Young guy looking for help

Discussion in 'Zimmer' started by High School Grad - Breaking in, May 6, 2015 at 1:15 PM.

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  1. I was wondering if anyone could give me any pointers on breaking into the med device business. I am a high school grad who wants to work rather than go the college route for now. Are their low level entry jobs that you know of where I could assist or run for a full sales rep? Any help or specific suggestions on companies that might have these kinds of roles would be really appreciated. Thank You
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Sure, you can get into this business in a couple of entry level positions. However, you should get your college degree. Contact the local distributors or office managers in your region for all the companies. Be careful asking for advice on this site, though. The disgruntled trolls will be out soon with their sarcasm and juvenile restroom wall comments. Don't take them personally. Good Luck!
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    seriously

    finish puberty let the boys drop all the way down then look for a job
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Interested to know how you became interested in the medical device business at such a young age.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    A college degree would be good, but I'd recommend you contact any of the major ortho distributors in your city. They can use good, reliable people to learn the business. Delivery people, instrument management, case management and general help around the office is needed. It will require long (not necessarily 9-5) hours, but if you start there you can be a valued member of their team. Good for you...I firmly believe medical will be a great long term opportunity for someone willing to learn the business and work hard.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Posts #2 & #5 are correct. Get the contact info for local distributors and reach out to them. I started out as a delivery driver and instrument tech after graduating college. My distributor does not allow reps without college degrees.

    Honestly, if you are interested in the medical field but trying to avoid college my advice would be to learn programming languages on your own time. Tech gigs pay well and you don't always need a degree if you have a solid portfolio to demonstrate your skills. Digital health has a very bright future in the coming decades. If you're interested, consider checking out Epic. They're they biggest player in electronic medical records and a great entry level place to work.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    most major orthopaedic distributors look for someone with experience in used car sales
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    If you insist on avoiding college get ready to miss out on opportunities. No one gives a rip about high school diplomas. You don't have to even try and you will get one - they mean nothing. Get a bachelors degree in something useful - business, computer science, etc. It shows that you are willing to put in the effort. Go ahead and get an entry level job, then maybe the company will even pay for it. But get it. I have seen many people work their way up in a company with no college degree. They feel good about it until they get laid off, then they are not able to find as good of a job again because all the companies require a degree to even get an interview.
    Get the degree - the sooner the better. Then get another one.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    As a hiring manager - if there is no degree on the resume - it goes in the round file.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    And why? Because secondary education makes one... smart?
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    There are reps without college degrees. Stryker, Zimmer, SNN, all companies. If you want to go direct, forget it with out a degree. If you want to be a regional manager, forget it without a degree.

    The path you are looking at going in straight out of high school is ASR slave for 18 months on a low salary and then after you prove yourself and learn enough they'll let you cover cases. 1099 all the way. Yes you can make a lot of money. It will probably take you having an "in" to get in out of high school. lots of door knocking and networking.

    My roommate dropped out of college and works in med devices and is successful. Very successful. He will tell you college is a scam. I, on the other hand, have a college degree and without I would not have my job selling implants. But more importantly, what you learn the most in college is OUTSIDE the classroom. Extracuricular activities whatever they may be. It's a chance for you to grow up. Just make sure you go to a good school. Top 50. Otherwise you are wasting your money.

    My 2 cents. I know a guy who worked for Stryker for 7 years on call with no degree. Ran a $3,000,000 territory. He burned out and wanted to be a manager. He was very capable, but unfortunately he wasn't promoted because he lacked a degree. Stupid? Yes. Reality? Unfortunately.

    You'll look back and wish you went to school bro
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Go to college

    you have the rest of your life to work. Hook up w/ girls, drink beer, go to class, learn something about yourself and enjoy it.

    I guarantee you will look back and wish you had.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    No - Because companies make it a REQUIREMENT to be considered for a job. We all know you can be smart and not go to college. But these days, if you don't get a degree, you are not very smart.

    The beer and the girls are a nice side benefit. Most fun 5 1/2 years of my life!
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I think everyone agrees....a degree is the best option, not just to get a good paying job, but to grow and prosper the rest of your career. You can get an entry level job without it and it may be easier to just get out there and go to work now, but longterm you will be much better off with a degree. Doesn't have to be from an Ivy league or from a college that saddles you with student loans...go to a community college, whatever to get it.
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Hey everyone new guy here, not sure this is the best place for career advice but what the hell I’ll give it a shot.

    So I recently graduated with my M.S. in biomedical engineering and have always planned on going into a product development type role. I have 2 years of internship experience doing consultant product design and prototyping services (some medical tools). I also did research in an orthopaedic biomechanics lab during grad school where I did some computational modeling of joint mechanics as well as physical testing on cadavers.

    As you can see, my experience is geared towards an engineering or R&D position but lately someone asked me if I’ve ever thought of going into sales. To be honest, it wasn’t something I gave much thought but after thinking about it, I might actually be interested. Is it possible for someone with my background to break into sales? How can I spin my research and design background to be useful? Is the future bright in sales or should I stick to my original path?
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Just what we need. Another Engineer moron in the Zimmer Sales Rep team.
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Actually, it would be great to have a technical person get into sales. A little "extra" knowledge can't hurt!
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    You'll find that there are very few engineers over 40 in this field; either they move up the leadership ladder, or they "retire" to marketing/commercial/sales. So to answer your question - yes, engineers can make good salesmen. However, many don't know how to focus more on relationships than results.
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Original path and become a whistleblower. Easy ticket to millions and won't take you more then a year to get what evidence you need.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


    To the first person, get a piece of paper. Get a part-time job, an apartment/dorm, take loans, enjoy college life and do your best. Doors will open with persistence and the pay-off will be much greater. You have plenty of years to work, but if you don't get the degree, you'll find yourself with limited options. You've demonstrated initiative, just refocus it a bit.

    To the engineer, don't let others tell you what you can and can't do. Sales is attractive because of the compensation, but it's not easy. Very few know what they want to do until they try, so give it a shot. If you can't take being kicked in the balls repetitively, go another route. No skill is inherently better than another - many are needed. It's just how you apply them them over time.