job fair is to get a second
interview!"
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Job Fairs
Outside recruiting companies usually organize job
fairs at hotels. A job fair differs from an “Open House.”
An open house is set up and represented by a single
pharmaceutical company. You will find many
companies at job fairs in addition to pharma
companies. The recruiting company screens
candidates based on the minimum requirements of
each of the companies at the job fair.
Most pharmaceutical companies require a bachelor’s
degree, at least one solid year of sales experience, or
some science background. The minimum
requirements of the pharmaceutical company will
determine which booth the recruiting company will
allow you to visit. They will stamp the back of your
resume with the company’s name. If we do not see that
stamp, then theoretically, we should not interview you.
Here is where the selling starts.
You can try to sell the recruiting company
representative to stamp your resume even though you
may not fulfill all the minimum requirements. You can
also visit the pharmaceutical company’s booth and sell
a manager to interview you even though your resume
is not stamped. I have never refused to interview
someone at a job fair. Most district managers
appreciate the selling effort. As a matter of fact, one
candidate followed me to the bathroom just to talk with
me. I like that!
After the stamp of approval by the set-up company,
you would sign in at the pharmaceutical company
booth and wait for your name to be called.
Once you are face-to-face with a district manager, you
better start selling! You will only have about five
minutes to sell yourself. In this short period of time, we
evaluate your ability to sell and your overall
presentation. The more you sell us, the more time you
earn. And you better be wearing a business suit. Don't
even think about showing up without one! (See first
impressions.)
We will ask some very basic questions such as, “Why
pharmaceutical sales?” or “Tell us about yourself.” You
should be prepared to answer these questions. Don't
wing the answers; practice at home (see interview
questions). Your answers should be succinct, clear,
and to the point.
Your main objective at a job fair is to get a second
interview! After-all, you can't expect us to hire you on
the spot; that's not realistic. At least know your
objective as to why you are there. That second
interview will either be with the hiring manager or with
another district manager. You will greatly increase your
chance of earning that second interview if you ask!
Lack of sales experience will put you at a
disadvantage. However, you can demonstrate that you
can close a sale by asking us for a second interview.
We won’t expect you to have elaborate knowledge
about our products, but if you could learn ahead of
time which companies will be at the job fair, it would
work to your advantage to do some research on the
companies and their best-selling products. Since most
managers attend job fairs from about 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m., you will have plenty of time to do a short
Internet search in the hotel. This will earn you a big
advantage over the other candidates.
We look for people with dynamic personalities. After
screening about twenty candidates at a recent job fair
in New York City, I took a bathroom break. As I was
walking to the bathroom, I overheard a candidate
saying how bored the managers at our booth looked.
At first, I was a little embarrassed, but it helped me
realize that I come to life when a candidate comes to
life: They smile, laugh, and tell me exciting stories
about themselves. Sometimes it is not so much what
you say, but how you say it that matters. Before the
interviews, practice what you want to say and how you
want to say it. If you bore yourself, you can image how
the other person across the table feels. If you bore us,
then we could safely assume you will bore a doctor.
Once we tell you, “you only have one more minute” then
recap your strengths and personal qualities and then
close us! A close at a job fair will be different than
during a formal interview. At a job fair, when a
candidate asks me what the next step is, I usually tell
them one of two things: If I am interested, then I will tell
them that the next step would be either to meet with
another manager or to meet with me for a more formal
interview. Most candidates leave it at that and never
get that second interview.
When candidates ask for that second meeting I
sometimes grant them an interview with another
manager right there at the job fair. If that manager likes
them, then I would meet with the candidate again for a
formal or second interview with me. Even if a
candidate impresses me with job successes and
personal traits, I will not ask them back or grant them a
second interview with another manager if they don’t
ask! If I am not interested in pursuing someone, I tell
them that at the end of the day the managers will make
decisions about whom we will be asking back. If you
hear that, then you probably won’t be asked back. So
do your homework and be prepared.
Excerpted from Pharmaceutical Landing