7 Deadly Sins of LinkedIn...For Medical Sales Reps.

As the job market gets more challenging, the look and feel of your LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. Even if you are not a big social media person, your LinkedIn profile is a vital part of your digital brand and the “storefront” that recruiters and managers use when “shopping” for new talent.

That said, make sure you haven’t fallen victim to any of the 7 deadly sins of the LinkedIn Profile for medical sales reps.  It could be costing you opportunities and money!  

1. Bad profile photo- A picture is worth a 1000 words, and not including a photo or including a non-professional photo is a great way to be blackballed or overlooked.   This includes, but is not limited to, the awkward misaligned selfie, the blurry/shadowy pic, the wedding pic, the “glamour” shot, and the picture with your dog/kids.  Linkedin is not Facebook.  Profile photo should be a simple “head and shoulders” picture in professional attire.  Even if you wear scrubs to work 95% of the time, business attire is still better for your professional brand.  
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2. No location/wrong location - I had a candidate tell me the other day that “no one was hiring in Oklahoma City and he never got calls about local jobs”.  When I told him his profile looked like he worked in New Jersey, he told me that was where the corporate office was, and he thought he was “supposed” to use that as his location.  I think you can guess why no one was calling him about Oklahoma jobs.   It should be obvious to recruiters/managers where you live and work in your job title and description.  If you live in a tiny town, but work in a major metropolitan area, make sure the large city is mentioned in profile.  
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3. Confusing, overlapping jobs - When a recruiter looks at your profile, there should be NO question about who you really work for.  If you have waited tables on the side or dabble in real estate, it should not be included on your LinkedIn profile as if it is your current “real” job.  Some candidates think having multiple jobs is an impressive sign of work ethic…but it creates the impression that you are not truly focused on being a dedicated sales professional.  No manager wants to hire someone who is splitting time between multiple jobs.
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4. Overly creative job titles - If you are in a sales role for your company, just make it obvious for the hiring manager.  Saying that you are the “territory director of regional executive product management” is flat out confusing.  The recruiter can’t decipher if you are a candidate or not.  Many times, your fancy title may be disqualifying you from being found or considered.  There is nothing wrong with a simple title that includes the word “sales” if that is what you do for a living.
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5. No keywords in profile - Recruiters use “search terms” to find appropriate candidates.  This is essentially a google search (within LinkedIn) to find the right person.  If you have spent your whole career selling “orthopedic capital equipment”, you need to include those exact words in your job descriptions (and skills section) so that people can find you. Thinking, “I work for Johnson and Johnson, everybody knows that I sell capital” is simply wrong.  Make it easy on the manager or you might miss a great opportunity.
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6. Excessive use of insider jargon and buzzwords - Don’t assume that managers and recruiters already know your product, your customers, and your call point.   Saying “I contractualize visualization platform solution merchandising to health care providers” sounds really neat, but no one knows what you are selling or who you are selling to.  Make it a lot easier on everyone by saying “I sell endoscopic camera systems to gastroenterologists”.
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7. Too much privacy – Many people set up their privacy settings years ago when they first signed up for LinkedIn and have never changed them.  If you are open/considering new job opportunities, you should NOT have your profile set to “private”.  This includes your picture (see above). Blocking everyone from seeing your profile may sound like a smart idea, but it can also be very limiting when searching for a new job.  

Grow your Vine!  CrossVine Recruiting

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