Pharmaceutical sales job?

[Alfredo]

Why is getting a job in pharmaceutical sales sometimes so difficult and competitive.

 

[o2bnoz]

I interview people for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and beyond. We get a really high caliber of people applying for these jobs because the earning potential is great, and the stability of medicial/drug related fields is good.

Due to the quality of the people applying, the ability to make the cut is tough. However, there are some things that will make you more attractive to a pharmaceutical company. You should have some b2b sales background, outside sales, some medical experience (doesn't need to be prior pharma exp.) and a really winning personality. The key is to be very well-rounded. You must be intelligent because there is an incredible amount of information to be learned and understood for whatever drugs you carry. You have to know enough that you are comfortable answering a physicians questions. You also must know how to navigate through the often unbending atmosphere of a physician's outer office staff.

It can be a tough job, but a very gratifying one.

Hope that helps a bit, and good luck!

 

[NelsonGuy]

For starters, take a look at the home page of this site. I have broken down the numbers between salary and company perks. The numbers really add up and for someone in your age bracket who has recently graduated from college, this is a tremendous start to your professional career. Really focuses on the pharmaceutical interview process not by telling you what to do, but what to expect if you want to get into this industry.

 

[tbssenterprises]

Just as an fyi....from talking with people who know people that do obtain those jobs, the starting salary is around $55,000 base plus commission, plus car. I have NO idea what the commission base is. For some of the more specialized products (wound care, surgical instruments, etc.) you need to have some type of medical background training. This is a great career path for those in a nursing program, etc. You will go through a 6 week (give or take) training program for most of the sales positions, and have a District Manager go out on visits with you about once every two months. It's very competititve, but from what I gather, your degree can come from just about any university. I believe they like to train those that come out with a degree plus a military background.

I'm not an expert....just somethings I've picked up talking with friends.