xSome twenty or thirty years ago, finding the right career was restricted by lack of global internet tools, limited by more old-fashioned (if you will) values and opinions, and less important than “finding yourself.” I remember when my therapist, the savior of all saviors as far as I’m concerned, laughed with me over how I had gone about finding the right career: I had signed up to all the courses that I found interesting and many I hoped were in some way related, then tried to decide on a major/career. She lightly joked that a lot of people decide first, then do the footwork of taking the mandatory and essential and relevant courses, doing internships, and getting in at some entry-level. Obviously, I didn’t have the tools we have today for finding the right career, nor did I know about their existence and usefulness, at least.

For instance, lots of students will use personality testing and employment/goal assessments for finding the right career - right from the commencement of their semesters in college. ERIK, Psychometric testing tools, and career skills assessment batteries will help to define aptitude and save you time futzing around with majors and minors that you FEEL you MAY like…when six years later on decide you need to start all over finding the right career, as offshore drilling is not for you or interplanetary travel studies will take too long or anthropological studies of tribes now extinct are wiped off the college catalogs three quarters of the way into your educational plan.

An incredible implement of guidance, information, and statistical projection for finding the right career is the Index to Careers Guide, produced, updated/maintained, and provided both online and off (in college and high school career centers, for example) by the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics. If finding the right career is a assignment you feel or may think requires a knowledge of salaries, working conditions, descriptions of the nature of the work involved, training and other qualification requirements, the number of jobs/positions held in that field and the competition involved, and projected job openings, then go to
One more remarkable tool is one that comes in workbook form and accompanies the What Color is Your Parachute and The Boxes of Life books by Richard Bolles. The workbooks (and books) have you take rigorous (but exciting, fun) quizzes that lead you to slowly but surely deduce or do a process of illimination experiment that assist you in finding the right career FOR YOU…not your Mom, your dead Grandfather, or the culture around you who has all kinds of opinions about who you are and who you should be but who does not pay your rent or feed your kids when push comes to shove. Nor are they the ones who need to live in your skin, sleep through the night, or answer to your higher needs and greater consciousness….

Pharma Sales Jobs are EXTREMELY competitive these days; therefore, you simply must go all out in order to gain the job of your dreams.

If you're wondering if one of those "go for it" strategies includes job boards, then you're right...but only if you know how to use job boards to your advantage. Not sure? Then read on...

Follow these secret guidelines to eliminate wasted efforts and get noticed by recruiters and other hiring personnel:

# Choose to build your own resume online. As a former recruiter, I constantly faced a barrage of resumes that looked like gobbly gook. Why? Well, because people choose to copy and paste their resume or download their resume file instead of building it right on the site. If your resume is not in the ASCII format (text only), then your copy/paste or file download will result in a big waste of time for you and the viewers of your resume. Take the time to do it right!

# Make sure to list a number of target job titles. There's more than one way to target pharmaceutical sales jobs - use the following keywords for your job titles: pharmaceutical sales, pharmaceutical sales rep, pharmaceutical rep, pharma sales, and drug rep - to ensure that your bases are covered. And remember, your goal may be pharma sales, but what if there is another lucrative sales opportunity out there? Don't forget about the medical sales industry, as well!

# Don't respond to ads which do not reference a specific job or affiliation with a specific recruiting company. Many multi-level marketing companies disguise themselves in this manner, and I don't think you'll want to waste your time with these pyramid (unethical) schemes!

# Check, re-check, and check (again) your spelling and punctuation. I can't tell you how many embarrassingly pathetic resumes I've seen via popular job boards. Candidates seem to view the job board resumes they create as less formal...guess what? That's a big mistake! This is your first impression with a recruiter, HR professional, or hiring manager; are you willing to blow it because you chose to NOT come across on your resume as an educated, thoughtful person? Take a few minutes to proofread, PUHHHHHLEASE!

# Ok, This is the biggie...the most important "MUST DO" of this article! The "Resume Title" is the first phrase a recruiter or hiring manager will see [in their e-mail inbox or in the list of resumes generated online from the recruiter's query]. It's literally the first impression of you!

Now, of the hundreds of resumes I received in my inbox as a recruiter every day, which ones do ya think I opened? That's right...only the creative, interesting resume titles that clearly related to pharma sales.

Duh, right? So creating an interesting, descriptive, confident resume title is imperative, especially since you're competing against nearly 35,000 other candidates per day (monster.com data)! YIKES!

For example, a resume title like, "Sales King: #1 in Region, Entrepreneur, Educator" would definitely gain my attention, or "Skilled Negotiator...Could Sell Ice to an Eskimo" was a real resume I opened and called for an interview because it was creative and descriptive (as well as filled with accomplishments)!

Get the point? Creativity is really the key here, folks. Stand out...be different...and you'll gain a 2nd look from hiring personnel.

Ok...now that I'm finished ranting, there's one more piece of advice I simply must relay to you. Don't rely on one single strategy to gain interviews for pharma sales jobs. Utilize a potpourri of strategies to enhance your possibilities of landing an interview, such as the following:

Women can shop 365 days out of the year. If they try to tell you anything different, they're lying to you. Trust me; this XX gender is completely obsessed with clothing, shoes and accessories. It's like they can't get enough of it. It's an insatiable hunger. So, what do we men do about this burden you may ask? Hmm, that is a tough one. Let's see; you have a few options to consider. Number one involves cutting up all credit and debit cards. Well, you can't really do that because you'll need them for beer one day. The second solution involves a 45 and shovel. Then again, that one may be a tad drastic. Wait a minute; I've got it. The solution to your lady's shopping addiction. It's called a secret shoppers job.

There are always individuals lurking among us. They move with a certain stealth and stoic expression. It doesn't really matter where you go, you can bet that they're near by; looking, browsing and observing the environment. Scoping out the products and evaluating the service. After all, it is their job. They are the ones who take pride in their secret shoppers job. What is this you may wonder? It's simple really. Certain individuals are hired by the Secret Shoppers Network to evaluate stores and restaurants. They basically receive assignments via the Internet. Once a job becomes available in their neighborhood, they are sent an email. This informs them of which store or restaurant to visit. Also, while they're there, they will most likely purchase something. This is to see how good or bad the service is. Once they're through with the visit, they head back home to fill out a simple form. They have to answer certain questions regarding the store environment, the employees, and the service they received there. If a restaurant is evaluated, then the food will be addressed as well. Now for the good part. If you attain a secret shoppers job, then you are paid for your time and reimbursed for the item or meal you purchased. How cool is that?

Okay, I know what's running through your head. You now want a secret shoppers job for your wife or yourself. Hey, this is understandable. Hop online and see what's available to your area. Remember, your current location does play a large role in

Are you in your third decade and disillusioned, disappointed and disheartened at your career? Are you still in your “college” job that was supposed to be temporary? Do you use a credit card like a drug to make yourself feel better and then discover you cannot quit your dead-end job because you are in debt? After arriving into your twenties somewhat battered, filled with stale dreams and smarting from past rejections, your path to future success may elude you. Take a moment to review your possibilities. A happy ending is still possible. Here are ten ways to get unstuck from the 3-D Doldrums.

1. Decide You Deserve Success.

What is holding you back? It may be your “worse case scenario” thinking. Sometimes to protect yourself from disappointment, do you think negative comments to yourself: “I probably will not get the job, anyway,” “Everyone else is set except for me,” “I should be driving a new BMW,” or “Why bother, it is just a volunteer job.” Change your self-defeating jargon to “I say yes to every great opportunity.” Fail all the time, but keep trying.

2. Who Am I?

You are not who you were five years ago, nor will you be the same person five years from now. Your life and work choices, just like food preferences, accumulate. Make smart decisions and “Voila” there you are, lean and successful. Make lazy choices and “Voila,” there you are bloated, debt-ridden and depressed. The easy road is usually the wrong one.

3. My Parents.

The push-pull of your parent’s advice and your own desires can often leave you at a standstill. People only nag people they care about and their urgent nagging of you is simply misdirected affection. They may have twenty to fifty years of experience on you, so be sure to sit down and really listen to their advice as well as other respected adults in your future field. Then if you must, you can make your own mistakes - as long as you only make them once.

4. I Want It Now.

Do you want a better life? Live within your current means and avoid debt like a plague. Make the right decisions on the smallest scale possible, like for the next thirty minutes pretend you are a money-saving, happy and fit professional. What is the next choice that will keep it going? Do it. Take a break and relax, then start again. As long as the good decisions outweigh the bad, you will begin to improve and feel empowered. The process of achievement is often more satisfying then reaching the final goal.

5. Any Work Is Good.

Every day you work at your low-level job accumulates good work experience. Whether you are a garbage collector or a stockbroker, all jobs have very similar skills to learn. Punctuality, dependability, responsibility all mean that “you do what you promise to do” and that takes years of practice. If you are selling shoes or selling real estate developments for millions you need to know your product, treat the customer great, and know when to move on to the next real buyer. Analysis, psychology and statistics are more than just boring classes - they are tools of the trade that can make you money.

6. Continue School.

What idiot designed the current school system that demands energy-exploding people to sit silently in rows for eight hours? The best of the best have spent time in the principal’s office. If the educational system is unbearable for your nature, check out the online options and finish your degree, get an advanced degree or commit to lifelong learning in the comfort of your room. The best schools in the country offer online degrees.

7. My Relationship Is So Important.

Nothing trashes a good relationship like poverty and arguing over money. Make a majority of your decision-making benefit your career rather than put all your eggs in the relationship basket. Odds are fifty-fifty right now that a marriage will succeed. Finishing school, getting solid business experience of any kind and developing your work skills will result in much higher odds of success. If you have designed your life around an unpredictable young person or worse, made decisions strictly to keep a rocky relationship going, when the relationship fails, you could end up with nothing.

8. Show Up.

Be the one who shows up, often not always, for the company charity, the necessary overtime or the party for the pregnant assistant. Dress up and act like a professional. The social business occasions are where upper management gets a chance to notice you without the corporate world typecasting. The good ole boys and great ole girls have the power to promote you and thus skip years of climbing the corporate ladder.

9. I Never Noticed You Before.

The person that you attract may change drastically when you are no longer watching television all day, smoking pot, actually bathe and take out the trash regularly. As you leave college day habits and distractions behind, you may find that even you are attracted to people with character, kindness, humor and intelligence over well-developed muscles and an “attitude.” That is why concentrating on your career might be more important than finding a relationship when you are 3-D.

10. Satisfaction and Gratitude.

You may not be able to control anything else about your current job, except how you approach the work. Do what ever you do carefully, artistically and with the best of your ability. Decide that you want your life to be happy today instead of bitterly waiting for distant tomorrows. People will notice your approach to work and react accordingly. Positive behavior and thoughts draw more positive energy and experience, and is the smart game to play. The act of gratitude can change the worst jobs into play. Eventually, the new you will have all that you long for, however it may bear no resemblance to what you want today. Permit yourself to feel hopeful and confident, instead of driven and frustrated, while you change and grow inside.

Some twenty or thirty years ago, finding the right career was restricted by lack of global internet tools, limited by more old-fashioned (if you will) values and opinions, and less important than “finding yourself.” I remember when my therapist, the savior of all saviors as far as I’m concerned, laughed with me over how I had gone about finding the right career: I had signed up to all the courses that I found interesting and many I hoped were in some way related, then tried to decide on a major/career. She lightly joked that a lot of people decide first, then do the footwork of taking the mandatory and essential and relevant courses, doing internships, and getting in at some entry-level. Obviously, I didn’t have the tools we have today for finding the right career, nor did I know about their existence and usefulness, at least.

For instance, lots of students will use personality testing and employment/goal assessments for finding the right career - right from the commencement of their semesters in college. ERIK, Psychometric testing tools, and career skills assessment batteries will help to define aptitude and save you time futzing around with majors and minors that you FEEL you MAY like…when six years later on decide you need to start all over finding the right career, as offshore drilling is not for you or interplanetary travel studies will take too long or anthropological studies of tribes now extinct are wiped off the college catalogs three quarters of the way into your educational plan.

An incredible implement of guidance, information, and statistical projection for finding the right career is the Index to Careers Guide, produced, updated/maintained, and provided both online and off (in college and high school career centers, for example) by the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics. If finding the right career is a assignment you feel or may think requires a knowledge of salaries, working conditions, descriptions of the nature of the work involved, training and other qualification requirements, the number of jobs/positions held in that field and the competition involved, and projected job openings,

Women can shop 365 days out of the year. If they try to tell you anything different, they're lying to you. Trust me; this XX gender is completely obsessed with clothing, shoes and accessories. It's like they can't get enough of it. It's an insatiable hunger. So, what do we men do about this burden you may ask? Hmm, that is a tough one. Let's see; you have a few options to consider. Number one involves cutting up all credit and debit cards. Well, you can't really do that because you'll need them for beer one day. The second solution involves a 45 and shovel. Then again, that one may be a tad drastic. Wait a minute; I've got it. The solution to your lady's shopping addiction. It's called a secret shoppers job.

There are always individuals lurking among us. They move with a certain stealth and stoic expression. It doesn't really matter where you go, you can bet that they're near by; looking, browsing and observing the environment. Scoping out the products and evaluating the service. After all, it is their job. They are the ones who take pride in their secret shoppers job. What is this you may wonder? It's simple really. Certain individuals are hired by the Secret Shoppers Network to evaluate stores and restaurants. They basically receive assignments via the Internet. Once a job becomes available in their neighborhood, they are sent an email. This informs them of which store or restaurant to visit. Also, while they're there, they will most likely purchase something. This is to see how good or bad the service is. Once they're through with the visit, they head back home to fill out a simple form. They have to answer certain questions regarding the store environment, the employees, and the service they received there. If a restaurant is evaluated, then the food will be addressed as well. Now for the good part. If you attain a secret shoppers job, then you are paid for your time and reimbursed for the item or meal you purchased. How cool is that?

Okay, I know what's running through your head. You now want a secret shoppers job for your wife or yourself. Hey, this is understandable. Hop online and see what's available to your area. Remember, your current location does play a large role in

Pharma Sales Jobs are EXTREMELY competitive these days; therefore, you simply must go all out in order to gain the job of your dreams.

If you're wondering if one of those "go for it" strategies includes job boards, then you're right...but only if you know how to use job boards to your advantage. Not sure? Then read on...

Follow these secret guidelines to eliminate wasted efforts and get noticed by recruiters and other hiring personnel:

# Choose to build your own resume online. As a former recruiter, I constantly faced a barrage of resumes that looked like gobbly gook. Why? Well, because people choose to copy and paste their resume or download their resume file instead of building it right on the site. If your resume is not in the ASCII format (text only), then your copy/paste or file download will result in a big waste of time for you and the viewers of your resume. Take the time to do it right!

# Make sure to list a number of target job titles. There's more than one way to target pharmaceutical sales jobs - use the following keywords for your job titles: pharmaceutical sales, pharmaceutical sales rep, pharmaceutical rep, pharma sales, and drug rep - to ensure that your bases are covered. And remember, your goal may be pharma sales, but what if there is another lucrative sales opportunity out there? Don't forget about the medical sales industry, as well!

# Don't respond to ads which do not reference a specific job or affiliation with a specific recruiting company. Many multi-level marketing companies disguise themselves in this manner, and I don't think you'll want to waste your time with these pyramid (unethical) schemes!

# Check, re-check, and check (again) your spelling and punctuation. I can't tell you how many embarrassingly pathetic resumes I've seen via popular job boards. Candidates seem to view the job board resumes they create as less formal...guess what? That's a big mistake! This is your first impression with a recruiter, HR professional, or hiring manager; are you willing to blow it because you chose to NOT come across on your resume as an educated, thoughtful person? Take a few minutes to proofread, PUHHHHHLEASE!

# Ok, This is the biggie...the most important "MUST DO" of this article! The "Resume Title" is the first phrase a recruiter or hiring manager will see [in their e-mail inbox or in the list of resumes generated online from the recruiter's query]. It's literally the first impression of you!

Now, of the hundreds of resumes I received in my inbox as a recruiter every day, which ones do ya think I opened? That's right...only the creative, interesting resume titles that clearly related to pharma sales.

Duh, right? So creating an interesting, descriptive, confident resume title is imperative, especially since you're competing against nearly 35,000 other candidates per day (monster.com data)! YIKES!

For example, a resume title like, "Sales King: #1 in Region, Entrepreneur, Educator" would definitely gain my attention, or "Skilled Negotiator...Could Sell Ice to an Eskimo" was a real resume I opened and called for an interview because it was creative and descriptive (as well as filled with accomplishments)!

Get the point? Creativity is really the key here, folks. Stand out...be different...and you'll gain a 2nd look from hiring personnel.

Ok...now that I'm finished ranting, there's one more piece of advice I simply must relay to you. Don't rely on one single strategy to gain interviews for pharma sales jobs. Utilize a potpourri of strategies to enhance your possibilities of landing an interview, such as the following:

It can be intimidating walking into a career fair…all of those employers waiting for YOU to come and meet them. However, if you’re armed with the knowledge and confidence that you need, this could be the beginning of a new – or – better career.

Do Your Research

Treat the career fair as a bunch of mini interviews. Find out beforehand what companies are going to be there and which ones you’re interested in talking to. For those organizations, do your research just like you would for a ‘real’ interview. Your enthusiasm will be apparent to the employer, and that is a good thing.

It takes a lot to stand out in a career fair. By showing your knowledge about the company and/or industry, you prove that you might just have that extra something they’re looking for in an employee.

Dress the Part

The first impression you make on an employer is extremely important. Don’t make it a negative one. Dress as you would dress for an interview. Yes, that may mean uncomfortable high heals or hot suits and ties, but you want to be sure you don’t dress too casually. Employers may think you’re not taking the career fair seriously and that you’re just wasting their time.

Act Like You’re ‘On’

It can be difficult to remember while you’re walking around at a career fair that employers could be watching you. Especially those you have already spoken to. So be careful what you do while deciding your next step, so to speak.

Try not to do anything that might be construed as negative. Watch your facial expressions - grimaces, rolling your eyes, exasperation - all things you want to avoid. If you just spoke with an employer and then as you were walking away, sighed and rolled your eyes, you might want to cross that company off your potential list.

Be Prepared

Whatever you do, be sure you have several copies of your resume and cover letter. Better still, for the companies that you know you’re going to speak with, write a specific one for them, just like when you apply to job postings. You might not be able to be as specific as you would in that situation, but bringing some non-generic job search documents along with you can serve as a great start to a conversation with a company.

In addition to your resume package, you may want to have a few copies of your references. Even though it’s not common for an employer ask for references at a career fair, you never know what they may throw at you.

Remember, a career fair should be treated as a real way to network and obtain job leads. No matter what kind of career fair it is, that one event could be a key to making connections that can help you get a job now or in the future.

Are you in your third decade and disillusioned, disappointed and disheartened at your career? Are you still in your “college” job that was supposed to be temporary? Do you use a credit card like a drug to make yourself feel better and then discover you cannot quit your dead-end job because you are in debt? After arriving into your twenties somewhat battered, filled with stale dreams and smarting from past rejections, your path to future success may elude you. Take a moment to review your possibilities. A happy ending is still possible. Here are ten ways to get unstuck from the 3-D Doldrums.

1. Decide You Deserve Success.

What is holding you back? It may be your “worse case scenario” thinking. Sometimes to protect yourself from disappointment, do you think negative comments to yourself: “I probably will not get the job, anyway,” “Everyone else is set except for me,” “I should be driving a new BMW,” or “Why bother, it is just a volunteer job.” Change your self-defeating jargon to “I say yes to every great opportunity.” Fail all the time, but keep trying.

2. Who Am I?

You are not who you were five years ago, nor will you be the same person five years from now. Your life and work choices, just like food preferences, accumulate. Make smart decisions and “Voila” there you are, lean and successful. Make lazy choices and “Voila,” there you are bloated, debt-ridden and depressed. The easy road is usually the wrong one.

3. My Parents.

The push-pull of your parent’s advice and your own desires can often leave you at a standstill. People only nag people they care about and their urgent nagging of you is simply misdirected affection. They may have twenty to fifty years of experience on you, so be sure to sit down and really listen to their advice as well as other respected adults in your future field. Then if you must, you can make your own mistakes - as long as you only make them once.

4. I Want It Now.

Do you want a better life? Live within your current means and avoid debt like a plague. Make the right decisions on the smallest scale possible, like for the next thirty minutes pretend you are a money-saving, happy and fit professional. What is the next choice that will keep it going? Do it. Take a break and relax, then start again. As long as the good decisions outweigh the bad, you will begin to improve and feel empowered. The process of achievement is often more satisfying then reaching the final goal.

5. Any Work Is Good.

Every day you work at your low-level job accumulates good work experience. Whether you are a garbage collector or a stockbroker, all jobs have very similar skills to learn. Punctuality, dependability, responsibility all mean that “you do what you promise to do” and that takes years of practice. If you are selling shoes or selling real estate developments for millions you need to know your product, treat the customer great, and know when to move on to the next real buyer. Analysis, psychology and statistics are more than just boring classes - they are tools of the trade that can make you money.

6. Continue School.

What idiot designed the current school system that demands energy-exploding people to sit silently in rows for eight hours? The best of the best have spent time in the principal’s office. If the educational system is unbearable for your nature, check out the online options and finish your degree, get an advanced degree or commit to lifelong learning in the comfort of your room. The best schools in the country offer online degrees.

7. My Relationship Is So Important.

Nothing trashes a good relationship like poverty and arguing over money. Make a majority of your decision-making benefit your career rather than put all your eggs in the relationship basket. Odds are fifty-fifty right now that a marriage will succeed. Finishing school, getting solid business experience of any kind and developing your work skills will result in much higher odds of success. If you have designed your life around an unpredictable young person or worse, made decisions strictly to keep a rocky relationship going, when the relationship fails, you could end up with nothing.

Do you remember days back in high school when you got your very first job? Possibly you drove around to every burger, pizza and fast food joint in town, to find out if they were hiring. Sure, we all do it. How else can we make money to supe-up our cars? Its most likely to end up at a local grocery store or serving at the local diner. These are known as jobs for students.

A majority of huge corporations don't tend to hire 16 year olds who lack a high school diploma. In fact, this is what drives us to work hard and do well in college. After an experience of these "jobs for students," we're so anxious to move up and away from their crappy hours, and headaches. And not to forget the terrible pay at the end.

The first job I ever received was working at a video store. It wasn’t too bad considering some of the horrors out there. Though I must admit how long can you stand to work in customer service? While some may think that cubicle jobs are a bore; trust me, there is much worse. In this case with minuscule office space positions, you sure don't have some crazy customer screaming in your face.

When I had reached college, I looked into a range of jobs for students. This included anything from delivering Chinese food, to waiting tables, to working as a lifeguard at the local pool. Though all of these jobs worked out all right and paid the bills, they weren't the be-all end-all to jobs for students. Currently there are much more valuable resources to take advantage of. So toss that local newspaper in the trash, and stop wasting all your gas by driving around from window to window, in search of a "Help Wanted" sign. Yes, it is time to turn to everybody’s preferred electronic buddy; that is your personal computer! Go ahead and check out what the World-Wide-Web has to offer.

The best thing about finding jobs for students in our time is the access. You can find jobs all over the places with the Internet at your fingertips. No matter what city you live in, if you're on the lookout for a part time job while taking a full load at the local University, no problem. Try search engines like Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com to assist you in this search. In a matter of few minutes you will have pinpointed numerous jobs for students in your local area. Get online and check it all out today!