Welcome. I am David E. Coad, Founder of DEC Consultants, a national recruiting and coaching firm specializing in executive searches for the medical devices, pharmaceutical, and bio technology industries.
The mission of DEC is to provide leading healthcare companies with top executive talent for key sales, marketing, training and managerial roles. During the past 10 years, we have placed more than 800 professionals, with a 95% retention rate after one year and an advancement rate of more than 30%.
Make no mistake about it, finding a new career is a sales process and you are the product! Interviewers depend on you to learn about you.
Don't assume that interviewers will automatically figure out what you want them to know about you. Bad hires happen all the time and they are often the product of bad interviews.
My goal is to provide you with a proven technique that will help you pursue the promotion you deserve, change to a more fulfilling career or, simply, get a job!
Securing a new career is not an event – it’s a process, and it requires:
- Patience
- Strategy
- Motivation
- Determination
- Sales Skills
- Professionalism
As a sales professional, I have placed hundreds of individuals in a variety of jobs. Not everyone finds an ideal position but most do, and the candidates who follow my methods have a huge advantage over other interviewees.
I am going to give you the “secret” that will set the tone for your job search…and hopefully for your entire career.
Ready…
What are you selling?
Right. You are selling yourself!
Making a career move is nothing more than a sales process or sales call. The only difference is thatyou are the "product." Thus, how you promote yourself in an interview should be no different than how you conduct yourself today in selling whatever your product is.
Again, you are the most important product there is, so don't cheat yourself...Sell Yourself!
Here are eight reasons why an employer may take a pass on a candidte:
The individual:
- is "not over it yet" or expressing anger or disappointment with previous employer
- is not asking for the job or not inquiring as to what the next step is
- lacks humor, warmth or personality
- fails to set themselves apart from others
- is trying to be “all things to all people"
- is not successfully transferring past experience to the current opportunity
- is making an inappropriate personal presentation
- does not follow up frequently and assertively
Throughout my 10 years of recruiting and coaching healthcare professionals, I have heard all these reasons and then some from potential hiring managers. Our Three Pillar approach is designed to ensure you do not fall victim to these pitfalls.
Remember, you want to be the one who says no, not the hiring manager.
This brings me to a very important point. If you are going to take the time to interview, then you must go after each and every opportunity like it's the most important thing you will ever do. Don't pull out midway because you didn't like an individual you met during the interview process or you were quoted a compensation package by HR that didn't meet your expectations.
Things change, individuals move on, and HR does not always have the last say. And, you cannot make an educated decision with only part of the information. So, wait until the hiring process is complete and you have received an offer. Complete the process with offer in hand, then sleep on it before you give a yes/no or negotiate.
Remember, finding your new career is a process not a single event.
Everything I teach you will focus on the three things (pillars) that lead to a successful new career:
Prepare: What do you need to do to be ready for an interview?
Perform: An interview is your opportunity to showcase yourself.
Pursue: When you Prepare and Perform, you have a right and a responsibility to Pursue the opportunity!
Take a moment to recall past interviews. What went right? What went wrong? What do you fear most about interviews? Do you have any personal interview horror stories? Can you think of interview anecdotes from friends and colleagues?
What can go right in an interview? What can go wrong? What is the right way to define yourself? What is the wrong way?
Often, we define ourselves by what we do, by our title, by how much money we earn. While it’s absolutely true that our careers and accomplishments make up a big part of who we are, they are two important components, they are not the whole.
This is particularly important to remember when you are conducting a job search. if you are currentlyunemployed or underemployed, you might make the mistake of confusing who you are with your employment status. This mistake can set a bad tone as you work through the job search process.
The wrong way to define yourself: I am unemployed.
The right way to define yourself: I am the same competent, qualified, capable person I have always been and I am currently seeking my new career.
