The medical sales role

career as a pharmaceutical sales rep can a highly lucrative and rewarding one, with average salaries ranging between $60,000-$80,000 per year. Most pharmaceutical sales reps are employed by leading drug companies around the country, and are responsible for informing the public, doctors, and hospitals about the latest products available. Sales representatives set up appointments with doctors and hospitals in an effort to persuade them to purchase a particular product or new drug on the market.


Getting a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep doesn't require a college degree, although most employer's prefer a strong education and at least a bachelor's degree in science. Associate degrees in business or a medical field can also be enough to obtain a job in this field; the key traits most drug companies are looking for is a business mind-set, confidence, the ability to learn and grow with the company, and keeping up to date on medical trends and research. College students can start to look for placement with major drug companies, and interviews are often conducted on college campuses throughout the country.


Successful pharmaceutical reps can start by working with a supervising sales representative to learn the basic process, and will gain the most advantage by increasing their product knowledge and learning how to speak to the medical audience. They need to be persuasive, charismatic, and learn how to speak clearly under pressure. During the interview, the hiring manager will most likely ask questions such as:


What do you think is the most challenging aspect of a pharmaceutical representative?
Why is a sales mindset important for the pharmaceutical sales rep?
How would you convince a physician to switch to a preferred brand?

Pharmaceutical sales are a competitive industry, and the rep needs to learn how to handle rejection! It is also prestigious in nature; most drug companies offer attractive salaries, benefits, and use of a company car. Getting a job in the field may require some proactive searching and ongoing interviews with multiple employers. You have to be a self-starter, ambitious, confident, ethical, and positive. Still your efforts and hard work can be very rewarding