A Picture Is Worth…With the ever-increasing influence of social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc., into our mainstream culture, it is vitally important to remember that snap judgment of people is made almost instantaneously. Keeping that in mind, it has never been more important to ensure that your personal and professional portfolios portray you in the best possible light- especially if you are on the job hunt. In the medical sales field, it is almost a certainty that VPs of Sales and Regional Sales Managers will not only review your resume but will also check your LinkedIn profile and Facebook to gain a better understanding of your background and personality. To that end, it is imperative that you follow some simple reminders to ensure that you have your best foot forward in securing an interview. [Read more…] about SOCIAL MEDIA DOWNFALLS
REFERENCES ON YOUR RESUME
Virtually every resume concludes with the tagline: “References Available on Request.”
May I make a suggestion? Stop! First of all, if you are not going to include references why bother to put that ridiculous comment on the resume? Do you think that if you neglected to include that tagline that the employer is going to conclude that you forbid them to check references? Do you think they will not want to interview you because you have something to hide? Believe me, if a potential employer wants references he/ she will ask for them during the interview process.
Now in my opinion including references on your resume is not a good idea. First of all, why would you volunteer information that is not asked of you? Why give the interviewer a chance to check you out before he/ she even meets you? And I have seen numerous circumstances where a hiring manager will look up your reference on LinkedIn, conclude that your reference is a better fit for the company, and contact that person directly? Don’t believe me? Call me- I’ll give you references.
In the judicial system, a deposed defendant is told never to volunteer information that is not asked of him or her. The same thing applies here. Do not put references on your resume, but be ready to eagerly volunteer them if you are deep in the interview process with a company. And please refrain from putting that ridiculous tagline at the end of your resume!
IS A ONE PAGE RESUME NECESSARY?
I would like to get my hands on the author of the 11th Commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Have More Than A One Page Resume.”
Who said that? Why? It is the most overused axiom in the resume world. Now, let me be clear: if you are looking to enter into the medical sales field, and you have less than three years of outside sales experience, then yes, a one-page resume is entirely appropriate. But I have seen people cram 20+ years of excellent medical sales experience on one page using such small font that you need a $27M Electron microscope to read it. [Read more…] about IS A ONE PAGE RESUME NECESSARY?
YOUR FIRST OFFER MAY BE YOUR BEST
I have had many candidates say to me, “Pete, I’m not going to jump at the first offer that comes along.” Fair enough and, in a lot of cases, a smart strategy. But is it? How do you know that bypassing your first offer means that you will get something better down the road? Let’s explore some circumstances and strategies that will help guide you through this dilemma. [Read more…] about YOUR FIRST OFFER MAY BE YOUR BEST