Briefly describe your job.
I sell medical equipment. I call on Plastic, Oral, Ear Nose & Throat, and Neurosurgeons to sell medical implantable devices for craniomaxilliofacial applications in an operating room setting.

How long have you been working in this field?
Two years.

When and how did you decide to choose this career?
I participated in a series of informational interviews after graduating from college and decided after an interview with a medical sales manager that this was what I wanted to do.

What education and training did you receive before entering your field?
I’ve earned a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the college of business at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field?
My first job was business-to-business copier sales which is a prerequisite to most medical or pharmaceutical sales jobs. Business-to-business sales is in high demand because of its difficulty. Most people quit b2b sales after only a couple months with poor sales results. If you can stick it out and do well for a year or more you have done what 90 percent of the people have not. Another thing about b2b sales is that they usually have structured corporate sales training and you learn a lot of general information about selling techniques which can be applied to any medical sales job you may get in the future. Even entry level medical sales jobs are very hard to come by without prior sales experience. So it is generally easier and quicker to take a b2b sales job out of college then it is to wait with no income or guarantee for months searching for an entry medical sales job.

Describe a typical day on the job?
I do office calls to set up appointments and dinners. I also attend surgeries to observe which enables me to suggest the proper insertion of my company’s products. Also, my job involves a lot of after hours entertaining.

What do you like most about what you do?
It is gratifying to know that your products can actual help a patient recover quicker.

What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career?
Getting promoted after only 6 months from an assistant sales role to a full sales role which generally takes over two years.

What do you like least about your job?
When clients are unappreciative for services I have provided.

What is the biggest challenge for you in this job?
Building relationships from scratch.

What would you like to say to someone considering this career?
Go for it!

What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field?
Being professional, dependable, disciplined, trustworthy, and reliable. You basically have to be a people person.

What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it?
Get a four-year college degree, then get your entry level experience in business-to-business sales like telecommunications, copier, or Human Resources payroll sales for 1 -2 years, and then be prepared to interview for at least 6 months to a year. Sometimes the interview process can be long because there can be many steps in the process. Company personnel in more than one division or location may want to interview you which can extend the interview process. If you involve a professional recruiter in the process, it takes time for him/her to present your resume and generate interest before the interview actually takes place.

What could someone who is interested in this field do to learn more about it right now?
Doing research on the internet of course - go onto different companies websites and research products, look up ticker symbols of companies on stock market web sites to find out more about how companies are doing and what markets they sell in. Contact recruiters’ specific to the industry and ask questions or contact sales representatives in the industry and ask for an informational interview.

Is there any general advice you would like to offer to students on making a career choice or on work life itself?
Do something you like to do and are passionate about doing!