Often people ask me if I look at social media when before hiring a Medical Sales candidate.
My answer, absolutely!
And it turns out I’m not the only one.
Based on a study conducted by Career Builder, 70 percent of employers use social media when screening candidates. 54 percent admit not hiring a candidate due to their social media profile.
When hiring a new Medical Sales Rep, finding one with the right character profile is extremely important.
Social media provides a snapshot of our lives and unfortunately, most people aren’t worrying about filtering their private endeavors before sharing with the rest of planet Earth.
Employers even have access to online tools like Fama to screen candidates’ social media accounts for certain known risk factors. Yikes!
So you have some iffy stuff, now what?
There are two ways to mitigate the risk here, utilize an online reputation management software like BrandYourself.com or do it on your own. BrandYourself is an awesome gift from the parents, BTW. 😉
6 important steps to take BEFORE submitting your professionally written resume to a Medical Sales Job
- Search your name: Searching yourself will give you a quick snapshot of pictures easily accessible on the world wide web.
- Delete your inappropriate photos and posts: Pictures of you and your family on vacation or you climbing Mount Everest are great. However, it may not be a good idea to show the world how much “fun” you had at your friend’s bachelor/bachelorette party.
- Untag yourself in others’ photos deemed inappropriate (see step 2)
- Upload a professional photo as your profile picture: Please don’t run out to JC Penny and grab a glamour shot. Instead, opt for something a bit more business casual. Search for successful people on LinkedIn in a similar role – start there.
- Update your information on all personal platforms: Chances are you have had your Facebook and other social media accounts for over 5 years and your “About Me” may read a bit differently if you wrote it today than it did in High School. It is very important to maintain consistency and maintain the same “version” of you across all platforms.
- Beef up your LinkedIn profile and add your resume: This could be one of the most important steps you take. LinkedIn is a very powerful tool when networking and looking for work. This will be an integral part of your search process and again, you must provide the best version of yourself here. Upload your resume and a well-articulated cover letter to your profile.
