Nicole Vliet - Medical Sales Institute

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Nicole Vliet

Rotech Healthcare

Tell me a little about your background.

I have vast experience in the medical field, from being an EMT to attending Nursing School. Most recently I had a successful few years in commissioned retail sales. When it came time for me to expand my capabilities, medical sales was the obvious choice.

Why were you interested in pursuing medical sales as a career?

It became obvious to me that marrying my medical experience with my sales experience would culminate in the perfect job for me.

How did you learn about Medical Sales College?

Google

What ultimately made you decide to attend?

The focus on placing students. MSC would not be the success it is today if it did not have the high percentage of placed students to back up their claims.

Please describe your training experience at Medical Sales College.

Our course started with learning about orthopedic joint replacement and reconstruction with Rick Prentiss who really got us motivated to learn. In trauma we learned about how to classify fractures and read x-rays. Jessica Norton did an amazing job getting me excited to learn about biologics. Michael Nugent reminded us to be mindful while also teaching us about capital equipment. Jeff Lang did a great job explaining the world of Sports Medicine with hands on exercises and had higher expectations when it came to our presentations.

Describe your Career Development training experience.

Was really looking forward to this week because I knew I really need help working on my resume and interview skills. Stephanie Paget was so helpful, down to earth and easy to talk to. She gave me so much advice and passed on important knowledge.

How did MSC add to your existing sales skills to prepare you for a career in medical devices where the products are clinical in nature?

MSC prepared me for the unique kind of sales person it takes to be in medical device sales. I learned about selling to surgeons and making sure to have positive relations with everyone in an operating room.

What is the most valuable piece of information that you learned while attending MSC which ultimately helped you land your position?

MSC gave me the confidence to portray myself in the best light, everything I took away made my interview skills stronger and I learned what companies and recruiters look for in a sales rep.

How did placement services help accelerate your entry into the medical device sales industry?

For me the biggest impact while I was applying to jobs was my career development coordinator's weekly phone calls that kept me in positive spirits. When I wanted to give up, Giovani told me I had what it takes and to keep persevering. That truly was exactly what I needed.

Why should someone attend Medical Sales College?

I say MSC is a medical sales boot camp. You hit the ground running and by the end of the week you realize how much you've learned. The course really prepares you for applying to jobs and interviewing. The placement services are by far the best thing about MSC.

How long did you try to get into the industry before attending MSC? What was that experience like?

I applied to several jobs before MSC. When I realized I wasn't really getting anywhere on my own, I was open to the idea of attending a course that would mold me into an ideal candidate and give me the tools and knowledge I needed to network, apply and interview.

Please briefly explain your job interview process with your hiring company.

A recruiter from my hiring company reached out to me on LinkedIn saying they were looking for a sales rep in Boston, and they had seen my profile on Zero Fee. I initially told her that Boston was not necessarily my first choice but I figured this would be a great opportunity to interview with a company. I had a great first conversation with that recruiter who then wanted me to talk to a manger. I then set up a time for a phone call with this area manager who told me about the position in Boston (a new territory) and liked what I had to say. He then set up and zoom interview with himself and the Location Manager from Boston. After my zoom interview, I immediately heard back saying they wanted to talk to me again. In that conversation the area manager said they felt like I was too new to be starting a whole new territory by myself and asked if I would be interested in getting started in an established territory right outside Boston. I said I was still interested and agreed that sounded like the better option. I had to apply again for that specific position. When I later reached out to the area manager to follow up, he said they were pushing me through the approval process and I should look for an offer letter by the next week. I did get that offer letter, they gave me my asking starting salary, and I knew this was the right choice for me.