Top 10 Job Search Tips

When I started this blog, I was much better about updating it. I used to get asked all the time "How do I get into the pharmaceutical industry?" Since I didn't have time to stop and talk to everyone during the work day, I created this blog so I could refer people to all the links to companies and recruiters that would help them in their job search.

Jump forward to January 2009. I, along with thousands of others, lost my job as a drug rep. I put the blog on hold for the most part so I could find a new job. Jump forward to March 2011. I have now been at my new job as a drug rep for 6 months. New company, less money, good management, happy me.

Many of my friends are still looking, either within the pharma/medical industry or in other industries. This is a list of things I have learned during my prolonged job search that I wish someone had told me back in January 2009. Although I worked in commission only medical sales during the 20 months I was out of the industry, I still enjoy pharmaceutical sales and hope to stay with my current company for a long time. Of course, the industry (and economy) has changed and there is no such thing as a stable job...so feel free to use these tips or pass them along. I hope they help.

1. Positive Attitude can go a long way The company you are interviewing with doesn't want to hear anything negative. Your friends don't really want to hear anything negative. Your family probably would rather not hear anything negative. So try to be positive and spin things that way.

2. Use all websites that are available. This means Indeed.com and Monster and Jobs.com and all of the company websites that provide the ability to create job-bots. Let these sites do some of the work for you. They'll deliver to your email box a list of links with jobs that fulfill the criteria that you pick (location, skills, etc).

3. Use social networking: Part 1 - Linkedin.com I used LinkedIn.com, Twitter, Facebook etc. Each has its own niche. For LinkedIn, if I knew of a position that was open, I'd see if my network allowed me to contact (for free) anyone who worked for that company. Then, I'd contact 2-3 (or more) to see if I could talk live or via email to find out insight on the company and the position. This is helpful when interviewing since anyone can read the annual report or go do a Google search. Now you have to go further to stand out. You can also join groups that will post openings specific to your location or industry. Joining groups also will allow you to send messages to group members (for free) that might be useful in the job search (as previously mentioned). You can also follow companies that will occasionally update their feed or show new hires. LinkedIn also has job postings that are worth checking out. The postings will usually have a contact that you can initiate contact with through the site. FYI, I never paid a dime for LinkedIn, though I know people that have and you always have that option.

4. Use social networking: Part 2 - Twitter For Twitter, there are recruiters and companies that will post openings. You can also share experiences with others that are searching and do some of your research. Some of the twitter feeds that you can follow will link to articles that you won't be able to easily find about companies or industries that might be hiring.

5. Use social networking: Part 3 - Facebook Facebook has recruiters that will post openings. You can also follow companies. You can search to see if you can find people working at your targeted company. You can use your network to see if they know people at certain companies. Personally, I didn't find Facebook as useful as LinkedIn for the job search, but it was great for positive reinforcement from my friends/relatives. This is also a great help.

6. Use old fashioned networking Use your friends and family to help. I found out that a cousin worked for one of my target companies. This led to a resume getting to someone that I could never have done on my own. The job that I ended up getting was a direct result of having an old friend and eventual coworker vouch for me during the interview process. It's not enough to know someone at the company. Sometimes, they need to be willing to vouch for you as a trustworthy hard working producer. There are other examples I could give, but you get the idea.

7. Never stop looking until you accept an offer. When I got my new job, I was talking to 6 different companies. I learned my lesson early on to never stop the search. There were a few jobs that I had gone to the final interview and aced it. But you never know what might happen. Maybe an internal candidate (that you didn't know about) will get the position. Maybe someone else did even better. Bottom line, you don't have a job until you have a job.

8. Don't limit your search to the same type of job you had. Maybe there's a reason to look at what type of jobs your skill set might be suited for...Is your industry downsizing across the board? As a pharmaceutical rep, the industry has dropped from 120,000 to around 50,000 over the past 5 years. Is this a growth industry anymore? Not really. However, there are many jobs that are glad to utilize your skill set. Look at Physician Liaison positions, Hospital marketing positions, Recruiting, Medical sales, etc. There are other types of positions out there worth checking out. Have multiple resumes to help you target other job types that highlight your general skills.

9. Remember that you can sometimes create a job. Depending on how strong your connections are, you might be able to uncover a need and talk to your connections about creating a job that fills that need. For example, say you called on a large OBGyn practice that is still interested in growth. You could be their marketing rep and call on the doctors in the community, highlighting the OBGyn practice and the things they offer.

10. Talk to as many recruiters/headhunters that you can find Some of these folks specialize in certain companies that you'll never hear about. These are the companies worth looking into because they are in growth stages (compared to the rest of the industry). The trick is you don't know which recruiter works with which companies so it's worth talking to many. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. But you have to utilize all resources - and this is a good one.

I hope these are helpful. Please feel free to offer up some others or share you experiences. In the meantime, for those who are looking, I wish you luck.

Regards,

Nicotine Jones

How to start your search (one in a series)

Hello Jobseekers (cause if you're not looking, you probably wouldn't have stumbled upon this website). I get many (MANY) questions about how to search for that elusive job, regardless of experience. I'm going to give tips (based on your level of experience in the industry or in sales). Understand that these are MY tips and not necessarily the best route for everyone. Once again, my advice is don't just listen (read) my tips. Do the research! Hell, this is your life here. You're selling the most important product of all: YOU. So, this is a starting point, but by no means the only things your should be doing to find your next job. OK, here we go:

For the person with some pharma experience interested in making a switch:

1. Update your resume and have some (trusted) friends look it over. Do a websearch to find some examples so you're not simply updating the resume you had in college. You're not in college anymore and it should be a different type of resume. The update also depends on your success in the business. The more successful, the easier it might be. But, even without lots of success, there are things you can do to make it look good. Figure it out.

2. Go to sites like medzilla.com, monster.com and indeed.com to set up search agents to help you find those jobs. You can also set up search agents at most of the major corporate web sites. Oh, and apply for the jobs you are interested in...

3. If you have some experience, I'd recommend getting your resume into the hands of recruiters. You can either find them through this site or others but recruiters seem to have more luck getting you interviews (than just submitting a resume yourself). I'd also recommend the resume blasts (like the one linked from this site). They may cost 30-50 bucks, but the people I know who've used them have received 10-20 phone calls in the first week and many emails, too. The cost is minimal if your resume gets to a recruiter who can help get you an interview. Even if you don't use the blast service, you should still use recruiters - they ONLY make money if you get hired...so they're quite motivated.

4. Network with other reps you already know. Also, if there's a company you are interested in working for, talk to your doctors to find a rep from that company and contact them directly. They might be helpful (especially if they get a referral fee for getting you hired).

5. Don't tell anyone you are looking for another job. And concentrate on maintaining your numbers/call average/attitude. You don't need the drama that comes from the gossip involved with not being discreet.

6. Put together a basic brag book - and then add a cover page, updated resume, mission statement, business plan (all one page each except the resume, which can be 2) that is specific to the company/interview you have. Make a few extra copies, bind them and bring them to the interview. This is easy once you have the first one done. This is your detail book to sell you. Very important to have good content, not just a fancy book.

7. Practice coming up with 4-6 stories to use to answer the basic questions you'll get. Be sure to stick to the STAR system so you'll have concise answers that prove your point (and worth) to the interviewer.

8. Be professional with attire, attitude, etc.

9. Close for the next interview or for the job.

I think that's the basic start, though I'm certain I've forgotten something. Let me know what I missed and I'll add it in...

Good Luck!

nicotine jones (yeah, like that's my real name)

3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview

This is a great book for anyone trying to gain entry into the pharma/biotech industry OR anyone trying to switch companies. It has great advice, tips for everything from putting a resume together to what specific companies are looking for in an interview. It goes over a lot of the things that I usually mention to people who email me (and many of you do). I contacted Lisa Lane, the author, and she agreed to give the readers of PharmaJobsHelp a 10% discount on all products on her site. All you need to do is put PharmaJobsHelp in the comments section of your order. She has the book, interview CDs that answer key questions you will be asked, lists of companies and headhunters, examples of great cover letters and resumes, etc. Check out her site and remember to put PharmJobsHelp in the comments section of the order form for the discount. I've been in the industry for 15 years and it was still good to get the reminders. See the link below:

3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview

Question

Update: after speaking with a few recruiters, it was suggested that (for the experienced rep looking to switch jobs), you probably should only apply directly to companies where you have a contact. The reason is that if you have already applied, then the recruiter most likely won't help you since they won't get a commission. I think that makes good sense. The recruiters are also more likely to get you an interview than if you just apply on your own...

Question from the mailbag:
You responded to a yahoo question that I had and I was curious if you know of any tips that can help me break into pharmaceuticals.  How do most people get in for the first time?

Thanks for the email. There's not just one way to get into the pharmaceutical industry...A lot of it is luck, timing, etc. Here are a few suggestions:

Network with any reps you already know. They usually will get $$$ for referring candidates who get hired so there's some incentive for them to help you.

Talk to your doctor and ask him/her for advice about getting in - he/she might have some contacts they can help you with. If not, they might let you see their rep card file so you can contact some of the reps to expand your network

Make sure your resume ties in with the industry. If you have sales experience, show stats/awards that allow the hiring manager to see that you've been successful. If you have no sales experience, be sure to draw a few parallels with your past success to the industry. For example, if you were a waitress/waiter, you can explain that you had the highest average bill/person (since you sold the client on getting more drinks/dessert). If you played college basketball, show how you were a leader on the team. Much of past success will translate into the new job, reducing the risk of the hiring manager.

Keep at it. Both drug companies I've worked for rejected me the first few times. I made contacts that helped me eventually get hired.

Attend job fairs where you can make contacts.

Prepare (in your mind) about 5 stories of your success that you can draw from during interviews. You will be asked for examples and it's best to have a situation you can use (and be concise).

These are just a few. Hope that helps,

nicotine jones

Anyone want to add some more...?