In Interviews, Throw the (Brag) Book at ‘Em

Landing a pharmaceutical sales job was never easy, but in today’s job market, with so few companies hiring, the comparatively few opportunities out there are attracting larger numbers of more qualified applicants than ever. The fact is that an impressive resume and a firm handshake aren’t nearly enough – today you need an up-to-date brag book that will help you truly stand out from the masses clamoring for the same position.

In 3 Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview (Lisa Lane & Drug Careers, Inc., 2008), author Lisa Lane explains that a well constructed brag book should add life and credibility to the claims enumerated in your resume while helping interviewers remember more details about you long after your meeting is over.

So how do you put together an effective brag book? Lane suggests you begin by listing your professional accomplishments, and then finding ways to document these highlights with tangible evidence. If you’re a pack rat, you may have everything you need already, but others may have to do some digging or place a few phone calls to get the documentation needed. Lane’s thoughts on what to include:

• Notes from company personnel congratulating you on your most recent sales award
• Photocopies of the front of any wall plaques that document your sales achievements
• Performance reviews
• Ranking reports that show your performance
• For recent college grads, a college transcript with GPA, if a 3.0 or better
• Letters of recommendation from previous employers, professors, etc.
• Certificates of completion of any special courses that you have taken
• Photos of yourself accepting awards
• Pay stub showing your outstanding commissions with previous employer
• Documented achievements that show your leadership skills or positions held
• Business card that shows your previous job title
• President’s club status notification
• Photos of yourself at the president’s club trip

With your key documents in hand, go to an office supply store and buy a sales binder with clear plastic insert pages. Before fitting your pages into the inserts, go through and highlight, with a yellow marker, the main points of each page. You want to make it easy for prospective employers to see your most compelling assets. The pages should be assembled in reverse chronological order with most recent information first. If your book is particularly thick, include tabs for easy access.

Having put so much work into the effort, you might think you could just send your brag book to the interview in your place. No such luck. During your interview, the brag book should serve as an adjunct to the conversation about your achievements, used to back up your claims, Lane says. It’s also a good idea to use a pencil or some other pointer to refer to the highlighted points.

Finally, Lane recommends getting some practice ahead of time to make sure you’re comfortable finding the information inside your brag book. "The last thing that you want is to fumble around for the information," she says. "Keep in mind that it is not necessary to show all your information. Play it by ear and if the interviewer is truly interested in seeing it all, by all means, brag away! If the interviewer seems uninterested, don’t continually refer to your book. The brag book is meant to support and back up your verbal answers to questions. Don’t rely on it to answer your questions."