| So you want to tap into the Minneapolis, MN | | | | are very similar to those used in pacemakers, |
| Medical Device industry, aka 'Medical Alley'? | | | | patient monitoring systems, and a host of other |
| Although this is a huge and rapidly growing | | | | medical related goodies. |
| industry, it seems impossible to tap into unless | | | | Okay, we know all of this now, but HOW DO WE |
| you already have medical device experience! | | | | GET THE HIRING MANAGER OR HR TO SEE |
| As a Technical Recruiter, I have actually had great | | | | IT?!?! You are right, this often needs to be black |
| success placing folks into medical device | | | | and white for the hiring authorities. If your resume |
| companies who had little or no medical device | | | | doesn't have the word 'Pacemaker' on it, or the |
| experience at all! How did I do it? I would be lying | | | | phrase 'ISO 14385', it's likely going to be tossed |
| if I said it was easy, but then again, I would be | | | | out! Thats where 'informational interviews' come |
| lying if I said it was hard! It seems to me that the | | | | in! What are informational interviews, you may be |
| number one most important skill that medical | | | | thinking to yourself right now. They are simply |
| device companies look for is folks with strong | | | | that, interviews strictly for the purpose of |
| experience in a HIGHLY REGULATED INDUSTRY! | | | | gathering information. You would secure an |
| Let's say that you are currently a Manufacturing | | | | interview with a manager or employee of a |
| Engineer at a foods processing facility. Although | | | | particular group that you would want to work in. |
| food and medical device aren't similar in the | | | | For the Manufacturing Engineer we discussed, she |
| product sense (actually, one is the cause of the | | | | would talk to someone in the manufacturing group |
| other!), they still have one thing very closely in | | | | of the organization that she is targeting. For the |
| common: they are both regulated by the FDA. So | | | | Design Drafter, he would go to the Drafting group. |
| this tells me that the Manufacturing Engineer | | | | You get the idea. You would come to the |
| probably has experience with FDA Audits, | | | | interview prepared with questions about the |
| documentation trails a mile long, and possibly | | | | industry, your resume, and lots of examples of |
| experience with ISO and/or QS standards. | | | | how your work could relate to what they are |
| Here's another example; this time let's use a | | | | doing in the medical industry. You would also set |
| Electrical Engineer from the telecomm industry. | | | | the time-line for the interview at 15 minutes (no |
| She has strong experience working with wireless | | | | worries, they aren't really going to kick you out in |
| devices that utilize RF technology. Many | | | | 15 minutes!). The purpose of all of this is that you |
| implantable and non implantable devices utilize RF | | | | want to collect info on how they (the person you |
| to communicate problems that the patient may | | | | are talking to) got into the industry, what skills |
| have experienced. Actually, the telecomm industry | | | | sets they see important to be successful in the |
| usually develops the technologies that, once | | | | industry, where the industry is going, etc. You |
| perfected, the medical device industry implements. | | | | aren't trying to actually get a job with them |
| One last example; this time let's use a Design | | | | (unofficially you actually are!). |
| Drafter from a heavy equipment industry. Now | | | | I personally think this is one of the best, if not |
| when you think heavy equipment, you probably | | | | THEE best, avenue to transition into the medical |
| think of John Deere tractors or CAT paving | | | | device industry. I could easily go on and on about |
| equipment. This Design Drafter actually does the | | | | informational interviewing, or the medical device |
| dashboard controls and instrumentation. He works | | | | industry, but thats why I wrote a whole eBook |
| with electromechanical piece parts, wiring, | | | | (free, btw) on the subject of tapping into the |
| switches, and plastics. He doesn't work with large | | | | unpublished job market! For more information or |
| transmissions, engines, and exhaust systems | | | | for your copy of the book, point your browser to |
| (although there is easily an argument to be made | | | | [ |
| for a person with that experience who wants to | | | | Good luck to you in your search! |
| get into BioMed). The parts that he works with | | | | |