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Want a Future in Pharmaceutical Sales?
Coveted Sales Rep Jobs Go to Assertive Self-Starters
by Megan Malugani
Summary Pharmaceutical sales isn't always glamorous What defines success Find and
keep a job in the industry
Does a job with a good salary, a company car, a flexible schedule, generous bonuses and
no boss breathing down your neck sound like a dream come true?
It's a reality for pharmaceutical company representatives. But the work isn't pure
glamour -- it's also intense, highly competitive and sometimes frustrating. Insiders say
it's difficult to get your foot in the door with a drug company, and that it is
challenging to excel once you've landed that first sales job.
Do you have what it takes to make it in the field? A long-time pharmaceutical sales
representative and a new hire offer some of the keys to finding -- and keeping -- a job in
the industry.
Sell yourself shamelessly
Before you can start selling on behalf of your company, you have to sell yourself to
potential employers. That can be tough, considering the level of interest in
pharmaceutical sales. "For every opening, we get a minimum of 150 applicants,"
says Corey Nahman, an executive sales representative for Hoechst
Marion Roussel, who left a pharmacist position 14 years ago to pursue a sales career.
The best way to set yourself apart is through networking, says Nahman. Companies
advertise only for those jobs they can't fill by word of mouth, he says. "There are
58,000 drug salespeople in the country. So, chances are your friend's friend or your
neighbor's friend is a pharmaceutical rep," he says. You should get the business
cards of pharmaceutical reps from your doctor and call them. Most companies offer
"bounties" to salespeople who refer new employees, so a random rep may be
willing to talk to you.
The process of applying for pharmaceutical sales jobs, wrangling interviews and
enduring rejections offers a taste of what the actual job of a sales rep will be like.
"Companies are looking for people who are confident and positive. If you're meek, the
job is not for you," says Adam Rothenstein, who left a job in management consulting
to accept a position with Astra Zeneca as a
general medical sales representative in June.
There isn't one standard profile that pharmaceutical companies are looking for in their
sales forces. Generally, companies require sales reps to have at least a bachelor's
degree, and some prefer M.B.A.'s. Employers don't necessarily require degrees in areas
such as chemistry or biology, but reps must be willing to learn -- and able to master --
science. "An aptitude in science is a prerequisite," Nahman says. "If you
don't like science, this job will be a living hell."
Some companies weigh previous marketing or healthcare-industry experience heavily,
although clinical skills alone won't get you hired. "The most important
qualifications are people skills, such as tact and diplomacy. Science can be learned, but
people skills can't be learned," Nahman says.
If you're lucky enough to land an interview, be prepared to ask and answer questions
about the company's products and direction, Rothenstein says. You will probably have to
shine during several interviews, from an initial telephone interview to a meeting with a
trainer and an interview with at least one district manager. You may also be asked to
accompany another sales rep while he or she is making his or her rounds.
Salaries for pharmaceutical sales representatives start in the mid-$30,000 range and
top off at about $90,000 a year, not including bonuses, Nahman says.
Hit the ground running Once you've landed your first job, you have to hit the
ground running and excel in a profession that's for self-motivators, Rothenstein says.
"Basically you're running your own business." Rothenstein, who received intense
sales and product training, spends his time educating doctors about breast-cancer risk
assessment.
Besides being self-starters, pharmaceutical reps must be good at following up,
budgeting and deciding where to focus their time and efforts, Nahman says. In a typical
day, Nahman makes several calls to hospitals, HMOs, doctors' offices and pharmacies.
"It's lonely out there in the field. The biggest challenge is to be psyched up every
day. If you're excited, that translates visually and the doctors feed off that
excitement," he says. "You have to have mental stamina to be just as fresh for
that last call at 6:00 p.m. as you were for the first call at 8:00 a.m.," Nahman
says.
Resources: For more advice, tips and information from Corey Nahman on becoming a
pharmaceutical sales representative, click here.
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