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Pharmaceutical Sales Interviews - Are You Inadvertently Screwing Up Your Chances of Gaining? June 30, 2006 15:55 |
We all know Pharmaceutical Sales Interviews are difficult to gain with all the competition out there. However, if you listen to me, your chances of obtaining pharmaceutical sales interviews will increase ten-fold (and even more if you buy our fantastic e-books...but more on that later!)
Ok people...I've said this in my newsletter before, but I've noticed when I talk to many of you, you're simply forgetting this life-saving, or at least interview-saving, advice so here goes....
As a former recruiter and current interview coach, I know the absolute Best way to enter pharmaceutical sales is thru extensive networking with current pharmaceutical reps, in addition to utilizing creative approaches. Likewise, I also know the WORST way to ruin your chances of landing an interview.
Here's how...by applying directly to a pharmaceutical company website without being asked by a manager or rep to do so, you are decreasing your chances of landing interviews by about 95%.
What's that 5% about? That 5% is reserved for those people with advanced scientific degrees and great, documented business to business sales experience....which means that managers will be clamoring to hire them, anyway. (Unless, of course, he/she submits a poorly made resume that doesn't highlight comparable achievements].
Now, exactly how does applying direct damage your chances? Well, you may or may not know that reps are compensated well when a candidate they've referred is hired. So, what happens when you apply directly via the company website is that now the company has ownership of your candidacy, meaning a rep (from the same company) that refers you will not be compensated if you're hired. Do you think a rep will be very motivated to endorse a candidate that, if hired, the rep will NOT be granted a referral/finder's fee? Absolutely NOT! And, you'll find if a rep does decide to refer you, out of the goodness of his heart, he will actually seek out other candidates on his own, and often position those candidates with the manager in a way that will influence the manager's hiring decision to NOT hire you.
It works the same with recruiters; why would a recruiter work with you when he/she knows that it will result in no money? Time is money! Recruiters would rather concentrate their efforts on other, equally-qualified candidates AND get paid for it! In effect, if you apply direct, you are now competing against every company rep and recruiter out there; no one will have the inclination to help you because of zero opportunities for referral fees.
Now, some of you seem to get confused about applying online, thinking that you should NEVER do it...and that's not the case. You ABSOLUTELY must apply online if asked by a rep or manager to do so. This means they think you're a viable candidate and they want you in their computer system. If they don't tell you to do so, remember this....you must put the name of the referring party (pharma rep or manager - whoever referred you originally) in the appropriate place on the online application. If you're hired, this is how the company knows whom to send the referral fee too. If you're working with a recruiter, unless it's an in-house recruiter, you will not need to complete the online application until after you're considered a possible hire...usually after the 2nd interview.
Hopefully, you understand now! PLEASE heed my advice, it will increase your opportunities of gaining pharmaceutical sales interviews...dramatically! Now....go out there and network with those pharma reps!
If you want to learn exactly where to go to find pharma reps, how to approach them, and what to say...check out the "cool link" below!
~To your success,
Your Pharmaceutical Sales Interviews Coach
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