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5 Medical Sales Resume Examples...

5 Medical Sales Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

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You want that Medical Sales job.

Your first stop will be crafting a compelling Medical Sales resume.

A well-crafted resume will answer questions like:

  • Have you ever failed to reach a sales quota? If so, what happened and how did you bounce back from it?
  • How would you sell a new product to a client that has been using a competitor’s product for years?

In other words, your resume should portray you as a great negotiator.

Why?

The emergence of automation in almost every aspect of daily life still can’t defeat the power of face-to-face communication.

That’s key for Medical Sales Professional resumes.

If your resume doesn’t communicate your negotiator traits, it won’t bring you that phone call.

Feel a little daunted? Don’t worry. That’s why this guide is here to help you.

What this medical sales resume guide will teach you

  • How to review and compare 10 Medical sales resume examples that showcase role-specific skills and traits that hiring managers are looking for
  • How to highlight your industry knowledge and illustrate the value that you can bring to companies
  • How to match your value proposition (i.e. your skills and experiences) to the job description using numbers and results
  • How to feature your education, experience, certifications, and achievements relevant to the industry
  • How to optimize your resume header and career summary to set you apart from other candidates

Looking for related resume guides? Enhancv here to help you out

How to write a medical sales resume

Pharma companies are different.

You’re a Medical Sales professional and you know damn well you can’t approach them with the same overused pitch.

So why you’d make a resume that reads like a copy-pasted template that won’t even get you through the interview door?

For example, if you’re applying for a Medical Device Sales job and your resume says you’re seeking such a job, you won’t be considered for a job in Medical disposables, even if you’re qualified.

Adapt your resume with straightforward resume sections, highlighting your important career achievements and relevant background.

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What are the top sections in a medical sales resume

  • Header with contact Information
  • Career summary statement
  • Scope of experience, with bulleted points about your value contribution in each company
  • Section about your education background and/or acquired certificates
  • Soft skills backed by examples from your past experience

Overall, your resume must feature critical information on the following points.

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What do recruiters pay attention to in a medical sales resume

  • Do you have a good understanding of the sales process and how the medical device benefit the patients
  • Do you know your medical terminology and are able to speak at the level of the surgeon client (i.e. your level of Disease Expertise);
  • Can you make product recommendations as requested, i.e. your level of industry knowledge
  • Have you specialized in specific sub-industry (Medical Equipment, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology)
  • Portrayal with numbers and results for key soft skills (Communication, Networking, and Negotiation Skills)
  • Your key sales successes (end-of-year Rankings, record Quotas, etc)

Let’s go over each section one by one and see how we can weave this information efficiently.

What items to include in your medical sales resume header

Having a well formated resume header with all the needed information on it is a key. Often time recruiters disregard resumes, solely on a bad header. So make sure you perfect yours!

2 medical sales resume header examples

Jeremy Wilkins
Medical Sales Representative
Phone
jermywilkins@gmail.com
LinkedIn/Portfolio
Boston, MA
WRONG

In the above example, our candidate described himself generically as a “Medical Sales Representative”.

Same as every other candidate in a thick pile of resumes that Hiring Managers don’t intend to finish browsing through.

Take advantage of your header and show your specialization from the start.

Jeremy Wilkins
Senior Medical Sales Management Executive
1-124-681-9817
he@jeremywilkins.com
Boston, MA
RIGHT

In this example, our candidate set his niche in the industry and made use of many important keywords: senior, medical sales management, executive.

If he only used “Medical Sales Professional” in his header, recruiters would not have known that he is actually way more skilled than it sounds.

If the same careless attitude is applied to each section, this resume won’t result in a call.

Otherwise, this header has all other important elements present:

Let’s keep this relevancy in the summary example, too.

Medical sales resume summary examples

Consider your Medical Sales resume summary as your “elevator pitch”.

It should be succinct, but comprehensive.

Recruitment managers want to know:

  • Your scope of experience
  • Your skill specialization
  • Your key successes
  • Your objective (optional)
pro tip icon
Pro tip

Career objectives get overused these days. Make sure to mention your biggest achievements in your summary, to keep the recruiter engaged.

Take a special note of your skill specialization. This is a critical ingredient in helping recruiters decide your value. They’re looking for a specialist, not a generalist.

Your key successes should also be backed up by numbers and properly contextualized.

And avoid adjectives, especially generic terms such as “results-driven” and “goal-oriented”.

2 medical sales resume summary samples

Summary
Results-oriented Medical Sales professional with 5 years of experience in the industry looking to expand my skill set and grow in my profession. Has an established history of being an effective employee and a team player. Willing to undergo regular training and coaching to boost knowledge.
WRONG

In this example, our candidate sounds like just another unimpressive employee.

In his five years, he says he’s been an effective employee. But how?

He’s a team player, but everyone else is, too.

What sets him apart?

Summary
Senior Medical Sales Executive with 7 years of experience in sales leadership roles. Masterful negotiator with a proven track record of interpersonal communication culminating in 1500+ successful closed deals for the past 3 years, including turning a medical device startup into a top 50 B2B provider.
RIGHT

In this example, our candidate sounds exactly like what he says he is: a Senior Medical Sales Management Executive.

He showed us what he’s done in the 7-plus years that he has spent in the industry, specializing in leadership roles.

He claimed to be a masterful negotiator and a great communicator, and he backed it up by saying that he turned a startup into a top resource provider within a defined time period.

Let’s go over two more examples.

2 medical device sales resume summary examples

Medical Device Sales resume summaries follow the same principle as in Medical Sales resumes, but they should contain your key expertise.

Did you work in cardiac rhythm device management? Wearables? AI and robotics? Make sure that’s front and center in your summary.

Summary
Medical Sales Device representative dedicated to consistently meeting team requirements and boosting sales. Seeking a position where I can expand my technical knowledge and contribute to company goals.
WRONG

Again, generic statements do not do your skills justice.

This is a better way to frame your summary.

Summary
Senior Medical Device Sales Representative with 6+ years of experience in the Cardiac Rhythm Management field who specializes in new acquisition account sales. A strategic contract negotiator with 4 annual top sales awards. Seeking a position that will allow me to hone my skill set in competitive and collaborative environments.
RIGHT

In this example, our candidate was very detailed in his elevator pitch. And, you know he’s getting that call if his experience section delivers at the same level.

How to make sure your Medical Sales resume experience is well-presented

You’ve probably heard some general advice on what your experience section should have:

  • Your previous job positions + companies + years of employment
  • A detailed one-liner about what your role entailed, at each job
  • Follow proper format and layout. Start with a reverse chronological order of your experience.
  • Be actionable. Skip the adjectives, use words like “collaborated with, organized, designed,” etc.

That’s your basis.

But to land the interview, you must stand out.

What does the job? Using figures.

Include the percentage of your sales quote you reached at the end of each year, spanning at least over your last three years.

Talk about your year-end ranking for the past three years, too. You can also mention the number of reps you were ranked against.

It’s better to show slight ups and downs in your numbers, rather than just highlight one year of extreme achievements. That leaves me wondering why you’re not talking about that specific year.

Sarah Munoz, Talent Market Research Coordinator at SMR Group Ltd.

Let’s see how this is done in practice using right and wrong samples.

2 medical sales resume experience examples

Experience
Head of Major Pediatric Company
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland, OH
Developed sales system to streamline consistent returns for the company, as well as compensation programs for medical sales representatives.
  • Managed a team of 55 people and motivated them to be their best
  • Handled sales-related concerns, trainings, and refreshers
  • Consistently helped poor performers meet quota after intensive coaching
WRONG

In this example, our candidate gave an overview of his experience, when he could have delved into each and made it more detailed.

He also listed his tasks without painting a clear picture of how they affected workflow, or impacted company goals.

Look at this example now.

Experience
Head of Major Pediatric Company
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland, OH
Developed sales system to boost and maintain returns per quarter for the company, incentivized a 55-member team, and streamlined growth of brand reception from local to national.
  • Established evaluation models, metrics, and target quotas within the first three months
  • Revamped incentive system to drive an increase in sales by 75% to $2 mln. within the first two quarters
  • Initiated mobile partnerships to create more sales opportunities and widen brand recognition which resulted in a 55% increase in overall company revenue
RIGHT

So, the next time you’re wondering how to frame your experience section, just use the following formula:

Context - Action - Result

In this example, our candidate used actionable statements that portrayed the value that he contributed to the company.

Example: “Revamped incentive system to drive an increase in sales by 75% to $2 mln. within the first two quarters.”

What he wanted to say was that he was not only doing his job, he was great at it, and it was rewarding for the company.

But what if you lack a sleuth of experience?

How to write an entry-level Medical Sales resume experience

You don’t need to have 10 years in the industry to qualify for the job.

However, Medical Sales is a position that requires its Sales reps to make close to immediate impact.

How do you make the recruiter see that?

When writing your resume, showcase essential character and personality traits that medical sales recruiters are looking for. These include:

  • Leadership skills
  • Ability to win people over
  • Talent for negotiation
  • Research skills
  • Interpersonal communication skills

Have you ever spearheaded a project that was a raging success back in college and benefited a good cause? That’s something attractive to employers.

Or if not, have you done some volunteer work? Job shadowing? Internships?

What about maintaining your GPA while working part-time? How many students can have decent grades and still work? Spotlight that in your resume.

And just like how you would write your resume if you had experience, don’t forget to use figures and bullet points in the body of your resume.

For instance, if attendance numbers for your local drama recital rose by 15% when you were heading it compared to last year’s when you were just a performer, that’s something that you can claim and feature in your student Medical Sales resume.

You can apply similar principles if you’re transferring from a different field of work.

Are you a B2B sales rep, an athlete, a healthcare provider or a military veteran?

You most likely have background that shows you understand how medicine industry works, the hospital environment and how to communicate with surgeons.

Including your skills in medical sales resume

You need your resume to feature both your soft and hard skills to pass the initial check. This usually happens in a specific resume skills section, where you can list all types of skills you aquired.

Here are the proper ways to visualize both types of skills.

Listing technical skills on your resume

Technical skills for medical sales jobs depend on the niche that you’re intending to pursue.

For instance, if you’re in the field of Medical Devices and Equipment, technical skills may include in-depth knowledge about emerging trends in the healthcare industry, such as wearables.

When listing them, use one or two words in a bulleted or similar format.

Skills
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
Medical coding
Patient care
RIGHT
pro tip icon
Pro tip

These types of lists are designed to get your resume through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) check. As long as you don’t lie on your resume, you can include a list of your top skills that match the job description.

"ATS Resume: ATS Friendly Resume Guide + Templates"

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What are the top hard skills on a medical sales rep resume

  • Cardiac Rhythm Management
  • Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Patient Care
  • Clinical Experience
  • Case Management
  • Treatment Planning
  • Digital Technical Marketing
  • Medical Coding
  • Business Development

Listing soft skills on your resume

Let’s say that both Tim and Diane are applying for that Medical Sales position.

All things equal, both of them listed their soft skills.

However, Tim simply made a list, whereas Diane weaved in actionable results to demonstrate how her soft skills helped her do a task.

Guess who’s going to the interview? It’s not Tim, by the way.

Strengths
Communication
Over 1500+ successful deals closed bringing $500k in revenue for clients throughout my 5+ years as Medical Sales rep.
Customer satisfaction
Created new sales account funnel while also developing customer loyalty strategies and programs to drive market share. As a result, customer satisfaction rose from 89% to 96%.
Leadership
Manage a 25+ team at XYZ Company and facilitated better collaboration and more efficient workflows. Under my management the margin boost was 250% and generated $50k additional monthly income.
RIGHT
pro tip icon
Pro tip

If you don’t have space in your resume, you can still include examples of demonstrated soft skills in your summary or experience section.

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Top 10 soft skills for medical sales resumes

How to describe my medical sales resume education section

Do you need a Bachelor’s degree to become a medical sales professional?

It depends. Some companies require industry-related degrees such as Nursing, Pharmacology, or other biomedical sciences.

Others don’t, but prefer degree holders in Business Management, Marketing, or other related fields.

And then there are companies that accept high school or associate diplomas, as long as the candidate is willing to undergo training.

In writing your education section, it is okay to just list your degree and your school if you’re experienced candidate.

But if you’re seeking an entry-level position, you can expand on your education section with:

Adding certifications to your resume

Certifications refer to continuing education certificates you have secured.

They are useful if you don’t have a lot of experience, studied something unrelated to medical sales, or a fresh graduate.

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Here are 4 medical sales certificates for your resume

  • RMSR/NAMSR
  • CNPR
  • Orthopedic Sales, Medical Sales College
  • Cardiac Rhythm Management and Cardiac Electrophysiology, Arrhythmia Technologies Institute

To cap it all off, remember these handy tips when writing your medical sales resume.

These are the top tricks when writing your medical sales resume

  • Use a clean and simple format. Avoid large blocks of text, and use white space.
  • Use a professional email address, and include your LinkedIn profile in your contact information section.
  • Avoid adjectives and generic statements.
  • Be detailed about your facts and figures, and put them within their proper contexts.
  • Highlight your specialization in your resume summary.
  • Cite rankings, quota percentages, and other useful information.
  • List key successes, awards, and milestones.

Medical Sales resume examples

Explore additional medical sales resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

By Role

Medical Device Sales

The medical device sales role often originates from the healthcare industry, indicating why changes in healthcare impact trends in medical device sales.

When applying, showcase your ability to comprehend medical terminologies and equipment. Being familiar with various healthcare standards and procedures is essential. Highline your exposure to such activities. Feature relevant experience in sales tactics and strategies. If overlooked, you may fall short at the beginning of the process.

Stress your familiarity with various medical equipment and devices. Several successful medical device sales personnel come from healthcare backgrounds, so ensure your resume highlights both your healthcare and sales skills.

Don't just list these skills. Show how they helped you increase sales, i.e. 'boosted regional sales with...', ’increased client retention by providing...'. Use the 'skill-action-results' model.

View Medical Device Sales Resume

Pharmaceutical Sales

The pharmaceutical sales role often emerges from pharmacy or health science fields. Therefore, trends in these areas greatly influence pharmaceutical sales.

Experience in pharmaceutical sales involves understanding prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, and medical equipment. Highlight your exposure and knowledge in these areas. Showing relevant experience in sales and marketing practices is crucial. You risk disqualification if you fail to demonstrate this information.

Emphasise your familiarity with pharmaceutical products. Significant success in pharmaceutical sales requires experience in the medical field, so your resume should indicate your medical knowledge as well as sales prowess.

Instead of merely listing skills, show how they aided in enhancing sales, e.g. 'increased community product awareness by...', 'boosted client base with...'. Stick to the 'skill-action-results' pattern.

View Pharmaceutical Sales Resume
medical sales resume example

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