Growing through meaningful work
Like many bright-eyed, new graduates, Andre Santos entered the job force with the desire to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Evaluating his skills made him realize he is best suited to a sales role. “I am extroverted and love being with people. I was class president in school and I’m naturally very good at making conversations. I figured a career in sales is the right path for me.”
Months of job searching led him to B. Braun.
Why did he choose B. Braun? “I’ve heard about B. Braun from friends who work in healthcare. When I was doing research about the company, I connected with the corporate vision of protecting and improving the health of people around the world. I was keen on a meaningful job. I wanted to have a sense of purpose and feel like I can make a difference in my own way. That’s why I decided to give it a go.”
Over the course of a year, Andre thrived as a Professional Hospital Representative covering East Metro Manila. Regular feedback and coaching from his immediate superior helped him adjust quickly to the role. “I was never made to feel embarrassed about asking a lot of questions and looking for help,” Andre shared. “My entire team was very supportive and patient with me. Their support definitely increased my self-confidence.”
His motivation for doing good work comes from what he sees in the field. “In my role, I represent a company that values sharing expertise with healthcare practitioners. I get to witness how I add value to the practice of anesthesiologists and surgeons when I introduce new products for safety and convenience,” Andre said. “Being straight out of college, I had worries about things like achieving my sales target for the year. But seeing the impact I’m already making in healthcare encourages me to be brave and pursue my development,” Andre shares.
Like many others, the pandemic forced him to develop quickly to address customer needs. “Although my doctors and I are physically apart, there was genuine interest to continue getting in touch,” Andre said. “Mindful that our doctors are busy, I made sure that my communication was clear and impactful. I learned proper engagement practices from the sales and marketing team. I worked on asking the right questions to get the responses I needed. Each time I sent a message, an invitation, or product information, I knew I had to make my communication worthwhile. Because we cannot see our customers and they cannot see us, interaction via B. Braun webinars and other live virtual events became our vehicle to continue to engage.”
Having just recently passed his first work anniversary in B. Braun, does he still feel the connection to the company he felt months ago? “Definitely. I know that the products I handle help patients to recover faster and doctors to work more efficiently,” Andre shares. “This is how I make a contribution to the healthcare industry. I know my work matters, and I feel strongly about working in a company that celebrates and encourages individual contribution and collaboration.”
