There are literally thousands upon thousands of medical and pharmaceutical sales jobs out there and thousands upon thousands of resumes to go along with them. Sometimes companies and recruiters have a difficult time finding the most qualified candidates through direct job postings.
With an ever-growing job force combined with a sometimes unstable job market and job availability, competition for sales jobs is always high. That means lots of applications and resumes that must be sifted and sorted through by a company’s hiring department.
Enter: job websites.
The Right Kind of Job Websites
Acclaimed hiring specialist firm, SmartRecruiters, claims that “Recruiting is a fragmented, opaque process undermined by outdated technology that turns off candidates and hiring managers.” They also estimate that nearly 62% of open jobs are posted to niche job sites. Niche job sites are a good way for companies and recruiters to target the specific types of talent they are looking for.
A “niche” job site is one that focuses on delivering the top talent from each industry. MedReps is one such website that offers recruiters and companies the most qualified medical sales, medical equipment, and medical device candidates. Other typical websites that specialize in specific fields include: Dice (technical careers), Mashable (bloggers, designers, developers, mobile programmers, and more), Sales Gravy (sales professionals), and FlexJobs (part-time or full-time flexible jobs), among others.
While sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, and Craigslist are solid platforms for connecting many candidates to recruiters or candidates to actual jobs, these sites generally don’t seem to target a specific audience, and, according to a recent study by HR Technology review company, Software Advice, the jobs posted are typically entry-level positions.
Social Networking
It’s not always about medical sales job websites. In fact, many companies are now turning their attention towards social media and networking sites to find qualified candidates, according to an article by The Undercover Recruiter:
Many companies also turn to social networking sites when looking for new employees. LinkedIn is one of the most popular social networking sites that employers and recruiters love to use. With LinkedIn, employers can build a network of professionals who they can turn to for references and recommendations. They can also search for candidates based on their current and past employers. Not to mention, with thousands of people readily posting their resumes, LinkedIn is a gold mine for recruiting.
Employers also consider Facebook and Twitter when recruiting. It’s not uncommon for an employer to check up on an individual’s social profiles before hiring, and many applicants have been turned down because of crude language, inappropriate pictures, and displays of partying, drinking or using drugs.
Social networking can be just as effective as utilizing traditional job websites, and may simply be, in fact, another job website.
To give yourself a real edge, create a LinkedIn profile and start networking with others in your field of work. In their “Best Job Boards for 2015,” Software Advice mentions that recruiters found LinkedIn provided the highest quality of applicants.
A final word of caution when it comes to social media and social networking sites: be sure to monitor your social networking activity and be mindful of the fact that anything you post remains online forever. Be advised that much of what you post can and will be viewed (and judged) by a potential employer.
Ultimately, with a strong social presence and your resume submitted on these sites, you’ll likely be on your way to a great career in the medical or pharmaceutical sales industry.
Going Forward
Hiring officials and companies are in quite a bind: they must find the most qualified candidates from a pool of applicants that may end up being the size of the Pacific Ocean. Not to mention, time is precious to them and they cannot spend an exorbitant amount of time finding the right person for the job.
Medical sales job recruiters and medical companies are increasingly turning to not only job websites but social networking sites as well to find the most qualified candidates for open positions.
Advertising yourself on both large job boards as well as the more-specialized niche job boards and being active on social media sites enhances your resume while increasing your chances of landing the job you’re going after. Do yourself a favor and increase your activity!
