How to work with a Medical Sales Recruiter

Are you thinking about working in the Pharmaceutical industry?

Though it’s difficult to get started in, a career in Pharmaceuticals can be challenging, rewarding and fascinating. Working with a variety of different Medical drugs and devices, from clinical trials to delivery, you’ll be responsible for improving the lives of people all over the world, and working at the cutting edge of science into the bargain. And with many of these companies making it into the UK’s Top Employers Institute’s list of where to work, it’s a career that can pay off in your personal life too.

However, with the UK unemployment rate falling to a forty-year low of 4.3% last year, it can also be extremely competitive. With hundreds of talented, driven graduates and professionals applying for a limited range of jobs, it can be hard to get your voice heard.

This is where recruiters come in. Trained to spot the best vacancies in the market, and match the best candidates to the job that suits them, and that they’ll thrive in, finding an experienced Pharmaceuticals recruiter should be a priority for anybody wanting to find work in a sector that is niche, complex and ever-changing.  

Here are some tips for getting the most out of a partnership with your recruiter.

Make it easy for them

A Medical Sales or Pharmaceutical recruiter is paid by a hiring company when they hire a candidate for a certain vacancy. Their priority is to find a person to fill that role, not to find roles to suit a particular person. 

Make it easy for them to hire you: convince them you’re a good fit for the job that they want to fill. Find work experience that will make them more likely to consider you for a role. If they still don’t think that you are, then ask them to keep you on file so that you’re easy to find in the future, and fill your CV with keywords that will pop up every time a recruiter searches for a particular job or role. After all, recruiters spend an average of six seconds looking at a CV, so make sure yours stands out! 

Ask questions

You’ve gone to a recruiter because of their knowledge of the recruitment industry, and of the sector that you want to go into: use that knowledge! Don’t be scared to ask them questions about the recruitment process, about what you could do to make yourself stand out as a candidate, and about the sector in general. If they put you forward for a certain role, make sure you thoroughly understand what the role is about, and what the company is like. After all, when applying for a job, 76% of candidates want to know what makes that company an attractive place to work- and that makes sense, because there’s no point working somewhere you’ll be unhappy.

That said, you should also be open to taking advice from those recruiters. Given their in-depth knowledge of what certain companies are looking for, they know exactly what they want from any prospective candidates. If they suggest updating your CV, or getting some more experience, then do it: it will definitely increase your chances of being hired in the future.

Be open 

It’s important to be honest with any recruiter about what kind of job you expect to find. Tell them about the kind of role you’re looking for, the salary you expect to have, and what kind of terms you might be willing to accept should anybody offer you a jo, as this will affect which roles any recruiter will put you forward for. It’s also important that you’re open from the start about anything that might be in your way when it comes to getting a job- for instance, your notice period for your previous job, or anything that could be flagged up during an interview- so you can work out a way to overcome those problems. 

Stay proactive

Whilst it’s definitely a bad idea to pester anybody with constant emails and phone calls, touching base with your recruiter every so often to remind them gently that you’re there, and of the skills that you can bring to the table in a new role, is definitely a good one. You need to check your emails periodically, too: if you don’t hear back from a recruiter then the chances are they’ve already found enough qualified applicants to put forward for the role you’re interested in.

Don’t rely solely on one recruiter, either: they’re a great addition to any job hunt, and should be a trusted partner, but if you don’t hear back from them for an extended period of time, then move on. If you’re a talented, bright candidate then lots of other recruiters will be willing to work with you.

Chase your dreams with IQVIA

At IQVIA, we make sure that our friendly, professional recruiters are on hand to listen and advise, no matter what questions you have. Find out more about the jobs we offer in Pharmaceuticals here, or find more insights in our Knowledge Centre. 

Sources

https://recruitmentbuzz.co.uk/revealed-top-employers-work-uk/

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/29/sparkling-jobless-figures-mask-real-picture-uk-economy-unemployed

https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-5-big-things-recruiters-look-at-on-your-resume-before-making-a-decision

https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers/popular-topics/hr-stats.htm https://www.medreps.com/medical-sales-careers/medical-sales-recruiters/

https://www.medreps.com/medical-sales-careers/medical-sales-recruiters