Companies have a different perception of what an ideal Medical Representative should be like. It usually follows the general culture the founders established with the company or a set of parameters Human Resources come up throughout the years. Then there's the individual preferences of hiring managers when they are looking for talents.
The parameters vary from company to company. There are those who prefer fresh graduates, regardless of their college degree. Other companies prefer those with previous work experience so that there would be lesser time and effort for training, and to generate sales immediately. Either way, applicants needed to prove themselves and convince hiring managers that they are capable to deliver what is expected from a Professional Medical Representative.
People often thought that only applicants with a medical degree, such as nursing, medical technology, or physical therapy, are preferred for the job. But in reality, even those with non-related degrees can apply. Companies are looking for talents in other areas of expertise, as well as long as you satisfy some basic technical and personality requirements. To make the long story short, if you are trainable and if you have excellent communication and relationship skills, then you can become a Medical a Representative.
Companies look for specific competencies, which individulas gained from other jobs or from school activities. Generally, Employers prefer those that are graduates of a four or five-year course, preferably in Business, Marketing, Management, Communications, or Allied Medical course, with at least one year experience or exposure to sales. But fresh graduates are very much welcome to apply, specially if applicants possess above average communication skills, which are crucial in selling and presentation. Since the business environment had become increasingly paper-less, employers prefer applicants who are proficient with computers and tablets, as well as various business software such as Microsoft Office applications. Applicants should be resourceful, creative, and require minimal supervision.
You should have at least the basic pre-employment documents at hand, such as photocopies of your school's transcript of records, training certificates, Police and NBI Clearances, and City Health permits. Some companies require you to submit these documents in advance for verification, but others opt to require this from you if you are selected and before you sign the employment contract. They may also require additional requirements for you to accomplish, such as medical examinations, to ascertain if you are healthy enough to perform extended fieldwork.
There are various web-based job depositories where companies advertise their job openings. In these websites, you can upload your resume and apply. Applicants can search for job openings to hundreds of companies. You can even customize your search parameters in order to receive relevant job openings in the field of your choice. Popular job websites like Jobstreet is very helpful. Linked In is another avenue for you to look for Medical Representative jobs. You can also directly go to the company's website, or social media pages and look for job openings.
Head Hunters may be able to contact you directly without even applying for any position. This is done through job-matching. By uploading your resume to the web-based job directories, you are automatically included in the database. Employers actively look for applicants with experiences and competencies needed for their opening.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, newspapers are a widely used medium for companies to advertise job openings. Since not all applicants have 24/7 access to web-based job directories, broadsheets are the next best thing. Manila Bulletin is one of the best broadsheets that provide numerous job advertisements, including pharmaceutical sales.
But here is a tip to get information if there's an opening in your preferred territory. befriend Medical Representatives in the area, and get the necessary information, and possibly a referral. Because usually, the Medical Representative and the District Managers earn some sort of incentives, if they refer a successfully hired applicant. So, use your excellent communication and relationship skills with them first, before anything else.
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