There is a general shift away from people being treated in hospitals and because people want a great quality of life, the sale of medicines is on the rise. The pharmaceutical industry as a whole is one of the largest and most stable industries in the entire world. The pharmaceutical industry has grown an amazing 300 percent in the last 10 years alone.
Being a pharmaceutical drug rep is a prestigious job as the representative sells highly advanced products to highly educated and intelligent doctors and medical personnel in a very professional environment. This is appealing to a great many people.
The type of people that pharmaceutical companies hire varies. There seems to be just as many women in the field as there are men. Pharmaceutical firms generally seek out college graduates, people with experience in sales and anyone who is intellectual, personable and has the stamina to keep up with this fast paced career. Many of these firms also look for people who have technical and business knowledge, are creative, self-starters, and who have a general interest in medicine and science.
Some large pharmaceutical firms do hire recent college graduates, but it is rather rare to be hired as a drug rep if you have no college degree or prior experience. Those who have no degree will no doubt need to show proof of past successful sales work in order to be considered. It is generally required that people have at least two years of past sales experience in a business-to-business capacity. For those candidates who have no prior sales experience, having a healthcare or a clinical background will certainly be helpful as is a strong and impressive list of past accomplishments.
You should be in relative good shape physically if you are thinking of getting into this field of work. Being a drug rep requires long hours, lot of driving, and involves carrying large samples with you. Pharmaceutical firms tend to hire the very best and the brightest people because they invest a lot of money into research and development and pump millions of dollars into the development of new products.
Drug companies get literally hundreds of applications and resumes for each job opening, so be sure that your resume is outstanding and actually targeted to the company you are applying to. Be sure that your resume is accurate, innovative, and full of positives. It is highly recommended that you hire a professional resume writer. The investment could very well pay off.
A final bit of advice. If you have been called in to a big drug company for an interview, do your homework. Go to the company's website and read all you can about the company, including the history. Be very familiar with new products they are developing, read the press releases, and familiarize yourself with the annual reports. You will be at a big advantage in the interview if you show that you are interested in the company you are applying to.
