With nearly a decade of experience playing Rugby Union in the English Premiership and Europe, Jacob brought the same dedication and teamwork to his studies, earning a degree in Biology through the Open University. Determined to pivot to a new challenge, Jacob set his sights on the medical sales field.
We asked Jacob: Why did you decide to move into Medical Sales?
Jacob: ‘Honestly, for me it happened very organically. I’d always known I wanted to go into some kind of sales role at the end of my playing career. I’d studied a Biology degree, and I’d always loved life sciences, so going into the commercial side of healthcare felt like the obvious next steps. I spent lots of time connecting with people in the industry and learnt about the role that medical reps play. For me the idea of being in hospitals, working directly with healthcare professionals every day was incredibly exciting. I’ve only been in the job for a few weeks but I’ve already seen some of the most amazing things in my life.’
Through our partnership with FutureProof Pro, Jacob discovered our course, “Introduction to Medical Device Sales,” and embarked on a new professional path. We had the privilege of coaching and mentoring Jacob, guiding him through the intricacies of the medical sales industry.
How did you hear about the course from Med Sales Academy - 'Introduction to Medical Device Sales'?
Jacob: ‘Once I’d decided I was going to hang up my boots at the end of the season I started working with James Hitchman and the team at FutureProof Pro oof. James helped me connect with a whole range of professionals across healthcare, and one of those people was Warren Howell. After a few introductory calls with Warren I went away to do my own research and decided I wanted to take the introduction course to prepare me for working in the industry.’
Do you have any feedback on the course?
Jacob: ‘I’d spoken with Warren a lot before I took the course. He’s brilliant and has a real skill at teaching athletes about the industry, he really gets it – probably because of his background in the military. I had already accepted my current position at Stryker when I took the course and I feel it really helped me over those first few days on the job which can be absolutely manic trying to get up to speed with everything!’
Any tips on getting work experience and why this is valuable.
Jacob: ‘Healthcare and particularly medical technologies can be challenging to get good work experience because of how regulated the industry is – and for good reason! You can’t just have random people walking into operating rooms. I think the best way to get started is just to try and build relationships with people in the industry, particularly reps. They can be very busy but there are plenty of long car journeys when they’ll be more than happy to chat with you, especially if you’ve done your research on their company, speciality and have good questions to ask them. People who work in the industry are genuinely really passionate about the work they do, so in my experience if you pay them the respect of preparing well before hand and come with good, well considered questions they will be really excited to help you. If you end up building a really strong relationship with someone and they trust you, there’s a better chance you’ll be able to get out into a hospital with them.’
We would like to congratulate Jacob on his new role at Stryker Endoscopy. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptability.