Reverse Engineering Your Medical Device Career

I was talking to a friend and hiring manager recently and he observed that more and more medical device jobs have become “hybrid” jobs wherein the physician’s office/clinic is extremely important, in some cases as important or even more important than the Operating Room (OR), depending on the specialty. That makes it very difficult for coverage reps. that have only sold in the OR-covered cases to compete for these new types of positions as they evolve. 

 

You know what? This tracks with a trend I’ve seen more and more where reps. that are strictly “case coverage” reps., highly clinical, very sound in orthopedic or spine surgery, but lacking essential sales skills are leaving medical, going to Business-to-Business (B2B) jobs, getting training, gaining those skills and coming back, ready to interview and take on different roles beyond what some entry level orthopedic and spine jobs may be able to teach them. Almost “reverse engineering” their medical careers. This used to be taboo. 

 

Years ago, leaving the medical device industry meant that it was nearly impossible to get back in. But with a tight labor market getting tighter all the time, exceptions are being made. And after rounding out their experience and skill set, these candidates are ready to go.