John
Sales Representative, CardioVascular
Seattle, Washington, USA
I was in pharma sales for over 2 years, but was exhausted from boredom. I mainly read magazines in waiting rooms until my 2-minute chance to drop off a sample with a physician. I wanted more accountability and more interaction with people, so I talked with a recruiter and he knew Medtronic had openings in the CardioVascular business.
Since my experience in pharma didn't really count as medical sales experience, I started at Medtronic as an associate sales rep. Typically, it's a 2-year training program, but I was promoted in 9 months and offered a job out of Seattle, covering Washington and Alaska. I really enjoy Anchorage. You never know when you'll see a moose.
I love this job because I feel like I'm running my own business. I work with perfusionists and surgeons to get our arrested- and beating-heart products to them. For custom Arrested Heart packs, the customers may want a shorter tube or to add components, so I facilitate the request with our manufacturing employees in Tijuana, Mexico, to make it happen. I love the variety of working with customers, working with their purchasers to help them understand pricing and the value of what they're getting, and working with manufacturing. It's a challenge to figure out how best to communicate with all these different people, but that's what I'm good at – communication and relationships – so I feel like this is the perfect place for me.
Joined Medtronic: 2006
Grew up in: Greensboro, North Carolina
Education:
North Carolina Central University, bachelor's in English and Political Science
Middle Tennessee State University, master's in Communication
What I do for fun:
Since moving to Seattle, I've gotten into outdoor activities, like kayaking and walking. I even tried hunting and loved it. Skiing is next on the agenda. I couldn't do that when I lived down South.
How I give back:
My wife works at the National Wildlife Federation, so I do most of my volunteer work with them.
Something people don't know about me:
I was an aspiring country singer. It started as a joke imitating George Strait, but then I started listening to and appreciating musicians like Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks. I won several karaoke contests, then moved to Nashville and did the club circuit. My mom was smart and told me I better keep up with my education, just in case, so I got my master's at the same time.
What the experience taught me:
If you want to do something, you have to go for it. You don't know what you can truly do until you push yourself.
Medtronic is committed to providing accessibility to employment opportunities for people with disabilities. If you need technical assistance with the on-line application process, please call Medtronic at (800) 328-2518 (toll free within the US) or (763) 514-4000 (worldwide).
Medtronic is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to cultural diversity in the workforce.
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