For  Recent College Grads information, ideas and insight.

New Grads Can Break into Pharma Sales by Demonstrating Their Value
Each month, we interview an employer about a key career issue college students—and career services professionals—need to better understand...from the employer’s perspective.
EMPLOYER INSIGHTS interviewed Lisa Alexander, author of the book PharmRepSelect: Your Complete Guide to Getting a Job in Pharmaceutical Sales and creator of the Interview Insight audio CD series.Her experience includes training district managers in proper interviewing skills and techniques designed to fit the right candidate with the right job.
The Issue: Talk is cheap for new grads who want to land jobs in pharmaceutical sales. Many college students and recent grads are interested in pharmaceutical sales careers, but convinced employers won’t hire them unless they have several years of experience. What’s the real story? Many pharmaceutical recruiters devote a good deal of their time to college recruiting. But you’ll need to learn what a pharmaceutical sales rep does before you meet with a campus recruiter. By merely stating that you want to be a sales rep and thinking you’ll make a good rep, you’re asking the recruiter to take a risk by hiring you. But if you know what a successful rep does, you’ll be able to compare your similar successes and explain why you too will be successful in the future. Now you’re minimizing
the recruiter’s risk— and increasing your chances of landing a job offer. What are some things college students and recent grads can do to give themselves
the best possible chance of landing a pharmaceutical sales job?

1) Research what a pharmaceutical sales rep job is, what sales reps do, and why they’re successful. Read books on sales jobs and research information about drug companies. Look up local pharmaceutical sales rep organizations and make some
phone calls to their members. If you hit it off with a person, meet for coffee. Show up professionally dressed and on time. Treat the meeting like a formal interview. If you have a resume, bring it with you; if you make a good impression, the person will share it with his/her district manager. Now you have a mentor. If the person is open to it, ask if you may accompany him/her on some sales calls. This is a great learning experience called a preceptorship.

2) Emphasize science and communication on your resume. Pharmaceutical company recruiters look for course work in the sciences, but if you’ve graduated with a BA degree and have the ability to learn science-related material, you can be hired for this job. Emphasize science courses you did take, such as anatomy, physiology, and biology. Courses such as public speaking, marketing, and acting are also very desirable.

3) Pursue outside interests. Track your accomplishments and collect reference
letters from these affiliations. Fundraising, in particular, is very similar to the job of outside selling. So participate in fundraising drives for your sorority/fraternity or a charitable organization.

4) Create a brag book—a portfolio of your accomplishments. Your brag book is a must for a successful sales interview. It’s as important as your resume; it substantiates the resume’s claims. Practice using your brag book too. Refer to the book as you role-play answering interview questions. What can Campus Career Counselor readers do to best help their students/grads who want to go into pharmaceutical sales after graduation? Before a recruiter visits campus, invite a panel of guests representing different positions within the pharma company structure. These panels are an exchange of information between people with varying points of view. Sales reps share information about the job and training. Sales managers explain the industry as a whole and discuss company expectations. Physicians illustrate the value of a sales rep. These panels also provide great networking opportunities. So encourage students to introduce themselves to the reps and managers and to contact them for interviews. Job candidates, career counselors can learn more by reading and listening to PharmRepSelect - Interview Insight pharmrepselect.com .

Warning: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search by Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

That cute, affable guy who brags of his drunken exploits on FaceBook.com may be meeting a lot of other partiers online, but he's probably not getting added to the "friends" lists of many corporate recruiters. A recent study by the executive search firm ExecuNet found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants; 35 percent of these same recruiters say they've eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.

"You'd be surprised at what I've seen when researching candidates," says Gail, a recruiter at a Fortune 500 company who recently began looking up potential hires on the Web. "We were having a tough time deciding between two candidates until I found the profile of one of them on MySpace. It boasted a photo of her lounging on a hammock in a bikini, listed her interests as 'having a good time' and her sex as 'yes, please.' Not quite what we were looking for."

"Another time I went to a candidate's site and found racial slurs and jokes," Gail continues. "And there was yet another instance where a candidate told me he was currently working for a company, yet he left a comment on a friend's profile about how it 'sucked' to be laid off, and how much fun it was to be unemployed!"

As the amount of personal information available online grows, first impressions are being formed long before the interview process begins, warns David Opton, ExecuNet CEO and founder. "Given the implications and the shelf-life of Internet content, managing your online image is something everyone should address -- regardless of whether or not you're in a job search," he says. Because the risks don't stop once you're hired.

Twenty-three-year old Kara recently took a job as a management consultant at a high-profile practice in the Los Angeles area. An Ohio native, with no friends or family on the West Coast, Kara put up a profile on MySpace in the hopes of meeting new people.

Kara was judicious in how she set up her site: "I didn't fill out that cheesy questionnaire many people post, where you describe your best feature and say whether or not you shower every day." she says. "I used a photo that was flattering but not at all provocative and was even careful what music I chose."

Within a few months, Kara met many others online who shared her interest in biking and water sports. One Friday morning, Kara decided to call in sick and go surfing with a few of her new pals. That weekend, unbeknownst to Kara, her friend posted some of the day's pictures on her profile and sent Kara a message saying, "We should call in sick more often."

Unfortunately for Kara, her boss happened to be patrolling MySpace to check up on her college-age daughter and came across Kara's site and the dated photos!

Mortified, Kara says she learned an important lesson -- not only about honesty, but about how small the world of online social networking can be and how little control you have over any information put out there.

Not all employers search candidates and employees online, but the trend is growing. Don't let online social networking deep-six your career opportunities. Protect your image by following these simple tips:

1. Be careful. Nothing is private. Don't post anything on your site or your "friends" sites you wouldn't want a prospective employer to see. Derogatory comments, revealing or risqué photos, foul language and lewd jokes all will be viewed as a reflection of your character.

2. Be discreet. If your network offers the option, consider setting your profile to "private," so that it is viewable only by friends of your choosing. And since you can't control what other people say on your site, you may want to use the "block comments" feature. Remember, everything on the Internet is archived, and there is no eraser!

3. Be prepared. Check your profile regularly to see what comments have been posted. Use a search engine to look for online records of yourself to see what is out there about you. If you find information you feel could be detrimental to your candidacy or career, see about getting it removed -- and make sure you have an answer ready to counter or explain "digital dirt."


Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

How To Use A Brag Book To land That $100,000+ Sales Job.

What is a bragbook?

A brag book is a must have for any face-to-face sales interview. If you want to stand out from the competition and add credibility to the claims that you make in your resume, you should spend a little time putting a bragbook together. 

The bragbook is a sales aid and no true salesperson should interview without one. Just as salespeople rely on a sales aid to sell the features and benefits of their service or product, you should have a bragbook to sell yourself to your interviewer. 

What is the purpose of a bragbook?

A bragbook, if well-constructed and used properly in an interview, can add life and credibility to your resume. It can also help your interviewer remember more details about you when the interview day is done. 

What do I include in my bragbook?

Take a look at your resume. Make a list of all of your accomplishments and then think about how you can document them in your bragbook. You want to include tangible evidence of as many achievements as possible. For some,this may be an easy task. For those of us who tend not to save everything, it may take some digging and may also require a few phone calls to get some of this information in writing. 

Some ideas of what to include

• Notes from company personnel congratulating you on your most recent

sales award.

• If you have a wall plaque that documents your sales achievements, make

a copy of the front of it and include it.

• Performance reviews.

• Ranking reports that show your performance.

• Recent college grads can include college transcript with GPA, if a 3.0 or better.

• Letters of recommendation from previous employers, professors, etc.

• Certificates of completion of any special courses that you have taken.

• Photos of you accepting awards.• Pay stub that shows your outstanding commissions with previous employer.

• Documented achievements that show your leadership skills or positions held.

• Business card that shows your previous job title.

• President’s club status notification.

• Photos of yourself at the president’s club trip. 

How do I assemble my bragbook?

After collecting your documentation, take note of how many pages you

have. Go to a local office supply store and purchase a sales binder with clear plastic insert pages (a.k.a. a pitch book). Pitch books are sold with varying numbers of pages so choose the size that will best accommodate your needs. Before putting your pages into the book, highlight the main points on each page in yellow marker. Assemble it in reverse chronological order with your most recent documentation first. You may want to tab your pages for quick accesses if you have a lot of information. 

How do I use my bragbook?

When a question comes up about your accomplishments and/or achievements,

answer the question and then refer to the sections of the bragbook

that back up your claims. Use a pencil and refer to the highlighted points (you don’t want the interviewer to have to read all of the information). 

Practice using your bragbook and remember where your information is located within the pages. The last thing that you want to do is fumble around for the information. Also, keep in mind that it is not necessary to show all your information. Play it by ear and if the interviewer is truly interested in seeing it all, by all means, brag away! If the interviewer seems uninterested, don’t continually refer to your book. The bragbook is meant to support and back up your verbal answers to questions. Don’t rely on it to answer your questions.

Excerpt from “3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview”

by Lisa Lane 3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview

Questions to ask in interviews

OK, so you filled out the application form, got through all the testing and answered all their questions easily.  Now your faced with your greatest challenge!

The dreaded question, "is there anything you would like to ask us?".  DOH!  You know you can't just say "no, I'm fine" and walk away.

This is your final test - all the rest was just a warm up - this is the big game!

Most of the questions to ask, below, would naturally have to be tailored for each position applied for (I can't hold your hand all the way through your application process - you're just gonna have to learn to stand on your own two feet!).

What scope for promotion and upward progress is there within this company?

This shows that you are both keen and are making long term plans to remain with the company.

Is the company planning any expansions or developments that might lead to further career opportunities?

This shows that you are taking an interest in the company, and again that you are making long term plans to remain with them.

I am keen to further develop my skills and experience.  What sort of scope is there to do this within your company?

Employers will value potential as much as existing skills and experience.  You will be perceived to be more valuable to them if they think your skills and knowledge will continue to grow.  Also, most employers will have some sort of training or staff facilities in place, so it's always good to let them know they're not wasting their money!

Relate to your past experience.

For example, if you found a previous job not to be challenging enough, then say so at your interview.

Ask your potential employer how they will challenge you! :)

Note:  If you tell them that you found your previous job dull and boring, but you are applying for the same role in a different company, then the chances are that you won't get the job!

Relate to what they have been telling you at the interview.

If you bring something up that they have mentioned to before, it shows that you have been listening (which is the least that they can expect from you after all!).

Say something along the lines of, "You said before that you are expanding into the music business.  I have a particular interest in the music industry, so would it be possible, nearer the time, for me to participate in this?".

Relate to the industry.

Read up on the industry that your potential employer works in.

If there have been notable developments recently, then bring them up (ask what impact the developments had on their business).

Scott Boyd - Webmaster and Founder - Jobseekers Advice

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Job Seekers 

In the job search craze, there are those who land a job right away and those who struggle through the process of finding one for a long time. ‘Luck’ is usually the response one hears from disenfranchised job seekers when they find out that their neighbor down the street was offered a position after only a two-week search. With many job seekers vying for only a few open positions, the truth is that ‘luck’ rarely has anything to do with it.

Realizing that their job search campaign doesn't’t have to be a never-ending struggle, successful job seekers approach the process with patience and persistence. If you want to be among the highly successful job seekers follow the seven steps outlined below.

1. Search with purpose

Instead of trying to fit into a mould set by a hiring organization, target companies that match your goals and career values; doing this will allows you to focus your energy into searching for a position that is a natural fit.

After all, you don’t want to find yourself embarking on another search within a year’s time because you made a decision in haste.

2. Always be prepared

Be ready for your day’s activities by 9 am. Opportunities rarely land on your lap and you have to be prepared for the surprises that may come up during the day. You don’t want to be caught sleeping when someone calls to discuss an employment opportunity. 

If you find yourself answering the phone like this: "hello? . . . well . . . um . . . well, like I was kinda sleeping. . . how long is this gonna take? . . . who are you again? . . . like I, um, contacted so many places, cuz, you know, like, I can't like find a job . . ." then it is time to re prioritize your needs.

Waiting until your unemployment insurance is about to end before you begin aggressively looking for a position can be a costly mistake. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are running low on resources and desperation is about to set in. This is when mistakes are made and your job search may begin to suffer.

3. Develop a job search plan

Organize your job search, map out a strategy, set priorities, and establish goals.  Begin your search with a clear focus and a plan. Participate in a number of activities including answering classified ads, posting your resume on the Internet, and going on informational interviews.

4. Bypass Human Resources. A human resources representative is also known as a “screener.” The screener’s job is to review resumes and match your experience with a checklist of requirements set forth by the hiring manager. If there are enough matches, the human resources representative forwards the resume to the decision maker. Unfortunately, not much is left to the screener’s interpretation. This is why most opportunities are lost – because the screener doesn't’t have the luxury of making a decision based on instinct; he or she is instructed to follow the lead of the hiring manager. Since the decision makers (e.g., VP of Sales, Director of Marketing, or CEO) are the ones who determine who is ultimately hired, it is advisable that you apply directly to them.

5. Write follow-up letters Well-written follow up letters can make a difference as to whether you get hired. A follow-up letter is more than a simple note thanking the interviewer for his or her time.  It should be a sophisticated letter that either re-affirms your interest in the position, serves as an opportunity to mention an important point you neglected to bring up, and/or provides an opportunity to offer new insight on a topic that was discussed during the interview.  

6. Avoid toxic job seekers

Job clubs are a great way to generate ideas and for networking purposes. However, some are also a breeding ground for negativity. These support groups can inadvertently affect your job search. Take inventory of the job seekers in attendance. Do they offer words of encouragement? Are they supportive of your efforts, or do they feed into your insecurities?  

If after such meetings you feel emotionally drained and start to believe your chances of landing a job are bleak, then it’s time to search for a new support team.

7. Be good to yourself

There are two types of job seekers. One, that has a laid back approach, and the other that always feels "there aren’t enough hours in the day" and compulsively searches for a job without taking a breather.

 Following in the footsteps of the latter is the fastest way to reaching burn out and when careless mistakes are often made. Though your job search should be your primary activity, don’t allow it to consume your every waking moment.

Every so often take a mini vacation; spend time with people who support you, listen to music and participate in activities you enjoy. Clearing your mind replenishes your energy and will allow you to continue searching for a job with a fresh outlook.

Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com

Many foreign friends of mine are complaining to me that Chinese is so hard to learn: the ridiculously difficult writing system, the confusing four tones, the extensive system of measure words, so a lot of things to memorize… It seems that I should thank God just for being born Chinese. Is Chinese really that hard to learn as a foreign language?

Actually, I don’t think so. Chinese grammar is much simpler if compared to that of the European languages. English speakers sometimes complain that languages like Spanish have a complicated grammar (masculine and feminine genders, verb conjugations, etc), whereas the Chinese language has little or no bound morphology and there are no grammatical paradigms to memorize. Each word has a fixed and single form: verbs do not take prefixes or suffixes showing the tense or the person, number, or gender of the subject. Nouns do not take prefixes or suffixes showing their number or their case. I’m not trying to tell you that Chinese has no grammar; what I means is that due to the lack of inflectional morphology, Chinese grammar is mainly concerned with how words are arranged to form meaningful sentences. Plus each Chinese character pronounced in one syllable, that’s why when watching Chinese movies, you find that a few words can be translated into a syllable mapping in the English subtitle.

Probably, you would say that the above is far from enough to convince you; okay, I’ve got one more encouraging and authoritative evidence for you. A couple of days ago I fortunately came across one piece of inspiring news when reading Beijing Times: Less than 1,000 Chinese characters allow you to read 90% of the current Chinese publication, according to a survey conducted by the Education Ministry and Language Commission of China. The findings of this survey is claimed to be based on 900 million characters used in more than 8.9 million files chosen from newspapers, magazines, the Internet and television. Nowadays, the Chinese media is using fewer characters, and to understand 90 percent of the content in publications, you need only to know about 900 of around 50,000 individual characters that are made up of Written Chinese. On the other hand, how many words are there in English? Almost 100,000 and it’s still on the rise. One important reason for this is that Chinese characters, unlike English words, are mainly to represent meaning, not pronunciation, and what’s more, many characters are archaic and some found only once in the whole history of the written language, such as the names of people or places. An average Chinese university graduate may know only about 6,000.

Now, would those all above relieve you a little bit in your Chinese language study? Hope so, but do not misinterpret this: I am not in any intention to convince you that Chinese is very easy to learn or other languages like English are much harder; what I mean is that Chinese is really not that difficult as you imagined or heard about, it’s just different from your mother tongue, but difference does not necessarily mean difficulty, right? And that hard Chinese idea won’t be of any help in your study. Trust yourself, once that fear factor is overcome, the language is actually not that hard to learn. Good luck with your Chinese language study.

About the Author: Lily Chao is the author of http://EaseChinese.com, a website providing a collection of reviews and recommendations of Chinese language learning resources, and more. She is also a would-be TCSL (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) teacher, living and studying in Beijing.