8 min reading time

As originally asked by Mark Bauman.

Since I joined this group, I have applied, via the recruiters, for about 5 or 6 positions in the Philadelphia area.

I am a former podiatrist with additional background with my own medical device. I have no sales experience; many of the sales reps that I have dealt with thru the years have limited “wiggle room” outside of knowledge of their devices. Any problems- they have to bail until they can get help.

Some companies hire pre-post sales support for people like me with technical background to support the sales people- either in presentations or in the O.R. After all, if you were having a joint replaced, would you rather have a doctor advising the surgeon or a salesman?

No disrespect to excellent salespeople, but if more companies opened their eyes for this type of candidate, especially when many good docs are leaving practice at an earlier age, perhaps more good people would be able to get decent positions.

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Julius H.
Dynamic Operations /Manufacturing /Engineering /Project Manager Professional
Odd when I read the various comments about sales people and job search strategies. I have developed and patented/some pending ,10 devices, and from these about another one hundred medical devices variations. Coauthored 2 published papers in Medical Journals. I was an RD engineering Manager well versed in design, design controls, ISO 13485, FDA , CE and Health Canada- but I cannot get a job( in Canada any how).
I am now looking at how I can use these unique skillsets but their seems to be no open field for people like me that can actually design products from just ideas and help bring ideas from seed to fruition as I also happened to be an ex Manufacturing and Process Engineer and designer. Yep, could do the whole product. Not sure if I can make a viable business out of it as I am not really a business start up type of person. Any suggestions?

Michael Tomasovich, MS RAC
Senior Regulatory Project Manager & Director of Business Development for Regulatory Affairs Associates (RAA)
Hi Mark. You mentioned championing your own device that was buried by an advisor years ago. Here are Regulatory Affairs Associates, we help clients to get their devices approved at FDA and around the world. If you need assistance with a 510k application, identifying testing needed, prototype development or anything else related to bringing your product to market, we can help. If you would like to discuss it, send me an email and we can coordinate time. (mtomasovich@regaffairs.net). Thanks and good luck!

Jerrold Shapiro
President and CEO, Fem-Medical LLC
Mark, you need to get off the computer and go out and meet medical sales people, ask them for 15 minutes of their time to meet you for coffee, and to share with you what it takes to get, hold and make money as a medical device salesperson. You probably know many podiatrists still practicing who can give you the business cards of the sales reps that call on them. In the evening, you may want to join the LinkedIn group, Women in Medical Sales (which is open to all genders) and contact its leader, Steve Porcaro, for advice. In pharmaceutical sales it is common to find recent college graduates with little knowledge of pharmacology, physiology or medicine calling on doctors in order to influence them to prescribe the rep’s company’s products. I fielded a national sales force in 2009 and most were highly experienced and well beyond their 20s and 30s. If sales is your goal, you need to learn how to sell. You can do this, for example, by finding a Sandler Sales franchise near you, joining their Presidents’ Club and spending a day a week learning how to sell. If you want to sell in the OR, there are books on this topic, though OR sales has changed considerably since many of these books were written. Take a look at some other LinkedIn groups related to sales, such as “Medical Device Sales Professionals” and “Medical Device Development, Marketing And Sales.” There are over 200 groups on LI with “Medical Device Sales” in their title.

Bryan Wampler
Accelerate cash flow, reduce DSO, increase profits, have happier employees & improve customer loyalty!
Mark, you might want to reconsider your job search strategy overall. Replying to LInkedIn and other job board posting is not likely to give you good results.

Even though you have the technical background, the lack of direct sales experience will often make you seem to be a “high risk” candidate. There are some great books and people that I would recommend your research, buy and read which can help you prepare for a career change. Some suggestions include Who Moved My Cheese, What Color is Your Parachute, and Ramit Sehti (writer and blogger, more geared to Gen Y and younger, but great advice for job searchers of all ages).

Kevin Smith
SIMPLY DONE – Home Maintenance and Repair
@ Laser Tool & Plastics we consult with many companies on new devices and products from a manufacturing perspective. It seems that more and more companies are recruiting “ex-professionals” for consulting and sales. Good Luck.

Tina Foster
Clinical Consultant & Entrepreneur
Hi Mark,

Debra from Medcepts referred me to your discussion. Are you looking for an employment position or contract consulting position? FT/PT? Compensation needs and terms?

I am organizing a national network of consulting clinicians, researchers and ancillary consultants. I realized there was a need for them when I searched for my own business eons ago. Eventually, I met up with Debra. I didn’t realize how many other companies are out there that need specialty consultants from development to market, nor did I realize the compensation in the industry. I am hoping to pull our resources together for a well rounded clinical and research support system. This is a new adventure for me but I am receiving tremendous support from Medcepts’ team members.

I welcome your connection and/or reply privately.

Mark Bauman
Doctor, HIT
Thanks, Debra.

I wasn’t even on Linkedin at that time, let alone the Med Device subgroup. That was quite an interesting discussion.

I am actually in, perhaps, a unique situation: I am trying to find a position now, and at the same time, I am developing an interesting medical device myself.

A few members recommended Indeed.com as a potential source of positions. I went on that site yesterday and found about 10 out of 160 positions (many repeats) to apply to. I hadn’t seen any of these on other sites. But I am not a quitter. An adviser “buried” my device about 9 years ago- I am closer to fruition now than i have ever been.

Thanks again for your guidance. I appreciate all positive comments and suggestions.

Debra Pollock
🌎 MedCepts Independent Network↔★Top Linked ★ | ✔ 30+ Yrs Healthcare | Medical | Sales & Marketing ★ Recruiter Network
Mark, You may also be interested in another ongoing discussion in MDG – “The role of physicians in the medical devices industry?” For your perusal: [http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=78665&type=member&item=139838916|leo://plh/http%3A*3*3www%2Elinkedin%2Ecom*3groupItem%3Fview%3D%26gid%3D78665%26type%3Dmember%26item%3D139838916/XI9v?_t=tracking_disc]

Debra Pollock
🌎 MedCepts Independent Network↔★Top Linked ★ | ✔ 30+ Yrs Healthcare | Medical | Sales & Marketing ★ Recruiter Network
Interesting discussion, Mark. Perhaps you may be looking in all the wrong places? Notwithstanding, applying for “5 or 6 positions” really isn’t enough to make that decision. If you’re looking to get into sales and already slightly discouraged after 5 or 6 job applications, what happens when you get the sales position you seek and 5 or 6 docs decline interest in the products you are promoting? (Trust me, I have no doubt you would overcome any potential sales barriers.)

There are many companies seeking licensed professionals for sales, consulting and contract opportunities, from the new idea to concept and distribution. (Research, development, sales) If you are searching for sales opportunities, remember the recruiter is seeking to meet the needs of their client – a very specific candidate profile. (Mark, was on target with that.) In short – if sales is your focus, read job descriptions carefully and present your resume very specific to the needs identified in the job listing. Let the first words identify your “fit” for the position, allowing the “DPM” entry as an added value – and not the other way around. (Recognize in many situations, recruiters are paid on results. They absolutely need to fill the clients needs. It takes an extremely talented recruiter to “think outside the box” for placing “outside the profile.”)

In all honesty, I can imagine the frustrations you are having relative to your qualifications for positions you are applying. I suspect, a reasonable analysis – as a podiatrist you would not be applying to a cardiology position. Right? Perhaps, one might ask – as a podiatrist what are your qualifications for sales? (Trust me, from deep within my core, I say this with the utmost respect of your qualifications.) Again, look at your CV, perhaps a focus on your business development talents or other specific information that qualifies you for “closing sales” is warranted – in addition to your education background. If you seek outside the sales role, such as clinical support, research, development – then your edu is certainly a solid entity. I suspect that may be your shoe-in.

We have 20+ independent recruiters on our team, each in their own specialty “niche” area. (From development to sales distribution.) Not only might you look for opportunities in your niche specialty but for recruiters in that same niche.

I hope this helps some.

Mark Bauman
Doctor, HIT
Thanks for your suggestion- to all of you, in fact.

Mark Robinson
Clinical Diagnostic Sales Manager at LGC Maine Standards
Mark –
Joerg and Perry are correct, you’ll want to identify and target the companies whose products are closest to your expertise. (Only 10% of jobs are found through recruiters). Then see if you can identify and reach a (company employee) recruiter on the phone so you can explain your potential value to them, have a very short elevator speech ready. You may be able to set alerts on these companies websites. Also, I may not be doing the LinkedIn seaches correctly but on Indeed.com they seem to have a medical device category which can give you focused searches and alerts.

Mark Bauman
Doctor, HIT
Good ideas.

Perry Mykleby
Customer Activation, Engagement & Retention
The sales role has been evolving for the past few years. It’s become really specialized, with a variety of customer-facing business, clinical and service roles, and the types and complexion of those roles depends on specialty.

I think Joerg’s right. Research the companies where you can add value, and approach them directly…as you would any customer in a sales process.

Nicola Dacomo
Business Developer in the Medical Field
I’m an italian Physiotherapist with twenty years of experience.
I switched from Professional Job, Training, Consulting to. Then I opened a company that sell devices in Physiotherapy and Aesthetic Medicine.
Here in Italy, professionals like mine do not exist.
We are in 3-4 professionals to do what
I’m looking for “Product Specialists” for my company (with a curriculum similar to mine) but do not exist.
The recruitment companies have just a little ‘more familiar with how to find workers but if this figure does not exist is hard to find.
I believe that this situation is a problem for you Mark, but also for companies who are looking for but can not find these figures.
I’m sorry for my bad English 🙂

Tom M.
Manufacturers Representative at Designs for Vision
Mark:
You have to keep in mind that recruiters represent the hiring manager who submits a certain stereotypical profile with candidate criteria set forth in the job description. The most qualified candidate almost never gets the job. The emphasis is more on the chemistry interaction between the hiring manager and the candidate. The hiring decision normally occurs during the first 5 minutes of the interview. I have been through this many times bringing many years of sales achievement documentation to interview encounters only to be turned away because of intangibles.

Mark Bauman
Doctor, HIT
Thanks, Joerg. You are absolutely correct re. the “title”. But i will continue to look in all directions.

Joerg Schulze-Clewing
Electronics Design Consultant
Mark, that is how it’s often done in ultrasound where machines can be very complicated because of a gazillion features. What my first employer did was to hire tech-savvy nurses and then they became application specialists who worked pre- and post-sales, trained doctors and so on. My wife was one of them, that’s actually how we met.

In your case I’d find out the correct job title(s) for the positions, not sure if it’s still application specialist. Then hunt directly, not just via recruiters. But this will only work if there is a serious need for post-sales training like there often is with medical electronics.