Know where you are going with your Medical Career

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Social Media Trainer

Do you know where you are going with your career?

Have you a plan or a strategy when it comes to your career?

CVs that are consistent are key, and it goes without saying that those of you with consistency in your career either have a specific job in mind or have a scope of where you want to go in your career.

For example, those of you in a Medical Sales Representative job, do you know your ultimate goal when it comes to your job?

Do you have your sights set on a Country Sales Manager or even Managing Director job within your niche area?

Whether it is within Pharmaceutical Sales, Medical Device Sales or Capital Equipment Sales the end game is still the same and you should be very aware of the in house structure in place or indeed the industry structure, e.g.

Managing Director

Country Sales Manager

Sales Manager

Key Account Manager

Medical Sales Rep

Know where you are going also in terms of what you can do to get yourself higher up that Career Ladder – for management roles you will need to have man management, team management and time management skills, so consider a time management or a people management course to increase your potential and to show your commitment to get that step higher up the ladder.

Regardless of your career, there is always a direction to go in – check out your company’s structure and research what you need to do in order to know where you are going! Once you have this figured out it gets easier.

Our National Recruitment Federation

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Medical Recruitment Expert

National Recruitment Federation Logo

It has come to our attention in recent times that not enough Candidates (Job seekers) or Clients (Companies recruiting) are aware of the National Recruitment Federation (NRF) in Ireland

The NRF is our only governing body for Recruitment in Ireland.

They are there purely to assist in all matters concerning Recruitment.

Many of our Recruitment Agencies are aware or indeed members of the NRF, but they are also there to support and guide Candidates and Clients recruiting.

If you are a Candidate looking for a new job or a Company hiring, make sure your Recruitment Agency of choice is a member of the NRF as this will automatically give you reassurance they are of a high standard

Check on their website for the above Logo.

They provide support and guidance to everyone in Ireland or abroad wishing to come to Ireland who are seeking a job or Companies wishing to recruit.

They are also the only Recruitment body who reward the Recruitment Industry with an Awards ceremony – ensuring standards are being maintained and encouraging them to be examined and improved annually.

They now run a course for Recruitment Consultants which is a breath of fresh air as there has never been a Recruitment course or qualification before in Ireland

They guide the Recruitment Agencies with a Code of Conduct.

The Employment Agency Act, 1971 provides that any person carrying on the business of an employment agency must obtain a licence to do so from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Persons seeking employment through an employment agency should ensure that they deal only with licensed agencies

No fee may be charged by an agency to a job seeker solely for agreeing to seek employment for them.

All NRF Members are required to be licensed as a condition of membership.

All too often we have heard of Candidates being bullied (pressured in to jobs)or CV’s being submitted directly to Companies without the expressed informed consent of the Candidate prior to this.

This is where the NRF come in to play – anyone who has fallen victim to this may make a complaint with the NRF who will then investigate on the Candidates behalf.

Client Companies again, any pressure, efforts to charge without prior agreement etc can be taken to the NRF who will guide and investigate

If you are hiring or looking for a job, know your rights and become familiar with our NRF -

www.nrf.ie

It only exists for our benefit to ensure the highest standards within Recruitment in Ireland are being met

Do you really want to put your career and future in to the hands on anyone less then the best?

Assertive Job Seekers get pay off!

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Medical Recruitment Expert

Be assertive in your job applications

For any job seekers out there, we have some recent evidence of persistence paying off!

Assertive job seekers are getting their pay off.

Job seekers are a vulnerable group as it is a worrying time for anyone, either you have recently lost a job or are not happy in your current job.

In today’s ‘Redundancy’ market, you are less likely to be choosy or assertive.

Do not drop your standards or self worth -

If you feel you match the criteria for a job and have all the Employer is looking for – stand your ground.

Twice this week we have seen evidence of amounts of job applications reflecting the lack of care and attention to individual CV’s or applications.

We had 2 rejections on behalf of our Candidates from Employers who did not think the Candidate – job seeker matched their criteria

When pushed and all relevant experience highlighted, both Employers reversed their decisions and agreed to invite the Candidate for interview.

One was offered the job today!

In this market, where numbers of applications are increasing and pressure is on Employers and Recruiters alike to get through the sheer volume of applications, mistakes can happen and people can be ‘missed out’

Do not always take rejection lightly – if you believe you have read and meet the job essential criteria – question why your CV has been rejected - you may be lucky and get a second glance.

Persistence pays off – if you believe you are the right Candidate – you have every right to question why you have not progressed to interview stage.

In today’s market – with increased pressure, imminent budget and Redundancies – there is no excuse for a drop in standards and carelessness due to high volume of job applications.

Be sure to stand your ground and at the very least find out why your application has not been successful – those who accept it with no question will not find out why or get a possible second glance – what have you got to lose?

Choose Wisely with your Sales Career!

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Recruitment Specialist

Stay on the right Career Path

Choose wisely when it comes to applying for jobs in these times.

With dole queues out the door and numbers of unemployment rising, it is understandable that getting back to work is the ultimate goal. But be careful what you send your CV forward for as it may prove fruitless.

Choose wisely and do not be hasty in applying for every “Sales” job you see on the internet if you are in Sales.

As aware as you are of the lack of employment in the country, rest assured that potential employers know this all too well, which makes them even more picky in the CVs that they wish to see.

Tips for applying for jobs:

Job Title: if the title fits then read on!
Job Description: Read through the job description, the responsibilites and especially the area/ industry this job is in. e.g. if you have worked in Medical Sales and the job spec is for IT Sales then tread carefully. You may have all the skills for selling Medical products, OTC products or medical devices but no experience in selling Computer Software, JAVA programmes or PCs then this may not be the job for you.
Qualifications Required: These days employers really like their Sales employees to be relevantly qualified, i.e. Nurses selling Wound Care/ Dressings, Science qualifications for medical device, and Nutritionists/ Dieticians selling Nutritional products. Take special heed to the qualification requirements.
The Location: This job may be based in Cork and you are based in Dublin. This could be another deciding factor, as confident as you are that you can cover the Southern territory with your home life in Dublin, the higher the chances are of “burn out”.

The fact is that if you are an experienced Medical Sales Rep then you have the advantage of -

Product Knowledge – no need for month long training sessions!
Client base – which means you have the existing client relationships and are on a business relationship with key opinion leaders in hospitals, GPs or pharmacies. This, to potential employers, is like gold to them and is an essential part of what they are looking for when taking another Medical Sales Rep on their books.

I know there are bills and mortgages to pay, but best advice? - Stick to what you know and choose wisely.

Play the waiting game as your working experience will stand to you once the right job comes up.

Instead of applying for every Sales job that comes in, choose only ones relevant to your experience.

You cannot submit a CV without a Personal Profile

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Medical Recruitment Expert

Your CV Personal Profile is essential

Your Personal Profile on your CV is essential in today’s jobs market – you cannot submit your CV for a job without one.

When a potential employer receives an average of 50 CV’s today for 1 job, your Personal Profile can be the determining factor as to whether he/she will look at your CV in more detail, or not.

Employers use them as a guide to you!

Your Personal Profile is your one chance to highlight yourself and point out why you should be seriously considered for the job.

Your Personal Profile is your introduction to you – your chance to sell yourself, your chance to shine and stand out from the crowd.

Without one, the CV has no introduction and simply becomes a black and white list of your life.

Your Personal Profile should be one paragraph, approx 5 sentences outlining where you have come from and where you are going.

It can be used to sell yourself to a particular job and altered accordingly.

It can be used to rule out the competition.

It can be used to highlight your biggest achievements or used as a Sales ‘brag list’

These days, you cannot afford to have a CV without a Personal Profile at the top of it which takes minutes to draft but can alter your career path

A CV without a Personal Profile is like buying a new computer with no instructions!

So remember, you must have a Personal Profile on the top of your CV – do not send your CV anywhere without one.

First impressions last

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Medical Recruitment Expert

CV is your first impression

First impressions last and it is rare you get the second chance to get it right.

In this day and age, CV slip ups are simply not allowed.

There is no excuse for a careless or poorly presented Curriculum Vitae – (CV)

If you are serious about your next job, you must be serious about your CV.

Your CV can make the difference between you getting an interview or not.

One of the most common errors we are seeing on CV’s are spelling mistakes – simple spelling mistakes.

This gives the impression of a job seeker who is rushed, careless and does not have good attention to detail.

Your CV should be your show piece – it is your one document of your life and experience of utmost importance when changing or seeking a new job.

Your CV is a direct reflection of you

I say nowadays as we are in an age of very advanced technology, there is software available to do your CV for you – there is a basic spell check – grammar check and a multitude of sources of reference on the internet to perfect your CV – therefore there is absolutely NO excuse for spelling mistakes on a CV.

We have one here within our website specific to CV guidelines and layout -

http://www.jackiebrownmedical.ie/advice/resources.php?url=advice

Those who take care, time and pride in their CV, recognising it’s significance will be the ones who are called for interview – your CV is a future employers or a Recruitment Agents first impression of you, so remember -

FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST

Your Best Foot Forward

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Recruitment Specialist

Be the Best

When reviewing or re-doing your CV, stop and rethink it. You need to think of your CV as your representative on first look! Put your best foot forward with your CV.

Do not tweek your CV to the job, rather include the relevant details in each position you have held and that should speak for itself.
Pur your jobs in chronological order and not in terms of relevancy to the job you are applying for. i.e. in date order not your Nursing jobs first then your Medical Sales jobs.

It is easier to read a CV when put in chronological order. If your CV has all the relevant duties worked per job, then it will speak for itself and your best foot will be put forward to potential employers.

So rethink when revising your CV – simply make sure all the details are up to date and it will speak for itself!

It’s All in the Details

Posted on May 4, 2010 by Recruitment Specialist

Details Details Details

Whether you are applying for a Medical Sales job, a Nursing Job or a job in the Medical Device industry, your CV says everything about you from first glance. Whether you get that second glance depends on the contents of your CV. It’s all in the details you have provided.

Where as once upon a time, your title in the medical company you worked for and the dates you worked there were all self explanatory, these days a little more fine tuning is required in the details of your CV.

For example, if you are a Nurse, it is no longer acceptable to simply give the name of the hospitals you have worked in and your title of “Staff Nurse” and hope for the best. You need those extra details of not just the hospital, but the type of ward, the specific duties you carried out on a daily basis. Whether you are Orthopaedics or Cosmetics… it is all in the details.

Similarly, if you are working in the Kitting Department of a Medical Device company, you cannot just assume that your next potential employer will automatically know what your current job entails:

Do you deal with QA? How so?
Do you have regular contact with R&D? In what capacity?
Do you have detailed involvement with Product Development? Explain the details.
Have you named or detailed the specific projects you have worked on?

It is a very difficult mission, and although a bit daunting it will be worth it in the end. It is those extra details in this day and age that could get you that second glance.. possibly the job!

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