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F Thang wrote:Hi Everyone,
I have quick question(s) about medical affairs. Periodically, I have explored different options in medical affairs given my background in pharmacology and oncology. I have noticed that when I network through sales representatives, I almost always get a mean spirited or jealously like response. The representatives never forward my resume to the regional director of medical affairs; however, when I approach a MSL who was previously a scientist or the director himself, I get a more favorable response.
The representatives always lecture me on why I am not qualified and tell me the shortcomings in my scientific background, especially if I don't know them personally. My question is has the industry used MSLs to replace traditional sales representatives?
What is an efficient way to connect with regional MSL directors (hiring managers)?
Dave Jensen wrote:I totally agree with DX. There's some "talk to the senior leadership" advice here and that can backfire more often than anything. If you talk to people who are just a few years ahead of you at most, as DX suggests (the MSL's themselves or the regional leads) that's an approach that works and won't put you in the doghouse.
Dave
Caroline Ritchie wrote:I completely agree with the information D.X. has provided, having worked in Medical Affairs at a large (50,000+ person company) very recently and having many friends who are currently in MSL roles.
I would also like to add that asking someone in your network to pass on your CV puts them in a very awkward situation (unless you have worked with that person in a similar type of role and that person offers to do so). If someone passes along a CV to a hiring manager, it is akin to endorsing that person for the position. While I might have a really close friend or meet someone at a networking event who seems really great at what they do, I would never pass along a CV unless I was 100% confident that they would both excel in the role and fit in well with the company. Anything less, and passing along that CV would hurt my reputation.
Don't let this discourage you from networking, and definitely let people know you are looking for an MSL role. You could simply ask people if they know of any open positions or have any advice for how you could get your foot in the door. I have found that these more subtle approaches are much more effective in the long-term.
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