industry make sure to follow the tips below.
Related: How To Break Into Medical Device Sales According To Reddit
1. Reach Out To Industry Professionals On LinkedIn
LinkedIn should be your best friend during the job search process. The only way to learn about companies, roles, and the broader industry is by talking with people. This includes associate reps, clinical specialists, full line reps, and hiring managers. These conversations can start strictly as information interviews. However, if these people like you they may end up pointing you towards job openings or serve as referrals. Yes, you have to reach out to strangers. But this is one of the greatest shortcuts to making connections from scratch.
Related: Medical Sales LinkedIn
2. Always Be Networking
A good sales rep should always be networking. You never know how you may stumble upon your next job opportunity. It only takes one fortuitous break to get a job. The rep in this video met a VP of a medical device company while bartending. This is not the first time the team here at Medical Sales Authority has received this type of story. If a hiring manager likes your personality and picks up on a sense of ambition this may be enough to get a foot in the door.
3. Get A Non Sales Job At A Medical Device Company
Associate sales rep positions are great way to break into the industry. These are the most attainable roles for someone that wants to transition into the medical device space with only a couple of years of B2B sales experience . But there are other ways to get hired. In this video, Wade demonstrates how he got started in an operations role at the healthcare GPO Premier, then got experience as a marketing intern at Cardinal Health, and then made his way into a sales training program. A path like this an excellent way to build relationships and learn about the industry from a broader perspective.
4. Tailor Your Resume To The Medical Device Industry
This video is only forty seconds but offers some solid tips on how to get hired in medical device sales. Remember sales is a numbers game. The resume is the first part of this process. A good resume may not get you a job, but it will get you an interview. Some candidates lose their patience during the job search process and start submitting generic resumes to any job posting with the phrase medical sales or medical device sales. Don’t be this guy. This type of approach is not helpful. Resume needs to be tailored to each individual job. It doesn’t take that much time to make a few customizations. Make sure the skills section of your resume matches the vocabulary from the job posting. This is important as the resume review process is mostly automated these days.
Related: Ten Winning Medical Sales Resume Tips
5. Embrace The Rejection
This video is a sixty second clip of Chelsea Adam’s journey to getting a trauma sales position with Stryker. There is a common theme throughout the interview process. That is rejection. Rejection is part of any sales role, especially medical sales. It is not sustainable to get frustrated by this and take things personally. It is part of the process. If you are just starting our on your journey know that you will have to embrace rejection.
6. Understand The Emotions Of Hiring
Hiring is not a always a logical process. While experience and skills are important it is not what drives the final hiring decision. Hiring managers hire the people they like. There is no way around it. The logical facts are only another data point. This is important for experienced reps to remember. I have seen many seasoned reps fall into this trap. They come into the interview process with a chip on their shoulder. They focus on the facts, or in other words their previous sales experience. Remember, you still need to be likeable.
7. Demonstrate That You Are Coachable
Our last tip on how to get hired in medical device sales focuses on being coachable. This is one of the most important characteristics that hiring managers look for in young sales reps. This characteristic highlights the potential for growth and development. Every job and company has a learning curve. Someone that is coachable is more likely to breeze along this ramp up process. So how do you demonstrate being coachable during the interview process? This is done by showing that you are open to feedback. It is possible to project confidence, stand your ground, while also being open to feedback.