1. Use Good To Fight The Bad

Have you ever done a Google search on yourself, only for several negative comments about you to show? You are not alone. The negative content might be from an ugly argument you had with someone many years ago. As they say, the internet never forgets. You could counter such negative comments and posts through positive posts. Doing so will help push the negative content and comments down, making it harder to find or show on the top pages of a search result. Very few people will look past the second page of a search result.

2. Take Advantage of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the best platforms you can use to market your skills and boost your reputation. Use the platform to list all the jobs and positions you have ever held, what your accomplishments were, and provide links to some of your previous work. Your LinkedIn profile should have all the relevant professional information a recruiting agency or employer would want to see. Be sure to provide a brief intro about why you picked your field of work and what your motivation is. You might also want to use the recommendations feature to invite previous bosses, clients, and even co-workers to shed light on your expertise and experience.

3. Be Careful With Your Spelling And Grammar

Many people will only pay attention to their spelling and grammar when drafting a resume or cover letter. While grammar on these might be impeccable, making silly spelling mistakes on the posts you make on social media, as well as bad grammar, can come back to haunt you in the future. Most recruiters find such mistakes a major turnoff, especially if they repeatedly show on your profile and posts.  While an occasional mistake is allowed, repeated ones show a trend, hence should be avoided at all costs. Learn to use correct grammar and spellings on everything you post online, including text messages.

4. Avoid Controversial Subjects

Some subjects, especially politics, are best left to the experts.  Involving yourself in such might ruin your reputation in the long run, hence not worth your time.  Recruiting agencies might not be appreciative is you choose to take sides with a political divide, and especially if it becomes a heated topic. You could, however, participate in discussions that involve encouraging other people.

5. Avoid Thoughtless Or Offensive Posts On Social Media

While getting into a positive discussion online, or on social media, might earn you some points with the recruiter, the same cannot be said if it is an argument.  Some arguments can turn nasty, forcing you to make offensive and thoughtless remarks unknowingly. That said, never get into a discussion that can affect another person’s beliefs, religion, politics, or sexuality. It might also be advisable to avoid posting photos of you drinking your brains out on social media.

6. Use The Social Media Responsibly

Social media provides a platform to build your reputation online. The same applies to your website and blogs. That said, it would be advisable to avoid uploading content that might make your reputation questionable.  Take time to go through your Facebook or Twitter timeline to see if there are suggestive posts you might have made a few years back, and remove them if need be. Do the same with your Instagram and LinkedIn profiles.  Only use these profiles to show your positive side and to share work experiences.

Many recruiters use social media as one of the ways to look into a candidate. Keeping your timelines clean and free of toxic comments can help woo the recruiter into considering you instead of other candidates. Your reputation online matters.

I often get asked the question “Is it possible to break into the Medical Science Liaison role without experience?” 

Yes, it is clearly possible because it’s important to realize that everyone started as an MSL for the first time without prior experience (myself included).  The question is- HOW did they do it?  There are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of landing your first MSL role including: 

1) Start educating yourself on the MSL role by reading articles on the role, interview techniques, what to expect on the job, etc. You will find a number of free articles at http://careercenter.themsls.org. 

2) Start to build contacts within the Medical Science Liaison community and with MSL recruiters. One easy way to begin building your contacts is with LinkedIn. Recruiters are an invaluable resource to learn about the role. 

3) Join MSL-related LinkedIn groups.  The largest group for MSLs and Medical Affairs is “Medical Science Liaison and Medical Affairs Networkers”.  Contribute to LinkedIn discussions on groups. This will help with networking. 

4) Review multiple job descriptions to familiarize yourself with the role and the verbiage used for the role. Learn the language of the role.

5) In terms of reviewing and applying for roles, focus on roles that are within your Therapeutic Area or Disease specialty ONLY! This will increase your chances greatly and you will be able to position yourself as an expert. Applying for roles in other TA’s is almost a complete waste of time as your application/CV will almost always be immediately discarded.

6) Join the Medical Science Liaison Society (https://themsls.org). Anyone truly interested in the MSL career should join and get involved with the MSL Society.  As a non-profit, the organization is focused on educating and helping people advance in their careers including landing their first MSL role.  It is a great way to network and also be able to have the search term “Medical Science Liaison” on your CV and LinkedIn profiles. This results in your profile getting noticed and found. 

7) Read “The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break Into Your First Role” (https://themslbook.com). This is the first and only book ever published on how to break into the role.  It will show you, step by step, how to search for, apply, and interview for your first MSL role. The book reveals strategies for standing apart from the competition, what hiring managers look for when considering candidates, and what you will need to do to get hired.

Best of Luck to all and if I can help – please reach out to me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldyer

Dr. Dyer has a Ph.D. in Health Sciences and did his medical training in Chicago. He has a Master’s Degree in Tropical Biology (where he studied in the Amazon) and has a B.S. in Biology. Dr. Dyer also completed a certificate program for Executive Leadership and Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology at the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Samuel Dyer is the chairman of the board of the Medical Science Liaison Society and has over 13 years of international MSL experience. During his career, he has managed MSL teams and operations in over sixty countries across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. He has facilitated the successful launch of pharmaceutical and medical device products for both Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies and small biotechs. 

Dr. Dyer has coached, interviewed, and reviewed the CVs of countless MSL candidates. His insights and guidance have resulted in numerous candidates successfully breaking into their first MSL role.

You might also be interested in our Pharma/Biotech page.

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