By Patrina Pellett, PhD & Tom Caravela

When you get Medical Affairs Interviews, you don't want to miss anything. These jobs are extremely competitive and you want to be prepared to shine. Tom Caravela and I prepared this quick Medical Affairs Interviewing Checklist to help you crush your next interview! 

Quick Medical Affairs Interviewing Checklist

1. Research the Company

Learn as much as you can about the science, the latest news, pipeline, key initiatives, etc. The more you can learn the better. Bridget Rasmusson also suggests reading the company's press releases in her article on 6 Tips to Ace Your Next MSL Interview and says, "They will absolutely ask why you are interested in working with their portfolio and with their science, so make sure you are familiar and can speak to it."

In his article Where Did My Interview Go Wrong?, Tom notes that Hiring Managers often pass on candidates because of, "Very little preparation. Clearly did not research the company or do enough homework prior."

2. Figure Out Ways to Connect with Your Interviewers

Medical Affairs is all about relationship building with various stakeholders. You want to highlight your people skills and how good you are at building relationships as much as possible during the interview. Researching the folks interviewing you will help you find ways to connect with them better. Look them up on LinkedIn and be familiar with their background. Look for commonalities and talking points to help you connect.

Use our Ultimate Medical Affairs Interview Tracking Spreadsheet to help keep track of all of your interviews. Download it here.

3. Review the Job Description

Be prepared to discuss why you are a good fit and use this to help develop questions to ask during the interview. Print it out, highlight it, write questions, and make notes.

4. Prepare a List of Questions You Want to Ask

It can leave a bad impression if you don't have good questions ready to ask. Prepare questions around:

• Position
• Company and culture
• Hiring manager and team

Check out MSL Talk Episode 94: Top Interview Questions to Ask Hiring Managers with Charlie Cook for more inspiration.

5. Practice Your Answers to Common Interview Questions

Be prepared to answer all the basic interview questions:

• Why do you want to work here?
• Why do you want to be an MSL or in Medical Affairs?
• Why you are thinking of leaving your previous position?

These should just roll off your tongue and be smooth as butter. Practice and think through your answers. Don't forget to have examples of some of the great work you have done that makes you a valuable asset for this role and for the company.

6. Be Concise in Your Answers

Get right to the point with your stories. Talking too much can leave a bad impression on hiring managers. Whatever you do, do not overshare! Practice more to be as concise as possible.

7. Send Thank You Notes

Send these out within 24 hours of your interview. Many people don't do this. It is an easy simple gesture that shows your professionalism.

Conclusions

Review this quick Medical Affairs Interviewing Checklist to prepare for your next interview. This will help ensure you don't forget anything important!

Was this helpful for you? Any tips you would like to add? Let us know by commenting on the MSL Mastery LinkedIn page. 

Additional Resources

Check out Tom's comprehensive Job Search Checklist for Aspiring Medical Science Liaisons and his article on “Extreme Interviewing” – MSL Interview Tips and Insights from Medical Affairs Leaders.

If you want additional help landing your first MSL position and a great community to cheer you on, check out the Aspire MSL program by Tom and Sarah.

Special Thanks To You!

Thank you for reading. I love hearing your stories and how something in these articles resonate with you. Please keep reaching out to me on LinkedIn 💛!