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Articles from Peggy McKee | Selfgrowth.com
- How to Get Around “Pharma Reps Need Not Apply” - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2011 from Peggy McKeeLife has been tough for pharmaceutical reps for the last few years. Massive layoffs and changing sales practices by Big Pharma companies have resulted in a flood of sales reps in the job market. But life gets even tougher for them when they run into job postings with “pharma reps need ...
Views: 2002 - Offbeat Ways to Get a Medical Sales Job - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2011 from Peggy McKeeMedical sales has a well-deserved reputation for being extremely competitive. The path to get into the field is littered with job seeker casualties: “not enough sales experience,” “not the right kind of experience,” “no experience in the medical field,” and so on. But there are ways to get ...
Views: 1773 - Job Interview Tips: 3 Opportunities to Make a Great Impression in the Interview - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2011 from Peggy McKeeIn your job interview, the details matter. The big picture is often the same, in terms of the process, but how you handle each individual step tells the interviewer a tremendous amount about you and how you’ll approach the job. Here are 3 opportunities for you to stand out from your ...
Views: 1857 - Dear Career Coach-- I Need a Job! - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2011 from Peggy McKeeDear Career Coach: I’ve been out of work for a while, and it seems that it’s getting harder to get an interview. I keep applying for every job I can find, but I’m not getting any response. I think that my unemployment is hurting my chances, and it’s getting worse the longer it goes. What ...
Views: 1726 - Photos On Resumes Or LinkedIn - Advice To The Job Seeker.... - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Peggy McKeeRecently, someone who saw my presentation on the importance of LinkedIn for the job search asked me this: “If it’s not a good idea to include a photo on your resume, why is it a good idea to include it on LinkedIn? Doesn’t the photo on LinkedIn invite the same potential discrimination issues ...
Views: 2150 - The Best Resume Tip for Medical Sales Jobs - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2011 from Peggy McKeeWhat’s the best way to show recruiters and hiring managers why they should consider you for a position? It has nothing to do with the interview…go back a step. It’s your resume. But many sales reps fail to understand exactly what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for when they scan ...
Views: 1848(1 vote) - Career Coaching: Do Men See It Differently Than Women? - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2011 from Peggy McKeeYou know what I've noticed lately? Most of my career-coaching clients are men. Out of the last 26 career coaching/interview coaching/job search advice sessions I've conducted, 19 clients were male, and 7 were female. I know that doesn't represent the gender ratio within the medical sales ...
Views: 2348(1 vote) - Book Review: Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIf you are a woman in the business world, no matter what your age, you must read the book Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire, by Mirelle Guiliano. It will help you step around the mistakes you might make in your career or as a business owner, and step forward into an opportunity that you ...
Views: 2004(2 votes) - Resume Tips from the Experts: Proper Resume Content and Format - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeNothing is as much of a foundational piece of your job search as your resume. If you think of the job search as a sales process (and you should), then your resume is your marketing document. What does your resume say about you? Does it grab the attention of the reader like it should? Does it ...
Views: 1963 - Focused Networking: How to Find Your Next Job - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeYou’ve always known that networking is a necessary part of any career path, and it’s even more important when you’re searching for a job. But you don’t want to waste your time and effort on meaningful contact with everyone you know or come across in your search, because you don't want to apply ...
Views: 1747 - LinkedIn Recommendations: How Important Are They? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeLinkedIn is an amazingly valuable resource for anyone’s career, and essentially important for the success of a job search. A great profile that shows you off at your professional best is the first step, but many job seekers want to know just how important it is to have recommendations on your ...
Views: 3670(1 vote) - Internal vs. External Recruiters - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeWhat is the difference between an internal recruiter and an external recruiter? An internal recruiter works directly for the company they are recruiting for. An internal recruiter for Frito-Lay, for example, works to fill a variety of positions within the Frito-Lay organization, and receives ...
Views: 2274(1 vote) - Job Personality Test: How to Use Them to Your Advantage - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeePersonality assessments are sometimes used by companies to evaluate potential employees. Often, it’s because they’ve benchmarked their current top performers and pinned down what makes an employee in a given position successful, and are looking for someone similar to place in an open spot. It ...
Views: 2688(1 vote) - Interview Follow Up: What’s the Next Step? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIf you’ve had your interview and you’ve sent your thank you note, what do you do now? If it’s been a week (don’t wait longer than that), you need to call the hiring manager to see what’s going on. Where are they in the hiring process? Are you being considered? What do you need to do to ...
Views: 1896(1 vote) - Resume Writers: Are They Worth the Money? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeResumes are the foundational document for your job search. It’s so important that you get it right. You need it to act as your marketing document in your job search. It should grab the attention of the reader and make them want to talk to you to find out more. Because it’s such a big ...
Views: 2012 - Why Do Companies Use Personality Tests? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeMany companies use personality assessments such as DISC, Caliper, or Gallup as an additional evaluation for potential new hires. Even though resumes, job history, and past performance are powerful indicators of success in your new role, there are also intangible factors such as drive, people ...
Views: 2047 - I Failed the Personality Test – How Can I Recover? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeHiring managers often use personality tests such as DISC, Caliper, or Gallup to see if a potential employee “fits” in the organization. They may even have a benchmark of what a top performing employee looks like in order to compare and evaluate you. But what if you fail the test? If you ...
Views: 1961 - Sales Interviews Are Different – Why? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeThe job interview is always, at its core, a sales process, because your ultimate goal is to get the manager (the buyer) to hire and pay you for doing a particular job (buy your product, which is your skills as an employee). Even though that’s true, sales interviews are not like regular job ...
Views: 1589 - Preceptorships: How Do I Get One? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeePreceptorships, also known as job shadowing, are a great solution for people who want to transition into a new industry or career (and for new graduates, too). They are fantastically enriching experiences that make you a stronger candidate in the job search, plus they give you a legitimate way ...
Views: 1691 - Job Interview Tip: How to Present a 30/60/90-Day Plan - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeI’ve been a recruiter and career coach for over 10 years now, and I have always recommended that my candidates use a 30/60/90-day plan in their job interviews, because I used it when I was an employee in the job search. I saw phenomenal results from using it, and my candidates do, too. Why? ...
Views: 4580 - Personality Assessment Test: How Do You Pass It To Get Hired? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeCompanies sometimes use personality tests as another way to evaluate a potential employee. They know that certain personality types do well in certain positions within the organization, and they want to make sure they’re making a good choice. Typical personality assessments include DISC, ...
Views: 4085 - Resume Tip For Those With 20 Years of Experience - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIf you research “resume writing tips” online, chances are great that you will discover that your resume should be 1-2 pages. But what if you’ve been working for 20 years or so and in order for you to get all the relevant experience included, it takes you 3-4 pages? Sorry, you’re going to ...
Views: 1691 - How To Transition From Pharma To Medical Device Sales - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeThe job market for pharmaceutical sales reps has gotten more and more precarious during the last few years. We regularly see headlines about big pharmaceutical companies cutting jobs, and the general consensus seems to be that there are more to come. The result is that thousands of pharma ...
Views: 2414(1 vote) - Myths of Landing a Medical Sales Job - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Peggy McKeeMedical sales jobs (and especially medical device sales jobs) are notorious for being difficult to get into, and most people assume that it’s impossible for candidates who are right out of college. While it’s true that competition for these jobs is fierce, it’s a myth that you can’t land a ...
Views: 1869(1 vote) - Following Up After Your Job Interview: A Step-By-Step Strategy - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIn the best possible world of job interviews, you asked about how well you did and what the next steps are during your conversation with the hiring manager and you got a clear answer on when a decision would be made and what to expect. But, maybe you didn’t ask, or maybe they put you off and ...
Views: 1672(1 vote) - What Should You Wear To The Medical Sales Interview? - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2010 from Peggy McKeeWhat to wear for the interview can keep medical sales job seekers up at night because it’s so subjective. It’s not like other hard-and-fast rules of interviewing, like “always bring your 30-60-90-day plan,” or “always close for the job.” But your interview attire is just as important as those ...
Views: 5641(1 vote) - Selling Your Business? You Can Get A Great Sales Job! - by Submitted on Oct 15, 2010 from Peggy McKeeHave you been your own boss for a while, but now you’ve decided that enough’s enough? Are you ready to move on to a new phase of your life? A great sales job is within your reach. Former business owners have a unique advantage in the job market for sales. They’re used to finding new ...
Views: 1631(1 vote) - Closing Your Business? Use Your Skills to Get a Great Sales Job! - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeAre you closing your business? Whether the economy affected your decision to close, or whether you’re just ready for a change, the skills and accomplishments you’ve accrued throughout your time as a business owner can translate very well into a successful sales role for you! Many of the ...
Views: 1945(1 vote) - Transitioning Industries: How Can You Stand Out As A Candidate? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeEven though we all know that most adults change careers at some point in their lives (many more than once!), it can still feel like an overwhelming task—but it isn’t. What does it take? A great resume. Write a killer resume that highlights your transferable skills, using the ...
Views: 1807(1 vote) - Changing Careers? How Can You Get An Interview? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeChanging career fields can be daunting, especially in this economy when so many experienced candidates are competing for the same jobs. It can be hard to even land an interview—much less get an offer. However, with the right strategy, it’s possible for you to land the interviews you need and ...
Views: 1938(1 vote) - How Long Is Too Long To Be In The Job Search? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIt’s too long if you aren’t getting any interviews at all. If nothing is changing for you, or moving forward in any measurable way, then you must do something differently. Remember: what’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. ...
Views: 1874(1 vote) - How Can You Jumpstart Your Job Search? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIf you’re not experiencing the success you want in your job search, you’re not alone. This is a tough economy, and combined with the rise of internet job postings, today’s job search is like no other. But: you can absolutely take steps to jumpstart your job search. There’s no reason for you ...
Views: 1710(1 vote) - Applying Online For A Job Is Not An Effective Job Search - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeHow many jobs have you applied for online? How many job offers have they gotten for you? It would be my educated guess that the answer is zero. Don’t worry—you’re not the only one. Online job applications are probably the most common, yet least effective, job search effort. Why isn’t ...
Views: 1876(1 vote) - What College Degree Is Needed For Medical Sales? - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2010 from Peggy McKeeAs a medical sales recruiter, I am asked (almost on a daily basis) what college degrees are acceptable for a medical sales job. Since the medical sales field is so varied (clinical diagnostics sales, laboratory sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, biotechnology sales, medical device sales, ...
Views: 12213 - The 4 Things a Hiring Manager Looks For in a Candidate - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeCandidates are always looking for the “secret” to what the hiring manager is really looking for, so that they can highlight those parts of their experience that will entice the manager into making the job offer. If you look at hiring across industries and job titles, the basic qualities all ...
Views: 1886(2 votes) - Can you find the information to complete the 30/60/90-day plan? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeYes, you can. There are all kinds of resources online for you to tap into: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, corporate websites, and Google. Your network can come in pretty handy here, too. If for some reason there’s a lack of information online (like maybe it’s a smaller company) and you ...
Views: 1890(1 vote) - What’s the best source of information for the 30/60/90-day plan? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeA 30-60-90-day plan is an outline of what you intend to do in your first 3 months on the job. It’s a goal-setting document that shows you understand the job and you know what it takes to be successful at it. It covers everything from your training to your initial efforts to grow the business. ...
Views: 1696(1 vote) - How To Stay Motivated In Your Job Search - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIt can be really hard to stay upbeat in a job search, especially if you’ve been out of work for any length of time in this difficult economy. You can stay motivated by setting realistic goals that aren’t activity-based, but are instead performance-based. And what I mean by that are actions ...
Views: 2085(1 vote) - Where do I find the information to complete a 30/60/90-day plan? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeA 30/60/90-day plan is a guaranteed way to make a powerful impression on the hiring manager and help you stand out from your competition in the job search. It’s simply an outline for what you’ll do in the first 3 months on the job: how you’ll get your training, get up to speed, and attack the ...
Views: 1665 - What are the minimum requirements for a job interview? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeI believe the minimum requirements for any job interview are to be well-dressed (appropriate to your industry) with shined shoes, conservative accessories, and a recent haircut; and carry some kind of portfolio that holds additional copies of your resume and a notepad and pen so you can take ...
Views: 2549(1 vote) - Is it crazy to create a 30/60/90-day plan before you even go to the interview? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeMany candidates see the first interview as a get-to-know-you session. They want to find out more about the job to see if they’re truly interested, and they want to test the waters to see if the company is really serious about hiring them. And a 30/60/90-day plan is a detailed outline specific ...
Views: 1625 - Is It Possible to Create a 30/60/90-Day Plan In Less Than 2 Hours? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeA 30/60/90-day plan is a detailed outline of what you intend to do on the job in your first 3 months as an employee. It’s an overall strategy for success laid out in a step-by-step fashion that is specific to that company and that job. The more specific it is to that company, the better off ...
Views: 1835 - Do Recruiters Help You Put Together Your 30/60/90-Day Plan? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeThe short answer is yes. A recruiter can and will absolutely help you put together a 30/60/90-day plan, especially an external recruiter whose paycheck depends on you getting the job. The longer answer is also yes, but you have to do your part in making sure that happens. A good recruiter ...
Views: 1914 - When Is the Best Time to Present the 30/60/90-day Plan? - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2010 from Peggy McKeeThe best time to present your 30/60/90-day plan is in your first face-to-face interview. In this difficult economy, many well-qualified people are applying for jobs, creating some stiff competition for you, so you’re going to want to come out of the gate strong. Don’t bother trying to bring it ...
Views: 1878 - Job Interview Tip: Don’t Sabotage Your Interview By Making This Critical Mistake - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2010 from Peggy McKeeAs an interview coach, I always recommend that my clients bring a 30/60/90-day plan to their job interviews. This plan is a written outline for what they intend to do and achieve within the first 3 months on the job. It takes research and strategic thinking to put one together, and it’s a lot ...
Views: 1705 - Job Interview Tip: The Hardest Part of the Interview Is Asking for the Job - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2010 from Peggy McKeeMany job candidates prepare well for the interview, connect well with the hiring manager, and then stumble at the end of the interview session because they’re not comfortable asking for the next step. It feels awkward, or too bold, or even weak (as in, “if they want to hire me, they’ll have to ...
Views: 2704 - Job Search Tip: What’s the One Thing You Must Understand In the Job Search? - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2010 from Peggy McKeeHow many jobs have you applied to online—only to receive no response? Or maybe you received a “thanks but no thanks” letter. Either way, you aren’t making much progress in landing a job. If this applies to you, I have a question: Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Maybe you don’t think it’s ...
Views: 1523 - Job Search Tip: Is “No Experience” Stopping You From Getting Your Dream Job? - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2010 from Peggy McKeeIs your lack of experience stopping you from getting the job you really want and know you deserve and would be good at? This happens to many people, and can be a huge roadblock, especially in our current job market. It does put you at a disadvantage, but there are things you can do. If this ...
Views: 1887(1 vote) - Job Interview Tip: Don’t Kill Your Chances With Your References - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2010 from Peggy McKeeWhat you say about your references can kill your job search. Many candidates are so focused on the resume and interview preparation that they forget about their references—but they are a critical piece of your job-getting effort. When you are asked who would be your references, and what ...
Views: 1748(1 vote) - Job Search Tips: 4 Ways to Transition into Medical Sales, Even If You Have No Experience - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2010 from Peggy McKeeMany people find that there are roadblocks they can’t get past when trying to break into medical sales, medical devices, laboratory sales, or other health care sales–but it can be done. The biggest one is the lack of a medical background. But here are 4 ways you can overcome that: 1. You ...
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