Healthcare to
Hi, I am a chiropractor with 5 years experience owning my own clinic. I have recently come to the realization that I enjoy the marketing of my clinic more than treating patients. I have sold my office and am looking to venture into marketing/sales.
I have sent dozens of resumes to medical sales recruiters/companies (I also have 4 years sales experience prior to obtaining my D.C.) and have gotten no response. I know anatomy/physiology and how the healthcare system works. Unfortunately these companies seem to want young athletes instead of someone with knowledge who knows how doctor's think. Any truth to that?
I have a B.A. in the social sciences but not marketing. I have applied for a couple of entry level medical device product marketing positions to get my foot in the door but have been told that I'm "overqualified" for an entry level position. I agree but need to start somewhere!
Any advice, additional training, etc.. would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
You are in the same boat as me..I have a BA in Social Work....had medical secretarial positions and HR positions but now want to do pharmaceuticals....
I recently moved to NJ as my husband got a job promotion through his company and cannot find a job here!!
Have you gone in person to apply or over the internet??>
Medical Sales/Pharm Sales, all the dream job of the week. They are looking for serious sales experience and a technical/scientific degree. Since you've worked as a Chiropractor, you may have enough techical background to make some of them happy but you haven't done B2B type sales. I'd say it is possible, but a long shot.
Marketing is yet another area that is also hard to get into. Even fresh grads with degrees in marketing have a hard time getting their feet in the door. Usually they start as Admin Assistant in the marketing department or doing commission sales work or something. It is unlikely that someone is ging to hire a chiropractor with 5 years experience running his own clinic at that level.
Tess
Thanks for your honesty Tess,
I actually do have 3 years b2b sales experience with Makita power tools prior to going back to school and 2 years selling yachts in the chicago area. Is it the chiropractor stigma? I know that some people think chiro's are great, and others think they are nothing more than snake oil salesmen.
Truth be told...Some are good and some are bad, just like any other biz. Unfortunately the bad get way more bad pub than than good. I guess I feel stigmatized by the bad in the profession and hope to break the mold.
Take care.
- Perhaps your resume and cover letter aren't being as effective as they could be at convincing and describing how your experience relates in concrete terms.
- What about focusing or searching out organizations that are less obvious than the top 5 in pharma and med device. There are tons of mid-sized and small sized device, instrument, and supply companies, for example.
- What about a Sales, Marketing role for a company that somehow serves the chiro / physio / OT / professional massage world.....
- You increase probabilities when there are DIRECT linkages. Running a chiro practice did not, I assume, put you in front of Doctors and hospital buyers. But as the owner of a clinic, or practice, you get that experience and would make an effective ambassador I assume.
- You have to do more than apply to open jobs. Stating the obvious, but needs to be said.
Ian Christie
Career Changers Coach
I understand what you are going through, for the last ten years I have worked the Business Office side of the healthcare field. After having gone through two lay offs due to medical offices closing I have decided that I want to work in more mainstream offices. In the month that I have been unemployed I have sent out at least 100 resumes for office jobs that I have all of the qualifications they listed in the ads.
I have not received one call back, I went on one interview for a law firm that a friend of mine works for, he gave them my resume and they called, the lady said she liked all of my computer skills and the fact that a currnet employee recomended me, but they ended up hiring someone else. That is the only interview I have been able to get.
I just don't understand it. All I need is for someone to give me a chance.
In that case it may be that you just don't have enough techical background for what they're looking for. The requirements for Chiropractors vary by state so just saying you are one doesn't tell me if you even have a degree, much less what it is in and at what level. If that's not it, then I'd say you're not presenting yourself properly in your resume. You need to highlight the technical background AND the b2b sales and make a great case for yourself to have a fighting chance getting into this industry.
You can post your resume over on the resume board (minus name, address, phone) for some good (free) advice.
Good luck!
Tess