This post was guest blogged by Peggy McKee of the Medical Sales Recruiter – Tips & Quips Blog. Peggy is also the founder of PHC Consulting, a nationally recognized medical sales and life sciences industry search firm.
Can’t get an interview?
Can’t get past the first interview?
Are you demonstrating the levels of commitment, drive, tenacity, skills and organization employers want?
Here are 6 tried and true ways to separate you from other candidates and be the candidate everyone wants to hire:
1. Preparation = SWOT Analysis:
SWOT is a strategic planning tool. It stands for Strengths (attributes helpful to achieving the objective), Weaknesses (attributes harmful to achieving the objective), Opportunities (external conditions that will be helpful to achieving the objective), and Threats (external obstacles or conditions that will harm the process). Look at the picture–it helps. Doing a SWOT analysis on the company demonstrates your drive, commitment, and skills, along with helping you create a better 30/60/90-day plan. Click here for advice on how to do one and avoid mistakes.
2. 30/60/90-Day Plan :
A 30-60-90-day plan is a short, 1-3 page outline for what you will do when you start the job. Essentially, you spell out for your future employer, in as little or as much detail as necessary, how you will spend your time–in training, learning company systems, introducing yourself to customers, and your initial plan to build sales. It demonstrates exactly how you’ll be an asset. A 30/60/90-day plan is an almost-guaranteed way to impress any hiring manager or hiring team.
If you absolutely can’t get an interview, you could try e-mailing your 30/60/90-day plan to the sales manager. It’s an attention-getter, and it could be the key to get you in the door.
3. Video or Audio Communication -:
Send the interviewer an audio of video clip of yourself. Keep it short and sweet, and make sure you’ve checked lighting, background, and sound quality. One idea: Structure it like an elevator pitch–what can you do for the company and why can you do it?
4. Brag Book :
A brag book is a folder/ binder that you can use during your interview process to clarify your skill sets. It can include letters of recommendation, “attaboy” notes (or any notes commenting on what a good job you’ve done), staff ranking, annual reviews (if you include some, include them all), rewards letters, your resume, types of equipment you’ve used or marketed, certifications or other educational courses, any financial or PowerPoint presentations, copies of articles you’ve written, brochures you’ve helped develop, and a college transcript (though ONLY if you’re just getting out). Here’s a link to a video that explains more.
5. References :
It’s critical that you have winning references. Some people believe that references never get called, but they do. You should know how to choose a good reference, and know with stake-your-job-on-it certainty what they will say about you. You can (and should) even coach them beforehand, to help them tailor their answers to the job.
6. Follow-up/Thank You Notes :
Don’t underestimate how important thank you letters are in the job interview process. Everybody “knows” they’re critical, but unbelievably, not everyone writes them. Thank you letters accomplish several things:
- They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.
- They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.
- They are polite, and manners count.
- 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?)
Handwritten thank-yous are nice, but e-mail thank yous are fast. Sometimes, hiring decisions are made quickly, so a timely note can be critical.
I know these things will help you become an outstanding candidate!
If you need more personalized help, please see my custom consulting page. If you’re really having trouble, a fresh pair of expert eyes can point out issues or problems that are keeping you from getting the job you want.
Guest blog written by Peggy McKee – the medical sales recruiter
Get top medical sales candidates at PHC Consulting
Contact Peggy:
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great stuff! thanks Rich and Peggy
How far will you go to grab a manager’s attention and land the open position? Some workers tend to take extreme methods, which may help them stick out for the wrong reasons.
OfficeTeam, a staffing service, surveyed 250 executives in order to find the strangest stories they have heard or seen candidates do for a job offer. Here are some odd examples:
— “I remember a job candidate bringing in milk and cookies.”
— “I have seen magnets on people’s cars directing others to websites for their resumes.”
— “I remember someone had his resume delivered in a pizza box.”
— “A job applicant spritzed her resume with perfume.”
— “Someone wrote a press release announcing she had been hired and used it as her cover letter.”
“It’s understandable for candidates who aren’t having luck with traditional job search methods to try more creative ways to get noticed,” says Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Although these tactics might grab an employer’s attention, they also carry an element of risk.”
Some job-searching methods can be depicted as desperate instead of proactive:
— “A person who was job hunting advertised his skills on a sandwich board.”
— “I’ve seen job candidates pay for billboards to get an employer’s attention.”
Other job applicants tend to gain attention from their packaging or formatting rather than from the resume itself.
— “A woman dropped off a balloon with her resume.”
— “We received a resume made into a paper airplane.”
— “Once we received a resume rolled into a bottle.”
— “A job-seeker came in with an oversized schematic that he rolled out on the table and used to ‘pitch’ himself to me.”
— “I received a laminated resume.”
Surveyed executives listed some past positive approaches used by job candidates:
— “Receiving handwritten notes as opposed to e-mails.”
— “Using a good reference — I swear by references, so that’s very important.”
— “People who take the time to research the company, do their homework and follow up on their ideas.”
— “People are dressing up more than they did in the past.”
— “The job-seeker turned the table and wanted to know all about me.
The tactic worked.”
“While unconventional methods can be hit or miss, one surefire way to stand out is by going the extra mile to showcase your skill set, professionalism and enthusiasm for the position,” says Hosking.
For more information, visit http://www.officeteam.com.
MONEYMAKING OPTIONS
With tighter budgets during this slow economy, workers are trying to find ways to stay afloat and make extra money. One-in-10 employees decided to find a second job, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey, while others are using their imaginations to develop moneymaking ideas.
CareerBuilder.com provides unique examples of how some workers are paying the bills:
— Had a portable propane burner to heat oil and sold catfish dinners on his porch.
— Gave blood plasma.
— Earned money on a game show.
— Juggled chain saws in a talent contest.
— Grabbed things from the Lost and Found and sold them online.
— Cut co-workers’ hair in the office.
— Took part in university research studies.
— Modeled for an art class.
— Wrote notes in class for college students.
— Participated in poker tournaments.
— Tasted recipes for a book.
This is, for a change, a sensible catalog of things one can do to better the interview rounds. I’ve literally had enough of the rub-of-the-mill advices that one should be smart enough to know oneself. These suggestions are different and I would definitely work on them.
Rich and Peggy…..
Thank you for doing something that not many bloggers on the internet do….. bringing ORIGINAL content! I enjoyed reading these tips, and I look forward to hearing more from you both.
Regards,
Samuel Diener
PhillyInnovator (Twitter)
http://www.samdiener.com
this is really great for a job seeker like my..great job!!thanks for this!