What makes a good pharmaceutical rep

Pharmaceutical companies generally only hire sales representatives who hold a four-year bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college. A specific major isn't required, but many PSRs study life sciences, especially biology and chemistry. Aspiring pharma reps would also benefit from undergraduate study in marketing, sales, advertising, and business administration. Some universities offer Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences programs that could be ideal. Remember to fill your electives with courses like organic chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, and toxicology for great career preparation.

Jobs for pharmaceutical sales representatives are among the most coveted in the medical field, but there's both advantages and drawbacks. On the plus side, drug reps earn lucrative six-figure salaries that exceed most other sales jobs.

PSRs enjoy corporate perks like expense-paid trips, bonuses, commissions, benefits, and even mileage reimbursement. Pharmaceutical sales representatives typically report high job satisfaction for introducing new medicines that can boost quality of life. Pharma reps aren't stuck sitting behind a desk daily; they enjoy traveling to visit various healthcare facilities. However, PSRs have a grueling profession that comes with the stress of commission-based sales. Pharmaceutical sales representatives need to continually educate themselves about new company product lines.

Most pharma reps have poor work-life balance because they travel up to one-third of the year. Even though there's autonomy, working evenings and weekends is common. Pharmaceutical sales representatives also have high burnout rates because pressure for high performance expectations can be overwhelming. Employers won't solely look for top performers in the college classroom.

Pharmaceutical companies prefer hiring drug reps who already have sales experience. During college, fine-tune your resume with jobs where you'll gain customer service skills. They are able to describe the drug's chemistry, method of action, side effects and potential interactions with other drugs. By specializing in a certain type of pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical sales representatives can deepen their knowledge base in a particular area, making them more effective and more valuable to healthcare providers.

They meet with physicians who specialize in the applicable medical field, for example, a representative who manages a territory for a drug which treats heartburn would most likely call on gastroenterologists and internists.

Most pharmaceutical sales representatives work on commission within a certain geographic territory, and are busy scheduling and attending sales meetings, following leads, and acquiring new customers for the company. They also attend conferences, speak at events, and conduct continuing education sessions.

Because the pharmaceutical industry advances rapidly, there are always new products to research. Pharmaceutical sales representatives have distinct personalities. Customers no long want slick sales patter and selling by rote. This requires sound communication skills. Medical sales roles are hard work. They involve long, often unpredictable hours and extensive travel. Meetings can be rearranged many times around early or late clinic openings when patients have gone home.

The best medical sales reps are endlessly persistent with a great work ethic. Make sure your health sector recruitment targets hard working candidates.

They do however need to have sufficient understanding of - and interest in — the product to make a persuasive pitch. Candidates should therefore be able to translate complex terms into language which is understandable and compelling. Why not try a specialist recruitment agency for recruiting medical sales staff?