A: David, to break into pharmaceutical sales, you need a bachelor's degree in any field, a clean driving record, and a record of
successful outside sales experience. Another factor a pharmaceutical company looks
for is a work history free from frequent job changes. You also need the desire and ability to learn about pharmaceutical products.
Pharmaceutical sales differs from most other sales jobs in that there is no order to close or contract to sign. With pharmaceutical sales,
the rep serves as an expert for physicians promoting products through education and awareness. It is an indirect sales role with the
goal of increasing the level of prescriptions written in the rep's sales territory.
Use your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience learning about complex topics. Also use your resume and cover letter to
convey your experience educating and training clients. To pursue a position in pharmaceutical sales, use the same avenues as you would with any
other field: networking, the Internet, executive recruiters, and direct employer contact.
To learn more about the pharmaceutical industry, obtain business cards from your physician's office for the pharmaceutical reps that
call on that office. Contact these reps for an informational interview or ask if you can "shadow" them for a day to learn more about their role.
Go to http://www.contractpharma.com/jul_aug013.htm
to learn more about the top pharmaceutical companies and consider subscribing to this
site's trade magazine to gain further industry knowledge. Or join an industry association.
Learn
more about getting a sales job working for a leading pharmaceutical company!
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