The Comprehensive Guide to Job Interviews in Medical Device Sales
Job openings often attract hundreds of applicants. Of the resumes collected, only a handful will hear back from the company. Medical device sales is an especially competitive industry–where you’re likely to find yourself up against candidates with impressive portfolios and brag-worthy experience.
To land a job in medical device sales, you need to stand out amongst the few selected candidates as the best fit for the job–with the skills, experience and demeanor to be a top seller. This article will break down the steps you should take to prepare for your job interview.
1. What to wear
You’re probably well aware that you should dress to impress at a job interview. However, when interviewing for a job in medical device sales, you’ll want to take your attire one step further. A good rule of thumb is to dress like you’re ready to compete in a presidential debate. That means you should look professional and well-groomed. Also, err on the side of caution with a conservative look–free of loud colors, statement jewelry or other attention-grabbing looks.
For example, Johnson & Johnson is famous for expecting its medical device reps to wear a dark suit with a white shirt and a red or blue tie. Although it’s okay and even expected to stand out in some career paths, you’ll want your skills and experience to do the talking when pursuing a medical device rep position.
To get a better idea of how formal you should dress, visit the company website or social media for a look at current team members. Though you won’t want to dress down even if their team appears rather casual, this can give you an idea of how formal the workplace is.
Finally, don’t underestimate how important it is to wear a confident and courteous attitude. Your demeanor plays a huge role in whether or not you’re the right fit for the position.
2. Reviewing your resume
Your experience is the prime focus in any job interview. Experienced medical device reps must be prepared to share past sales achievements, key clients and impressive numbers. Anyone looking to break into medical sales for the first time should practice summarizing their sales experience, professional accomplishments and transferable skills.
Sharing your sales record is important, but you don’t want to rely on numbers alone. To truly ace the interview, you’ll need to share how you achieved those numbers. Consider your answers to the following questions:
How did you prepare your sales pitch for this doctor?
What selling strategies did you use?
How long did it take to close the sale?
What did you do differently from competitors?
Because relationship building is critical in medical device sales, candidates must demonstrate how they tailor their pitch and selling process for different clients.
Another important topic of discussion during the interview is your weaknesses or failures. You should be prepared to discuss past setbacks with confidence and understanding of what you could have done better. In preparation, ask yourself these questions:
What could you have done differently?
What did you learn from this setback?
To sell yourself during an interview, you have to know your data–the good and the bad.
For further reading, check out 8 Skills You Need to Become a Medical Device Sales Rep to learn more about the qualities interviewers are looking for.
3. Interview practice
After reviewing your resume and key work experiences, it’s important to practice with a mock job interview. Practicing with a friend or spouse helps you refine your answers to common interview questions and gets you in the habit of providing concise and clear answers.
In addition, a mock interview enables you to get valuable feedback ahead of the real thing. Have your practice partner prepare a list of questions commonly asked during a medical device rep interview. Some key topics to prepare ahead of time include:
How you deal with adversity
How you got your past sales
Why you’re interested in this particular role
Plus, see common interview questions in an upcoming blog post! Follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed.
Another important component to practice is closing the interview. Consider closing by asking valuable questions, which can offer important guidance for future interviews–whether they’re with this employer or a different company.
Is there anything holding you back from moving me to the next round of interviews?
What questions or concerns do you have for me as a candidate?
Is there anything that would keep me from moving forward as a candidate?
Based on our conversation today, what concerns do you have?
Treat the interview like a sales pitch–don’t leave without laying out clear action steps to move the process forward. A strong close not only demonstrates your determination to win the position, but also reflects your ability to close a sale.
4. What to do if you don't get the job
Even if you ace the interview, you might not get the job. However, don’t let setbacks discourage you. Each interview you complete is practice for the next opportunity and can help you strengthen your resume and interview technique.
In the end, the manager has to feel you’re a good match for their team–in your strengths, weaknesses and personality. In medical device sales, you must be capable of accepting a loss and learning from it for the next opportunity.
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