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[J52]Job Interview For Sales

by Clint Cora, Cli

Job interviews for pharmaceutical sales are unlike other types of job interviews. These interviews are used to assess whether a candidate is suitable in the sales environment in addition to reviewing background histories and skills. Interviewers would often ask tricky questions that test the personalities of candidates in order to determine sales potential.

If during a pharmaceutical sales job interview and the reviewer asks you a question on whether you prefer to work alone or with others in groups, you have to be careful here. If you say a solo environment is definitely better, they may not see you as a team player. If you say that you prefer working in groups, they might think that you would not be effective in sales since most of the time, pharmaceutical reps are out in the field on their own.

Therefore, the safest route to take here is to say that you like both environments and can be effective in both. When you are alone, you can be effective as an independent worker. Then when you are working with others in group projects or at meetings, you can also work effectively in teams.

You must convey the impression during a job interview that your skills enable you to excel in both scenarios. Don't get fooled by the interviewer's trick question. Here's an effective response;

“I like both. I realize that most of the time, reps work alone and I certainly can be effective in this mode. Working with others at times will be a nice change and I can also be quite effective in teams as well. It's a good working mix in my mind.”

Asking you about your strengths during an interview is an opportunity for you to sell yourself. Asking you about weaknesses is another matter and is another example of a tricky question. You must be careful here not to expose any specific weak skills that may hurt you during an interview. Whenever I encountered questions about my weaknesses during my interviews, I countered with something like this;

“In all honesty, the only weakness I think I have is perhaps a lack of industry specific experience since pharmaceutical sales will be new for me. However, I am strong on my communications and sales related skills. I am also a fast learner so I am certain that industry specific training that your company could provide will help me make up for this lack of industry experience. I'm sure that I would be able to get up to speed pretty quickly and start growing those sales for your company.”

Notice that I bring up the trainability fact in the above statement. It is extremely important that you convey the fact that you are an effective learner of new skills and environments. I use this attribute to effectively wipe out any weaknesses.

Be prepared to answer trick questions during interviews for pharmaceutical sales positions. They are designed to see if you really have what it takes to be in sales. Learn all you can about the pharmaceutical sales job and focus on selling your skills as well as personal attributes.

So, you've finally come across a truly fitting job. You finalise your resume, hand deliver it into human resources, and then - you get the call. The organisation would like to set up an appointment for an interview! After the rush passes from being hand-picked for the job, you could find yourself quite nervous about the imminent interview, and wondering what it is that you could do to REALLY set yourself apart from the crowd. Take on-board these few tips here and you'll really set yourself apart from your competition. Keep in mind, this is absolutely imperative to your upcoming success!

While it's fantastic that you might have every skill needed to do this job, every organisation is different, as are the position requirements. Arming yourself with research about the company beforehand shows not only that you know who they are, but also that you have a general interest in the company. There are a great many sources of free information readily available these days, so always make a point of doing your homework.

"Dress to Impress" is the basic motto for every job interview regardless of the industry. The most ideal way to be positive that you look right is to take a good hard look in the mirror and check to see if the individual staring back at you makes you think just two words: neat and clean. Most likely those interviewees that show up wearing wrinkled pants and dirty shirts will be shown the door before the interview starts. This doesn't just apply to the clothes you are wearing. Proper grooming of facial hair for men and makeup for women is essential to complete the overall look.

Know what you are going to say about yourself before the actual interview. Remember, you are basically selling yourself to the potential employer, but you never want to come off as arrogant. The interview process will most likely be controlled by the interviewer, who will reference your resume to gather a little more information about your talents and abilities. Be sure to know all of the facts beforehand so that you don't stumble over any questions. Remember, there is always the possibility that there will be curve balls thrown at you, so preparation for the interview is absolutely essential; know yourself, and what you need them to know about you as well.

Always close the interview meeting with a meaningful thank you - showing that you value their time, and a firm handshake that clearly conveys your confidence. The interview is not the time to be shy and coy, it's necessary for you to show how truly appreciative you are of the interviewer's time to ensure that it certainly wasn't wasted.

After the completion of the interview, it is always a good idea to follow it up with a "thank you" phone call or perhaps even a handwritten letter. Doing this will more than likely give you an edge over the rest as it is a practice that seems to have gone out of style. Bring it back, it's a classy way of doing things and it always shows that you really mean business.

Article Source : Pg. 11

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Both Clint Cora & Michelle Dale are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Clint Cora has sinced written about articles on various topics from Careers and Job Hunting, Tax and Careers and Job Hunting. . Clint Cora's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.

Michelle Dale has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Finances and Direct Marketing. Learning 2 Live is your complete online resource for Lifestyle and Wellbeing discussions. We want to - Joining takes just seconds at:. Michelle Dale's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.