Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs
Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs questions and answers
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Q: Do pharmaceutical sales jobs exist in countries with universal health care?
A: Of course they do. Pharms are for profit and universal health care wouldn't change that at all.
How else would the doctors know which new poison to push on their patients?
The government won't stop the doctor kick back program as pharmaceutical & medical lobbyists are way too powerful and rich to stop the gravy train.
All universal health care will do is raise insurance prices for the companies that already pay, directly cause even more job losses and end up costing taxpayers billions more.
Your job should be safe as long as you are producing.
Q: How to land a pharmaceutical sales jobs?
A: Image is everything. You have to be aggressive, but not like a used car salesman.
Doing your homework ahead of time before the interview is paramount. Not only do you need to read online but you need to contact those in the field… both competitors and ones that work for the same company. Even if you get a lead of someone’s name across the country, call them up and pick their brain.
They “expect” you to do this as you will need to be just as aggressive when you get the job. If they have a position open they already have two or three drugs that they expect you to concentrate on… usually this is country wide. Learn those well and more importantly learn the competing drugs as well.
You do all this before the interview. Be prompt regardless how lax the interviewer may sound. You will interview with numerous people before you actually land the job which will typically require you to fly across the country. Get plenty of sleep.
The biggest mistake is believing what you say to one interviewer will be know by the other. Approach each one as knowing nothing about you. Be a salesperson and use your interview to learn as much as you can about the interviewing process. You are selling yourself while at the same time picking up leads that will help you for the next interview.
In your mind, think of your first attempt at landing one of these jobs as “training.” I think it is better for you to make a lot of mistakes so you can understand the hiring process so your next attempt at the next company will be easier. IOW, don’t be shy and timid thinking you are going to offend someone … right now you need to learn.
Also, keep in mind you are not going to impress them with anything outlandish. IOW, don’t burn the building down just to get their attention. These are the best of the best in sales and they will seldom be impressed with something out of the ordinary. They are professionals and they expect you to be that way as well.
The smaller companies are not as structured as the larger ones. All consider themselves as the best.
If you understand how intense the sales training is you will have a better idea of where these people are coming from. Once you get the job you will go to schools that consist of you making presentations on video. They will replay these tapes and the managers will criticize you step by step. No one is perfect and they will make sure you understand this… always room for improvement. You will do multiple videos all the time. They take this stuff very serious.
The career is hard and demanding. You must be very self motivated and be almost oblivious to criticism. It is very rewarding but you don’t make the big bucks just because you got the job. If you seriously don’t think you are this type of person it isn’t worth the effort of even the interviews. You need confidence and able to speak to groups fluently as though you were sitting one on one with another person. If you are not that type of individual you’ll be wasting your time.
They will train you well so they don’t care during an interview if you don’t know the details of their products but they expect you to have enough of an interest to have already researched this out. If you get very far through the interview process there will be a lot of “What if” questions.
Instead of kissing up to them by saying this or that pharmaceutical that they make is the best, you’d do better by telling them that you heard their training was the best. It’s about image and image of their company. Be sure to find out this history of their company since any of the large companies are made up of a bunch of well respected pharmaceutical companies that have merged over the years. It might be likely one of the people interviewing you for one of these positions came from one of these companies.
You really don’t impress them with your knowledge but your interest to learn as much as you have before the interview process. The competition is very stiff and you will be up against seasoned pharmaceutical reps from other companies.
Q: Any tips for getting a job in pharmaceutical sales, and which companies should I apply to?
I will be graduating college with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, and a minor in Business Administration at the end of July. I am looking to get a pharmaceutical sales job in Alabama or Northwestern Florida (Panama City, Destin, Pensacola, etc.). I was hoping to get some tips from someone in the business, and hopefully make a contact or two. I have a good resume and cover letter-or as good as you can have fresh out of college-but would like someone to point me in the right direction. Also, I wouldn't mind suggestions for companies to apply to. Some that I have applies to already are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKilne, Lilly, and Allergan.
And for those of you who would like to tell me I shouldn't work in pharmaceutical sales.....that isn't the question I asked, is it? :)
A: Hi:
I am a rep (for almost 15 years) with a large pharmaceutical company. I get asked this question almost daily and decided to make a (free) website to help people start their search. It's worked out well since the industry has had layoffs recently and many of my friends have been able to use the site to find leads and links. Check it out and see if it's helpful. There's links to about 60 companies, recruiters, search sites, etc.
http://pharmajobshelp.blogspot.com/
Q: Pharmaceutical Sales?
I want to consider a job in this industry. I've been in insurance sales for about 5 yrs now and need a change. Can you tell me how you like your pharmaceutical sales job? Pros vs. Cons. I have a bachelors of science degree, plus the insurance sales background, but do not know much about the life of a pharmaceutical sales rep. Also, any contacts that i can send a resume to? Thanks.
A: I'm not personally a pharmaceutical representative but had spoken with an old friend who really enjoyed his job saying that he feels like he 'had the best of both worlds' -- being able to help others while making some money ;) I'm sure that there are quotas and stress involved and not all dr's offices may want a rep to pay a visit.
As far as contacts, please try to stick with the sunday classified ads as opposed to 'offers' on a message board or chatroom as no one really knows who the person actually is :) One can look under 'pharmaceutical sales' or 'reps'. wikipedia albeit not for professional or school research may have more info regarding some major pharm companies: http://www.wikipedia.org and can type into search.
Here is a website for general info: http://www.bls.gov/oco and search 'sales representatives' or such.
Q: How do I break into Pharmaceutical sales?
Any pharm reps out there? I have been in sales for almost seven years now. I have rep'd a number of different kinds of companies, furniture, board games, loans, but have always been interested in a pharmaceutical sales jobs. Any tips on how to get there or what the prerequisites may be?
A: Below is a copy of an answer I posted recently in response to a question similar to yours. Hope it helps.
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Why would you want to get into pharmaceutical sales? What motivated you into it? Who/what influenced you? What do you know about the industry, the companies, the products? What do you know about the job? What have you done so far to prepare yourself for a career in pharmaceutical sales? Ask yourself these questions now because if you are interviewed, the hiring manager is going to ask you these same questions. In getting to know you, your work experience and your skills, they like to ask questions that require answers given in the STAR format (what was the Situation or Task, what Action did you take to solve it, and what was/were the Result(s)).
Below are the basic qualifications pharma companies look for in a candidate:
1. A 4-year bachelors degree with excellent grades (in any field, although science may help)
2. At least 2 years of successful, documented, business-to-business sales experience
3. A good driving record
4. A good credit background
5. Passion and personality
Yes, I recommend this profession to anyone with the above qualifications and not afraid to work hard and long hours to reap the many rewards provided by this profession.
Good luck!
Q: Does anyone know/ work for Eli Lilly Company? I am looking to get a pharmaceutical sales job there.?
Also what is the base salary for a pharmaceutical sales rep? Good job? Thanks!
A: In my sales territory, I know of a few sales reps who work for Eli Lilly, and they all seem to be happy with their jobs! In the US, Eli Lilly is not known for their antibiotics, but for their insulin.
One question: Are you limiting yourself to Eli Lilly? If so, why? If you are truly interested in pharmaceutical sales, it can't hurt to explore opportunities with other pharma companies as well.
As for base salary, this would always depend on the company, the candidate's sales experience, the candidate's current salary. If for someone with no sales experience, I would say a starting base salary of $40-45,000 is pretty standard. Of course, one is eligible for incentive compensation (bonuses). The better the sales performance, the higher the bonus. Don't forget the company car, company laptop, etc.
Is it a good job? It is a good job only for those willing to put in long hours and hard work. Training, growth and learning opportunities are excellent. Potential to make a six-figure income is always possible. If one is not willing to work hard, it will show and life will only be made miserable for these poor individuals.
Good luck!
P.S. By the way, what happened with your recent panel interview? Was that with Lilly? Did they move you up to the next step in the hiring process?
Q: How can you get a pharmaceutical sales job with no experience in sales?
I have a MBA and a chemical engineering degree. Have always worked in manufacturing (12 yrs), but I want to move into a pharmaceutical sales position. I have applied for several openings but no responses. Any suggestions?
A: Some companies will hire people without experience in sales. It also depends on the manager and timing. The company I work for will do exactly that, though some managers prefer certain backgrounds. I think the 12 years of experience will void out your lack of sales experience. You'll just have to transfer some of your skills to the pharmaceutical sales job and draw comparisons. Try this website for a list of links to companies, headhunters, and other sites. I made it for my friends who were interested in searching for a pharma job.
http://pharmajobshelp.blogspot.com/
Q: Am I wasting my time applying for jobs in Pharmaceutical Sales, with no documented sales experience?
I have 4 year degree in Business, customer service experience, with promoting products but actual customer base or sales documentation for my resume, I notice a lot of Pharm companies require, this, is it possible to break in to Pharm Sales without the sales experience?
A: It's not what you know, it's who you know. The Pharma industry is like a big fraternity. If you know someone who works for a pharma company, ask for their help. I've seen people right out of college get jobs in the Pharma field as long as they know someone at the company. The good news is that there are hundreds of pharma companies to work for. Pharma sales is a relationship sale so focus on your customer service skills and you'll be fine.
Q: What outside sales experience is required to get a pharmaceutical sales job?
Through research, I found that pharmaceutical companies look for experience obtained from Fortune 500 companies, but not insurance companies. Why would that be?
A: Sorry to hear your frustration, but it's true that pharma companies require at least 2 years of successful business-to-business sales experience. By "successful", they mean that they would like to see any documentation (authentic) to prove that you are actually good at selling your product.
Unfortunately, in the eyes of the pharma industry, insurance sales is considered direct-to-consumer sales, not business-to-business. Other examples of sales that are categorized as such are retail sales, real estate, Mary Kay, Tupperware and AVON. No matter how excellent you were/are in any of these, it is almost always excluded as viable b2b sales experience. Good examples of b2b sales are Xerox, ADP, Enterprise Rent-A-Car (corporate sales), Coca-Cola, etc.
Sorry, and good luck!
Q: What are the requirements to get a pharmaceutical sales job?
I have a ba in Healthcare management and 7 years sales experience. do i need anything else before applying with any of the companies like pfizer or Eli Lilly?
A: Believe it or not, you must have better than average looks for a job like this. Not saying it's right, but I have a friend who does this for a living and he has seen people with excellent qualifications turned down because they weren't "the Hollywood type". Very image concious company.
Q: How do I land a Pharmaceutical Sales Job without Pharmaceutical sales experience?
I have a 4 year degree and several years of sales experience.
A: Read "Hard Sell" to learn more and to gain insight into what kind of person they need. Mormons (door-to-door missionary work), military officers, and hot chicks are desired.
Q: Where can I find a book to help me get a pharmaceutical sales job?
Haven't been having much success but this is the job that I want. Want to know about interviewing, resumes, and anything else.
A: You'll need a job in sales that has quantifiable results. Retail doesn't count unless it's something like cellular phones where you can prove how many contracts you closed over and above quota. They want results, results, results, and confidence, confidence, confidence.
But as someone who has quite a few friends in the pharmaceutical field, my advice would be this: don't go into it. The industry is crazy-unstable right now, and one of my friends said she's having constant panic attacks b/c of her company laying off and firing so much right now. People with 10+ years experience in the field are being fired left, right, and center, and fathers who are the sole provider for their family are losing their jobs; it's brutal, it's all about the numbers, and nobody really gives a flying flip about the sales rep or the patient.
If your heart's set on it, jump on, but be forewarned that it's a sinking ship.
Q: jobs for pharmaceutical sales representatives in the US for non US residents?
has been working as a pharmaceutical sales representative(Sanofi-Aventis) for 5 years, in good standing, has been voted as Number 1 Sales representative 2005 for having garnered more than 200% sales on Xatral, Solian, Tramal and Actonel Meds.Has been maintaining monthly quotas.fluent in english language. have good rapport with doctors and designated clients.
A: sounds like you have it made! Good luck!