Should you add a hiring manager on LinkedIn before your interview in pharmaceutical or medical sales?
As technology changes, we all must adapt and look at how it affects different areas of our lives. Networking sites, such as LinkedIn, are very helpful to the interview process, if used correctly.
For example, one of the most critical uses of LinkedIn for the job seeker is interview preparation. Just think, now you have the ability to know more about your interviewer(s). What college did they graduate from? Where did they work? What are their greatest accomplishments? Where do they volunteer? Finding common ground with your interviewer is a huge benefit for you during the interview process. It creates a connection and can make discussions often smoother for you and the interviewer. By looking at the interviewers’ connections, you might also find some people you know in common. This also assists in connecting with your interviewer on a more comprehensive level.
Another purpose for using networking sites is to find out more about the position; such as who was the last person in the role and how long were they in the position. This information might give you some insight as well, such as turnover. Remember that being prepared for your first interview is critical in your interviewing success and very important relative to finding the right employer/company. This added information and research will help you prepare to be your very best for your interview. Just gather the data at this point though. There is no need to reach out to any past employees.
Should you connect or reach out to a company’s employees for advice before an interview in medical sales?
So, the question remains, is there ever a time during the interview process when you should reach out to current employees on LinkedIn to learn more about a company? The answer is yes…but, let’s explain what we feel is the proper etiquette in potentially doing this during the interview process.
If you are interviewing for a job in medical sales don’t just assume that the company wants you to reach out to some of their other sales representatives prior to your interview. There are some hiring managers that really like it and some that do not. Unfortunately, how are you to know what they prefer.
Probably the best etiquette is to ask first. Send an email to the hiring manager before your interview to let them know that you are excited to meet with them. In that email you can ask if they would be open to you reaching out to someone on their sales team to learn more about the position. This method is respectful and still shows the interviewer your enthusiasm and that you are doing your research. After all, if you contact one of their team members without their permission you may cause issues. None of us know a person’s standing relative to their employment situation based upon a LinkedIn profile. The person you reach out to may not be aware that the employer is even filling a particular role. There is also the possibility that the potential contact may be an unhappy camper and may not give an accurate overview of the job and company.
There is no one that can tell you the right or wrong way to approach networking though LinkedIn. Sometimes it is just left up to doing what feels right. If you haven’t met the hiring manager in person it is probably best not to add them as a connection, since it could be awkward if you do not get hired. That call should be made on an individual basis.