Ep 145 Getting (and nailing) Your First Interview in the Medical Device Industry

in the medical device industry. It’s so exciting, right? And after 15 years, I think I know a thing or two about this. I’ve seen some really good candidates, and some maybe not quite just ready yet. And listen up. You know, I keep it real here. And honestly, I usually do the same during the interview process. In fact, in the past, I had a boss who would send me candidates as kind of like the pre screening, and I would talk to them. And then a lot of times, they would never call back. It was like, What did you say to them? I told them the truth about the job. And listen, I do that in fairness to everyone. Because here’s what I know. Yes. Kind of like Oprah is what I know for sure, right? There are a lot of people who want to get into device sales. And you can hear all of the great aspects of it anywhere you look right. And I do think there are great aspects to it. Obviously, I’ve been here for 15 years, but there is also a lot that is expected of you. And that will start in the interview process. Listen, this is not a job where everybody gets a ribbon. Okay? Yes.

02:59

I’m kind of on Mark side when we talk about ribbons for everybody. So I get sidetracked. There are a number of opportunities in the medical device industry to help others right. So a lot of times, that might be what draws you into it. And there is amazing technology that you can be part of, and really some awesome cutting edge research and opportunities to learn about. And of course, you have the potential to make great money, but it’s not for everyone. There are also long hours, unknown schedules, sometimes you’re on call. And I want to encourage you to know all of it right. And we are going through the process of interviews right now, again, so I thought it would be fun to share some stories. And also for tips that could be very helpful for you if you are trying to get in, and you’re just getting started. And you know what, I had someone helping me navigate back in the day, so I thought maybe I could help some of you. In fact, I just created a free guide. If this is you, and you can go to Michelle Burt coaching.com forward slash interview guide to get it. I’ll go much more in depth about what I’m talking about here today in that guide. So let me start by saying I’m not talking about resume writing skills here, okay, or even in the guide, I do not discuss resume writing skills, but for the ever freaking love of God. Please, please be sure that you have your contact info on the resume. I have received resumes with no phone number at all. And I’ve also received resumes with the last four digits as x x x x as if the template wasn’t good. quite finished. Okay, folks attention to detail. We might need some improvements in this area when you forget your phone number. And ladies, Ladies, ladies, I’ve heard this anecdotally, and I’ve heard this and different studies, and I’ve talked about it here about how males are more likely to toss their hat into the ring without a second thought. And females. I’ve been guilty of this too, right? We are like, well, I’m missing that one qualification. So I should just wait until I complete all that is needed. No, do not wait. I was talking to a candidate, a male candidate, and no offense, guys. But this

is a true story. And he was like, yeah, I’m all in. I’m locked and loaded. I’m ready to go. I’ve been looking for apartments, and I’m ready to move. So I say, Okay, do you have any questions about the position? Do you know what the job is? And his response was, no, like, he was locked and loaded and ready to go and move and had no idea what the job was. Ladies, give yourself credit. missing one qualification does not mean, you do not have the chance to get the job. Okay.

06:25

So of course, I just let them know, it might be wise to go do a little research. And this is my top tip, research, research research. I’ve had people come to official interviews that thought the therapy was an entirely different division. And, honestly, there are a number of angles that you can research. When you’re going into this, I would also suggest researching the company, you can research the job, you can research leadership, and you can research competition. And I really go into how you figure this out in the guide. My second tip, be persistent. I am not even kidding you when I think I say it took close to a year, for me to get the opportunity that I’m in now. Maybe not quite a year, but it sure felt like it, the original position was actually in a different location and a different division. And they said that there was another opportunity coming. So I just had to hold tight. And I knew that the hiring manager seemed to be more impressed with the fact that Mark was a football coach than anything on my resume. So I would just randomly send messages about football games to him. You know, just like a little reminder, don’t forget about me. And you have to remember, people in the job, the ones interviewing, they are usually pretty busy, right? Because they are already dealing with doctors and patients and accounts and numbers. And especially if they’re short staffed, which is why they’re hiring, right? So you have to stay in contact with them. And how can you stay top of mind for them, so they don’t forget you. And my third tip, which I mentioned a little earlier, the attention to details. You need to have great attention to details in the job and your interview process will give insight to those hiring, about how strong your attention to details are. And I talked about the importance of this not only for the interview, but as you get more into the job as well. And then the fourth tip is to go above and beyond. How can you really stand out not only top of mind, but stand out? How can you show that you are willing to do the work that you know, this is not a nine to five job. And you might have to do things that are a little different than what you’ve been used to. I mean, I actually had a candidate say that they listened to this podcast, that my friends is going above and beyond right. So listen, I know I tend to focus on the device industry because I’m pretty sure after this long, I’m not old, I’m wise, right. And with the number of people that I’ve seen come and go, I might actually be considered an expert, but I’m guessing a lot of what I share here, even though it’s specific to device, industry information could be used in a number of careers and interviews. But I know that I know a lot about this industry. And I

know that there are a lot of people who want to get started in this industry. And so that is why I share this with you today and I’m hoping that it helps you. So let’s sum it up. Number one, do your research. Number two, be persistent. Number three, have great attention to detail. And number four, go above and beyond. And if you’re really interested in learning more, you should totally check out the guide because I share one final pro bonus tip over there. It’s so much fun really go check it out. I go more in depth on each tip. I talked about how it can relate and correlate to positions as you move on in your career. And again, you can find that at Michelle Burt coaching.com forward slash interview guide. Okay, friends, that’s what I have for you today. Let’s circle back next week but for now, stay safe and make it a great day. Take care.

10:50

Did you know you can take this work to a deeper level with me one on one, go to Michelle Bourque. Coaching comm and click on Get started to begin