Pharmaceutical Sales Careers - Sales Experience Required?

http://www.getpharmaceuticalsalesjob.com presents Clint Cora, author of "How To Get A Dream Job In Pharmaceutical Sales", discusses whether one requires previous sales experience in order to become a pharmaceutical sales representative.

Clint is a fourteen year veteran in the pharmaceutical sales industry and offers a free webinar on drug rep careers at the website mentioned above.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pharmaceutical
• sales
• drug
• rep
• representative
• careers
• jobs
• experience
• medical

[MedSalesRecruiter]

Clint: With Pharma sales reps being laid off every day, do you still recommend getting into pharma sales?

Peggy

[clintleung]

These things go in cycles - I've been through several during my career. If potential candidates can get in and do a great job to prove themselves, that's great. If they can't get in, it's far better to make connections now rather than later when companies do hire. If people wait, they will be among lots of competition.

[GoldenHawk400]

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been looking for over a year, and have had to accept positions outside of pharma. It seems a shame, I have 21 years of in the industry, made mid 100,s, and have consistently been a top 10% representative. Now that I am im my early 50s (I could easily pass for low 40's), I'm finding it very diffucult to get past human resouces, even with stong DM and RM interviews, and very strong physician support. Presently, I'm making 2/3rds less, than in pharma.

[clintleung]

There is a chapter in my book I wrote for experienced reps. What is striking to me is that despite the years of experience some laid off reps I've known, many do not do the activities that I suggest to get back into the industry.

[GoldenHawk400]

as long as you are not over. This industry hates anyone over 40!!!

[clintleung]

This depends on the company because there are lots of over 40 reps who are awesome sales people. Some companies actually prefer older reps because they have products that tend to target older doctors.

[goov47]

Hey, what is it with some of your female drug reps coming into the doctor's office looking like some $2 hooker? One of them came in with a very short skirt, and I was dying to tell her that the whore house is down the hall and to the right. If they want to sell their crappy medication, then they need to stop dressing like cheap skanks or they're in the wrong profession

[GoldenHawk400]

The company I worker for (largest ind. pharma) will not hire anyone not oresently employesd in pharma. I'm finding this to be more common with other pharma companies as well.