prepared by Ralph Steeber, CPC
Interviews are setup so you can sell your background to the interviewer, not the other way around. Look online and do research on the company. If the company does not have a website or the website doesn’t have a lot of detailed information, then call a person in the company to find out more information. Tell the person that you are interviewing with the company and maybe the person will even put in a good word!
Bring your info!
Bring two copies of your resume and a separate list of references. Make sure you have one personal reference, one reference from a customer/client you did business with, and two references from previous employers.
Dress the part.
Even if you are going to interview with a very blue-collar company, you always want to wear a suit to every interview. Wear a blue or black suit with a white shirt when interviewing. As a male make sure you are clean shaven with little or no jewelry. Do not overdue it on the perfume because the interviewer may be allergic.
Shake hands like you mean it.
One of the biggest turnoffs to employers is the “dead fish” shake. Make sure you position your hand as deep as possible in the other persons palm. When doing this it is very hard to “over” squeeze a handshake. Make sure to have a firm hand shake and smile!
Presentation is key.
If you want to write notes, make sure you ask the interviewer first. Do not put your resume, briefcase, or any personal items on the interviewer’s desk. Sit at the edge of your chair and make sure to use hand gestures when speaking. Show your enthusiasm about the position. Have fun with it!
You better learn to be a sales person quick!
No matter what your background is, you need to be able to sell yourself in an interview. You need to show the interviewer that you will work hard, get along with the other staff, and that you will give great service to the company. Talk about your previous positions duties and responsibilities. If you’ve had outstanding accomplishments and achievements, now is the time to talk about them. However, do not keep talking! Remember the first rule of selling is listening. Use 80% eye contact. When it becomes uncomfortable, look at the interviewer’s mouth for a couple of seconds. This will show that you are also listening what the interviewer is saying.
Ask the questions and close!
At the end of the interview make sure you ask a couple of intelligent questions regarding the company. The first question you should ask is something you learned from the research you did. Example: How does your xyz product do in comparison to the xyz product? The second question should relate to the person you are interviewing with. Example: How long have you been with the company and why did you choose xyz company? The third and final question is the closing question. You must ask the interviewer for the next interview. Example: I really enjoyed our interview, when is it possible we can set up the next step?
Make sure you grab a business card so you can write a thank you letter. You can either email or send the letter. Email usually works best because it is a fast turnaround.
During my more than 25 year career in Medical Recruiting when asked by both experienced and beginners in medical sales “What’s the Best Market” I always ranked them this way during the 80s & 90s (1) cardiovascular (2) orthopedics (3) specialty OR products. Now that we’re in the 21st century and there are new factors such as baby boomers, rapid advances in medicine and practiced preventative health I might just add a few more areas to that answer.
Although the above would still be appropriate choices you can now add Rehab, Oncology, Diabetes, BioTech Pharmaceuticals to mention just a few.
YES, the factors of aging population, technology and overall life style are changing the landscape of healthcare in general and you should find challenges and opportunity in most areas of medical over the next few decades.
So if you’re seeking a new jobs open your horizions and you might be pleasantly surprised.
If you have any opinion to share with our readers I hope you will take a minute and register your thoughts.
Good luck in your job search!!!!!!
