Graduating College? Time for Homework

Congratulations! You have completed you MS Biomedical Engineering. PhD in Computer Science. MBA in Marketing. BS Electrical Engineering. Whichever path you have chosen, you have worked hard to obtain a degree, and have interest in a career in the medical device industry. What now???

Well, as someone who has placed thousands of professionals in the medical device industry, I will be the voice of reality.  This is where the real work starts. Not the work you will eventually be paid for, which if you follow a few of tips could happen soon, but the work to land the first opportunity out of school that will be the foundation for the rest of your career. No Pressure… :-)

Let’s refer to this period, the first position out of school, as our 0-5 year career. This is where you leverage your education to get that great job right? Job fairs? Answer ads?  Maybe, but there is more you can do.

Develop your mission statement. I suggest you first step back and assess yourself candidly. Yes, grab the pen and paper and spend time reflecting here. Who are you?  If you know you are interested in the medical device industry, chances are you have had personal interests outside your academic degree that will speak to it.  

What are you bringing to a medical device company that will help them move a product forward in the market? 

Your answer can range from “experience working in the Grab Lab to further innovation in biorobotic systems” to “a relentless work ethic and passion to learn everything about the market of heart valves”.   This is the basis for your Mission Statement, which every successful Brand possesses.  This Mission Statement should translate into a quick brief description of what you are looking to do and the value you will bring. What qualities will you bring to the game? What demonstrates your ability to effectively meet this statement?

For example:

“Chosen by Professor BestRoboticistEver to work on new application in dexterous grasping”

“Have made my own kit cars since I was 8 years old”

“Led Student Council to a new fundraising initiative for the local homeless shelter which is now run annually”

Second suggestion. Consider building a “Live Resume”. Resumes are critical, of course a perspective employer wants to know about your education, experience, and objective, all are important. However, you are made of much more, and in this digital age, isn’t there more you can show?  Resumes were created to offer a potential employer a brief leave behind that can be passed around and shared, where now, passing around and sharing are done electronically.

What images, links, references, can I incorporate into my Live Resume of sorts  to show Mrs. DreamCompanyHiringManager that I am 360 degrees of Awesome?  I am more than just a short resume with zero real experience!

Consider a document with your academic timeline incorporating links to some kind of visual representation of various things that you have gotten you to this point in your life.   Think words, images, and perhaps video, embedded in a document that can be emailed, that give more than an old school word document. If this is daunting to you, stick with what resonates with you. This is not a “one size fits all” suggestion. We have more tools than ever to create a robust, yet succinct, body of evidence to share with a potential employer that says, “Here I am! Give me a shot!”

Create your Network. 

Who do I know? Who do they know? Who do I want to know?

Ideally, by the time you have graduated, you have developed relationships somewhere in your life that can be tapped to develop a network. Share your mission and pitch with everyone- family, friends, neighbors, professors, medical professionals you know… Anyone you respect in business. Ask for any advice they may have on individuals connected to the industry. Call them. Email them. People in general like to help people, especially young professionals that have the future in front of them. Old fashioned asking politely is often the way to get your interest into the right hands, so ask around!

In the case of the medical device industry, revisit your mission. Where do you want to work? What companies are of interest to you? What segments of the market? If you desire the entrepreneurial startup, where do you live? Have a target list and go after it. These will be the people you don’t know yet.  Larger companies have many employees, and people hire people. Find who is of position of power within the companies you are interested in and introduce yourself to him/her.  This should be through a phone call, email, introduction through a reference or third party, or the ultimate opportunity to meet them in person. Beyond job fairs, are there any conferences that could possibly allow you to meet people from this company? I am not going to say do not answer ads, because ads are online for a reason, but don’t make them exclusively your activity and expect results.

After you have some type of introduction, follow up. If you called, email your Live Resume. If you emailed, call. If you did both, try again in a week with something along the lines of, “Quick note to let you know working for BreatheX is my highest priority. My passion for new technologies in lung disease and relentless work ethic will not allow me to be anything less than an asset to the team” Or, send an article of interest about the company or the market they are in. Again, not a “One Size Fits All” answer here, but the key is follow up. Don’t be an annoyance, but briefly remind him that you are here and anxious to put your unbridled energy into a dynamic opportunity. 

The good news is our firm sees tremendous opportunity ahead of those graduates that are willing to hustle for the opportunity and to prove their value in the medical device industry. The other good news is the cry for innovation of the future needs these bright talented minds. If you do your homework, landing a career in the medical device industry can be the next big door to open for you.