3 Reasons to Give Inexperienced MSLs a Chance

There’s an Upside  to Taking a Chance on an Inexperienced MSL 

One of the most common conversations we have as MSL recruiters is that getting the first MSL position is hard. We hear it all the time: “how do I gain MSL experience if all MSL positions require experience?” It’s an understandably frustrating position to be in for these aspiring candidates. I never fault a manager for preferring MSL experience in their candidates – every team has different needs, and sometimes a team is at a place where ready-to-go MSLs are a necessity. Certainly, I think there’s something to be said about the upside of hiring new MSLs. Here are 3 Reasons to Give Inexperienced MSLs a Chance.

Their Enthusiasm is Sky High

An obvious reason for hiring inexperienced MSLs into their first roles is that you’ll have a wide-eyed, open-eared MSL eager to prove you made a great hire. One of my favorite moments as a recruiter was the time an aspiring MSL candidate excitedly told me before her interview “don’t worry, I’m not going to [mess] this up!” (in more colorful language) and she did not disappoint!  This kind of infectious energy can really pay off for the whole team.

They’re Moldable

If you’re a hiring manager that likes things done your way and don’t mind micromanaging, seems like hiring a first-timer is a great way to achieve the results. Sure, they’ll need some hand-holding to learn the ropes, but consequently, new MSLs are a blank canvas. Whatever routines you want to engrain in this new, budding MSL will be the first routines or habits they learn. This could be an opportunity for you to make one of the biggest impacts possible as an MSL manager.

They Could Bring a New Expertise to Your Team 

Let’s say you have a team full of experienced MSLs. Perhaps they’ve all worked in various therapeutic areas. They’re fully capable of carrying out their MSL responsibilities, but you could also hire someone who is a subject matter expert in your field without MSL experience. They could contribute by providing disease state expertise and perhaps offer a new perspective on the science while they learn the ropes. Diversity within a team is good!

What are some other good reasons to hire new MSLs?

Author: Lawrence Beck, CPC