I have been in corporate sales and the executive search field for about 10 years. I began my pharmaceutical sales recruiting career with a leading Houston-based search firm. While at this firm, I worked with two world-class pharmaceutical companies to build and expand their national pharmaceutical sales teams. Whether directly or through an affiliate program, I have worked with the majority of major pharmaceutical and medical companies. I earned awards for top performance in the placement of candidates on a national basis and, in the process, built one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical sales and medical sales recruiting practices.

In October of 2001 I started "10 Abbott Street" www.10abbottstreet.com, an executive search firm specializing in pharmaceutical and software sales placements.

Q: What if I don't have any sales experience, can I still become a pharmaceutical sales representative?

This is a great question. Yes, there are sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry without the ideal sales profile, but they have had to reposition or rethink what they could bring to the table.

This is what I tell candidates when they ask me how to overcome their lack of prior sales experience.

* Develop personal relationships with existing pharmaceutical representatives This is perhaps one of the best ways to overcome your lack of sales experience. A referral from a pharmaceutical sales representative to a hiring manager about your character, accomplishments, and desire to break into pharmaceutical sales is a great way to secure a phone screen.

* Capitalize on your "transitional" skill set
A transitional skill is a skill that can transition to different industries. Just because you do not get paid to sell does not mean that you cannot sell. Focus on how you convinced co-workers or managers to take a particular course of action. Do you have a track record of delivering products and results on time? Illustrate to the hiring manager how the same desire to get the job done will work with your desire to meet your sales goals. Perfect these stories and use them in the interview process.

* Reposition your resume
Try repositioning your resume for a pharmaceutical sales position, not just a marketing position for a large company. Focus your accomplishments on your ability to sell or meet your goals. In the accomplishment section of your resume, articulate how you directly influenced an increase in company profits or reduced costs.. Highlight any awards or special recognition you received for performance excellence.

* Great attitude/rapport
This is the great equalizer in overcoming your lack of sales experience. If the hiring manager really likes you and your attitude, you have greatly increased your chances of moving into a sales position.

Q: I hear that pharmaceutical companies don't hire recent college graduates. Is that true?

The competition to break into pharmaceutical sales at the recent college level is extremely high. Only a few of the larger pharmaceutical companies (Merck, Pfizer, etc) recruit sales representatives directly out of college. The pharmaceutical interview process is probably the biggest series of exams you will take so don't just "wing it" and hope that your winning smile will land you the job.

As a recent college graduate, you have several advantages in breaking into pharmaceutical sales. Here are just a few:

* Interview schedule
Some major pharmaceutical companies recruit directly from college campuses! Do what it takes to secure an interview and adequately prepare for the interview. Many times, the rosters fill up very quickly and only 10 to 15 people will get an interview out of a campus of 15,000 students. So, what do you do?

IDEA: This is an idea of how to get an interview when the schedule is full. This technique landed a friend of mine with a job at Xerox. Determine when the last interview is completed. Arrive 30 minutes before this interview has concluded. Be dressed and mentally prepared for an interview. When the last candidate has left the interviewing room, knock on the door of the room (the pharmaceutical manager will be doing paperwork) and introduce yourself.

Sample Script
"Hi, I'm (your name). I really want a career with your company, but because of the sign-up process I could not get on the interview schedule. I feel that my strengths would allow me to outperform the other people interviewed and feel it would be worth your time to interview me. Do you have a few minutes to talk with me?"

* Career Center Resource Center
Another valuable resource is the extensive amount of information at most career centers. Take the time to get to know your career counselor and ask them for assistance.

* Resume preparation
On your resume, be sure to indicate your specific desire to break into pharmaceutical sales as your objective. Limit your resume to one page. Illustrate your accomplishments with each of your summer jobs. Remember, you are going against other college graduates who have similar work experience. It is also helpful to illustrate any life science course that you have taken.

Q: Do I need a degree to become a pharmaceutical sales representative?

Yes, A four-year degree from an accredited university or college is required to become a pharmaceutical sales representative. Pharmaceutical companies prefer candidates with degrees in life science (such as biology) but, generally speaking, all four-year degrees are considered. Your receipt of a four-year degree represents your ability to learn and master new information and shows that you have the discipline to complete a goal.

Q: Do I need a specific type of resume to interview for a pharmaceutical sales position?

Yes, you need a GREAT-looking resume to break into pharmaceutical sales! The resume is probably one of the most important components of your pharmaceutical sales job hunt. You've heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but a good resume can be worth thousands of dollars. Therefore, the resume must accurately and concisely articulate who you are, what you have accomplished and what your desired position is. The resume should be clear, concise, factual and truthful.

There are dozens of great resume guides and books on the market. However, the resumes that catch my attention (as a seasoned pharmaceutical recruiter) are the resumes in a chronological order format loaded with accomplishments listed under each job. Let me give you a HUGE tip ¾ Accomplishments, Accomplishments, Accomplishments give your resume a competitive advantage! I discuss why accomplishments are important in my book Secrets of Breaking Into Pharmaceutical Sales (Sorry for the plug, but it is the truth!).

Q: What is a typical day like for pharmaceutical sales representative?

Like most sales positions, the "typical" day for a pharmaceutical sales representative does not exist. Due to the nature of their clients (physicians with medical emergencies), a pharmaceutical sales representative must be flexible, resilient and capable of changing their schedule.

That being said, the sales representative must have a daily, weekly and monthly schedule of doctors to call on. Most pharmaceutical companies expect their sales representatives to make 8 to 10 sales calls per day, depending on doctor density and territory size (doctor density is the number of doctors in a given territory. Doctor density will be greater in a metro area with a large medical center than in a rural area.)

A day can start as early as 7:45 AM with a breakfast meeting at a physician's office and end at 10:00 PM with a dinner at a nice restaurant with a physician or two. Daily sales calls are made in the morning and late afternoon.