Every successful pharmaceutical sales job search requires two basic elements: time and organization. All other components are secondary. If you are organized , you will find more time to conduct a full-scale job search. The rule of thumb in todays economy is that it takes 1 month of job searching for every $10,000 of target salary before you get an offer. As with all rules, this can vary depending on your location, target industry and other factors; but no matter how long your job search will take, getting organized before you begin will ultimately save you time and energy.

So, what is the best way to organize your campaign? Initially, you need to take a personal inventory on the specifics of your search. To start, you should:

• Identify your skills and experience. What are you looking for in your next position? What issues do you need to consider (commute, travel, childcare, etc).
• Locate and begin researching your target market. Are you searching by pharmaceutical companies or within a geographic area?
• Prepare your career portfolio materials, such as your résumé, generic or posting-specific cover letter s, professional biography, brag book , etc.

After determining the direction of your job search campaign, you should ensure you have an organized approach to 3 major areas. Follow these initial steps to effectively organize your job search efforts:

• Time – Determine how much time each week you can realistically devote to your search. You will need to build in time to search for, read and apply for advertised positions, but you also need to make sure you allow time to continue your networking efforts, write follow-up correspondence, following up on leads and visiting any employment professionals; like recruiting agencies. Be sure to work within your natural energy patterns if possible. Most people have a preference for the time they make telephone calls or search job boards so try to build this into your day. It is also helpful to tackle your least favorite tasks first thing each day to get them out of the way. Try keeping a time log that tracks the time you spend on certain activities. This can be an effective tool if you find that you are struggling to stay on task.
• Space
  i want to watch the full movie of the king’s speech

  – Think of the space you have to conduct your job search. If it is organized like an actual office, you will be more inclined to approach your job search in a professional frame of mind. The bare minimum you need is a comfortable chair, a desk or table devoted solely to your job search, a telephone and basic office materials; like notepaper, pens and highlighters. Of course, it is helpful if you have a computer and a fax machine. Other supplies that streamline your job search include: index cards, telephone directory, file folders and a calendar. Establish a filing system for each custom-tailored résumé you have. Consider having a separate file for each job you apply to that contains the positing or advertisement, the cover letter you sent, the résumé submitted and copies of company information you have researched. This will make it easy to document any conversations on the inside of the manila folder and you can easily take that folder with you when you interview.

• Contacts - A dynamic network of contacts is essential to any job search and successful career. Over the course of a typical job search campaign you will speak with hundreds of people so it is important to keep track of them. This is useful during your search as well as later on in your career. A great way to manage your contacts is a simple card file. Be sure to get a business card for anyone with whom you meet and develop a standard information card for those you encounter over the telephone or via e-mail. Track the obvious information like name, title, address, telephone and fax number, but go one step further and track the source of the contact. Think of it like the “6 degrees of separation” game. This is a great way to effortlessly expand your network. Be sure to develop a system that allows you to set up follow up reminders for meetings and telephone calls.

You already know that searching for a new job can be both time consuming and overwhelming but being organized can help you manage your network, stay focused and maximize your available time. All these can lead to expanded opportunities, decreased frustration and perhaps a faster resolution to your job search!

Excerpt from 3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview by Lisa Lane

What is a bragbook?

A brag book is a must have for any face-to-face pharmaceutical 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.