Behavioral interviews focus on past job behavior and performance (what did you do in a given situation) with the idea that this information will predict your future behavior and performance.  Behavioral interviews are really much more informative for employers than a “what do you know how to do?” interview, and more and more hiring managers are using some version of it.  (Here’s a previous post on STAR Interviews.)

What do you need to know? 

1)  Have stories or examples ready that explain your skills/performance in many different situations.  What happened when you had an unhappy customer?  How have you increased sales?  How did you deal with _____________?  Here’s a link to sample behavioral interview questions. 

2)  Quantify your examples whenever possible.  You increased sales by how much?  You were responsible for bringing in _______ dollars in revenue.  You saved the company _______ dollars by doing/changing/introducing _________________.   Salespeople (in all areas of medical sales, pharmaceutical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, DNA products sales, biotechnology sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, or medical supplies and equipment sales) are good at having these numbers at hand, but people in marketing, tech support or service areas in healthcare will need to work harder.

Behavioral interviews are excellent opportunities for those job seekers with a brag book.  Brag books are collections of examples that illustrate your stories:  letters from happy customers or managers, awards, sales training certificates, projects you’ve completed, etc.  How to Get Into Medical Sales – Volume I:  The Documents explains brag books in more detail, and also teaches you about other critical aspects of your job search and interview process (like resumes and cover letters, technology sheets, and 30/60/90-day sales plans) so that all your work results in the job offer you want.

This video will explain all of this in more detail.  I hope it helps you have a successful job interview.

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It not always necessary to have some background in the sciences to get a job in medical sales, laboratory sales, medical supplies sales, hospital equipment sales, clinical diagnostics sales, pharmaceutical sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, cellular and molecular sales, and biotechnology sales.  But if you’ve got it, it helps.

For more information about technology sheets and other secrets to success in getting a medical sales job, see How to Get Into Medical Sales – Volume I:  The Documents.  It’s full of samples and templates of resumes, cover letters, technology sheets, brag books, 30/60/90-day sales plans, thank you notes, and more–it also includes over an hour of audio coaching from the Sales Recruiter to show you how to use these documents to your greatest advantage in your job search and interviews!

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medical sales laboratory hiring personal brand

 

In the grocery store of life, you have to figure out why someone would pick you up off the shelf,” says Andrea Nierenberg, president of the Nierenberg Group, a business communication-consulting firm in New York. “Are you new and improved? Are you repackaged? What are you doing to get that competitive edge? What you want to do is position yourself as you would a product.”

I LOVE this.  If each of us spent as much time thinking about our career as much as the major food manufacturers think about product placement on a shelf, what could be the consequences?  (Do you even realize how much thought and energy goes into exactly where that box of cereal should be in your line of vision?  It’s mind-boggling.) 

Personal branding works the same way.  What’s the first impression people have of you?  Why should a hiring manager choose you over the other brand?  How can you market yourself in your industry so that others know who you are?  Personal Branding Basics is a great place to start thinking about how to make this work for you.

In all areas of medical sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical software sales, medical equipment sales, medical device sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, DNA products sales, and pharmaceutical sales, you need to think about where you are (and where you want to be) in the market. 

To package all this up for maximum impact on a hiring manager, see How to Get Into Medical Sales – Volume I:  The Documents.  Get over an hour of audio coaching plus templates and samples for resumes, cover letters, technology sheets, brag books, 30/60/90-day sales plans, thank you notes, and advice on references. 

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sales, medical, laboratory, internships, college students, entry-level

Internships can be tremendously valuable to college students looking for that resume experience, but I recently came across an article about how some college students are paying for the privilege. Bad idea. There are better ways to spend your money…like custom consulting from a recruiter in the industry you’re heading for. You can learn what specific actions you can take that will provide immediate as well as long-term benefits, and you can learn about how to position yourself for long-term success in medical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, biotechnology sales, medical device sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, DNA products sales, and healthcare sales, management, and marketing.

Another option:  enter medical sales like a pro with a 30/60/90-day sales plan and audio coaching on everything you need for interviews…a winning resume and cover letter, a brag book, a technology sheet, an impressive sales plan, quality references, and well-written thank you notes.

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For more information on how to get into any area of health care sales (laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, research laboratory sales, biotechnology sales, medical device sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, hospital equipment sales, or pharmaceutical sales), see How to Get Into Medical Sales – Volume I: The Documents.

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1) They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.

2) They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.

3) They are polite, and manners count.

4) They help you land the job.

5) They can be an example of your ability to take in information (the interview) and process and provide feedback or new ideas about whatever the problem was. For example: I thought about your concerns about how to handle xyz delivery issues, when I was a product manager at ABC corporation, we used………
(See what I mean?)

Here’s a link for tips on how to write a thank you letter. Written ones are ideal (but snail mail may not get to the manager before the decision to hire or not hire), but e-mail thank yous are perfectly acceptable (and I think most valuable because of their timing). Any thank you letter will put you ahead of the pack in your job search.

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