How to Become a Drug Sales Rep

Becoming a professional drug rep can be tough, but it is well worth the effort.

Being a pharmaceutical sales representative means that you visit doctor's offices and hospitals to offer valuable information on the latest and greatest products being offered by the drug company you represent. You will also take orders and provide samples. For your efforts, you can be handsomely rewarded with a lucrative salary, a company car or vehicle reimbursement plan and many other perks. To land such a fantastic employment opportunity, you will need to fulfill some requirements.

Things You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree
• Professional resume
• Medical background

Instructions

1. Earn a bachelor's degree. Pharmaceutical companies will require that all sales reps have a four-year degree. While it generally does not matter what discipline the degree is in, preference is given to those who have earned a degree in a science discipline.

2. Evaluate your personality traits. Experts in the field of pharmaceutical sales indicate that candidates who possess specific traits are more successful in landing pharmaceutical sales rep positions than those that lack them. Some of the traits prospective employers are looking for include: organization, goal-driven, self-starting, creative, aggressive and good listening skills.

3. Obtain working knowledge of basic anatomy and medications. Good sales reps know that to sell a product to a working professional, you have to be able to speak their language. This holds true for pharmaceutical reps as well. Having an understanding of how basic physiology works as well as how medications affect the body is a must for any aspiring drug rep.

4. Obtain some sales experience. Having a good track record in sales is imperative for landing a pharmaceutical sales representative job, especially if you have just graduated from college. Most pharmaceutical companies are looking for individuals with at least two years of sales experience. Preferential treatment is given to candidates with business-to-business sales experience or work experience in positions that offered a strong sales training program. If you lack sales experience, work experience in a health care field can sometimes be substituted.

5. Build an accomplishment driven resume. Make sure that you highlight your accomplishments including promotions, meeting and/or exceeding sales goals, etc. Your resume also needs to include specific keywords to get noticed. When creating your resume, look for keywords in the job posting and incorporate them into your resume. And, if you lack certain skills, add the keywords into the objective statement and cover letter as areas of interest.

References

• Qunitcareers.com: So You Want to Get Into Pharmaceutical Sales...