Preparing for the job interview is one of the most important steps in breaking into medical sales. It comes as no surprise that “How To Prepare For A Medical Device Sales Interview” is one of the most frequently asked questions here at the Medical Sales Authority. We offered some advice in our first article on the topic, How To Prepare For A Medical Sales Interview. Now we are back to answer the remaining questions.

How To Prepare For An Interview

What To Wear To A Medical Device Sales Interview?

Let me get to the point, wear a suit and tie. Ladies wear the equivalent. Yes, in some situation this may be overkill. But in this type of situation it never hurts to be overdressed. It shows a level of seriousness and respect for the interview process. I don’t see a reason not to put your best foot forward.

The same applies for the virtual medical device sales interview. Just because the meeting is over Zoom and you are at home, the process is not more casual. It may feel goofy to be sitting in your home office in a full suit and tie, but just do it. Again, it shows the hiring manager you are a professional.

How To Prepare For A Phone Interview?

Phone interviews vary significantly between company and role. First off, let’s distinguish between a screening call and a true phone interview. A phone screening is typically done be HR. This is simply to confirm you are a real person and to check some of the basic facts on your resume. From the company’s perspective the purpose of this call is to rule out any red flags and then tee things up for the hiring manager. If you are getting a screening call from HR after submitting an application, your experience is probably somewhat in the ballpark of what the company is looking for. If everything goes well, you will be moving on to a conversation with the hiring manager.

This first conversation with the hiring manager may be a phone interview, or it may move straight to in-person. If it is a phone interview you need to prepare. This discussion will dictate if you even get an in-person interview. It will be much more in depth than the HR screening. Don’t be caught off guard by this! The hiring manger typically starts by giving you a more detailed run down of the role, and then will start to off with some questions. These will be more pointed than the discussion with HR.

It is important to prepare for a phone medical device sales interview in the same level of detail as an in person interview. Make sure to research the company and work on how you will be presenting yourself.

Research The Company

• What is the company culture?
• What markets does the company compete in?
• What is the market share of the product you will be representing?

Presenting Yourself

• Review standard interview questions
• Develop talk track of how your strengths align with the role
• Have prepared questions to ask
• Be ready to close on moving forward in the process

Related: Read this article to better understand the Medical Device Interview Process.

How To Answer Interview Questions?

This is a good question. It is not just about the content of your answers but how you answer questions. A hiring manager will be reflecting on how you will answer questions in front of customers. It can’t appear rigid and forced. Be comfortable and make it a conversation. It is okay to start by asking clarifying questions. It good to always understand what exactly they are looking for. This is what you would do with customers during a sales call. Make sure to smile. It is okay to take a moment between questions to formulate your answer. Check out this article on Chegg that covers 15 Common Interview Questions and Answers (for New Grads).

Some companies like to do a whole rapid fire question thing. It is to see if you can respond quickly and on your feet. I guess they assume that because your only get a few minutes with doctors most of the time, you need to be skilled at quickly getting to your points. I think this style of interviewing is stupid. The key is just not being thrown off by it. It is more of way to disrupt and disorient you over anything else. Stay calm and stick to your preparation.

What Questions To Ask In An Interview?

Most interview candidates focus on the questions they will have to answer. It is also important to ask good, insightful questions yourself. First off, this helps you learn more about the role. Second, it shows a solid level of preparation. I have covered this topic at depth in the article below.

Related: Click here to learn What Questions To Ask At A Medical Sales Interview?

What To Bring To An Interview?

This is the type of mindset that will get you a job. Paying attention to the details and thinking ahead. Nothing throws off your confidence like showing up to an interview and realizing you do not have everything you need. Even worse is only picking up on this when you see the candidate before or after you with the right stuff.

Here is a checklist of what to bring to an interview:

• Resume (multiple copies)
• Padfolio with notepad
• Pen
• Briefcase (leave the backpack behind)
• Breath mint
• Don’t forget the suit jacket!
• Cell phone (on silent)
• Brag book

Related: How To Make A Medical Sales Brag Book

How To Follow Up After A Medical Device Sales Interview?

For some reason, this step use to stress me out. The medical device sales interview process is hard and I would get worried that I would blow my chances by not following up in the right manner. The thing is this doesn’t really matter. It is only a formality. Don’t get me wrong, you need to send a follow up to anyone you interview with. Even better is if you can add a couple of bullet points specific to discussion and role. But this alone is not going to get you a job. Most of time these follow ups are a check the box kind of thing. Coming from the other side of it, I hardly pay attention to these type of emails when I see them come through my inbox.

How To Interview Well?

Interviewing is a skill that takes time to develop. Yes, there are those who are naturals. Like anything in life. But anyone can get better. I believe that practice makes perfect. I interviewed a lot early on in my career. At times this was a painful process, but I learned a lot. I made mistakes and then made sure not to do those same things again.

It comes down to preparation and execution. Preparation is completely within your control. Put in the effort. Repetition and experience will help with the execution part. Remember this is a process. There will always be another job opening and another interview ahead of you.

How To Prepare For A Zoom Interview

The Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed interviewing. As of 2021 it is likely that the whole process will take place over the phone and Zoom calls. I have even known some hiring managers that have used Facetime. To interview well it is important to master the technology. Like or not, technology issues don’t reflect well. Also, they can be distracting and take away the focus from what really matters.

Here are a couple of recommendations to be successful:

• Pay attention to the background. Don’t wait until five minutes before the interview to clean up the room behind you. Make sure the background is professional and appears to be a home office.
• Test the camera and vocals.
• Make sure the camera angle is correct. It is important that you are making eye contact with the camera.
• Make sure there are no background noises and distractions during the interview.
• I really like this practice tip from the The Interview Guys. The recommendation is to practice beforehand with a friend and record the session. Go back and watch it to get an idea on how you appear. This will definitely lead to some good feedback before the big day.

How To Prepare For An Interview Reddit

I love picking up tips and tricks from Reddit. Among the whacky and weird suggestions there are always some golden gems. I scoured the subreddits threads so you don’t have to. I have listed my favorite recommendations below:

1. When asked a question, make sure to answer it fully. Many interviewees get lost on a tangent half way through the question and forget to circle back.
2. At the end of the interview, ask the hiring manager if they have any concerns about your resume, experience, or your interview answers. It is good to know where you stand.
3. Visit the interview location beforehand. This may sound over the top, but trust me. It will make you much more confident on the interview day. I have had many interviews where I am rushing around trying to find parking and the right meeting location, minutes before the interview. Do not make this mistake.
4. Do not show up with a backpack (this one is for all the recent college graduates). I have made this mistake myself.
5. Be ready to go with your answer for the classic “Tell me about yourself” question. Don’t be one of those awkward people, that stumbles on this question and doesn’t know what to say. Have the elevator pitch ready to go.