An Interview with a Pharmaceutical Sales Recruiter: Part 1

Industry Specific - Pharmaceutical Sales

Written by Pat Riley

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: Why do so many people want to be in pharmaceutical sales?

Generally speaking, working as a pharmaceutical sales representative has a romantic aura about it. Why? I'm not sure, but the image that comes to my mind of a pharmaceutical sales representative is an individual that is successful, intelligent, and extremely professional. You might say they "have their act together".

Historically, pharmaceutical companies have only hired the best and the brightest people. For some reason, when you say you are a pharmaceutical sales representative, you and your abilities are instantly respected ¾ and I think others admire this respect. If someone were to sit down and really think about the job description of a pharmaceutical sales representative, I think they would conclude the following: A pharmaceutical sales representative sells a technologically advanced product to highly intelligent physicians in a very professional environment. You know what? They're right. A pharmaceutical representative is respected for their ability to sell multimillion-dollar drugs to highly educated physicians.

But getting down to the basics, I think people want to be in pharmaceutical sales because of the excellent income potential, the outstanding benefits, industry stability and the opportunity to improve other peoples' lives. Just think about this ¾ as a pharmaceutical sales representative, you could represent a drug that could potentially save a life or dramatically improve the quality of someone else's life. Now, how exciting is that?

Q: Is the pharmaceutical industry a good career choice?

Well, it depends on your career goals. If you want a 9-to-5 job where you have to rely on the good graces of your boss to receive a 3% annual pay increase and hope that you win the lottery to obtain financial freedom, then a career in pharmaceutical sales is not for you. But if want an opportunity for work that is stable, but in a growing industry with excellent career advancement opportunities, than pharmaceutical sales is a good career choice for you.

The pharmaceutical industry is a growth industry with a very positive future. I could talk for days on this subject, but out of respect for your time I'll tell you just a few reasons why this is great career choice.

* Did you know the pharmaceutical industry is recession-proof?

There will always be illness. People will continue to need drugs to assist in the healing process as well as to retain a high quality of life. Regardless of the valuation of the stock market or political situations, the pharmaceutical industry is a solid career choice.

* Continued investment in drug research and development

Pharmaceutical companies invest more in research and development than any other industry. (Almost 3 times what the auto industry spends). Because of the large potential profit, pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars to develop and market new products.

Pharmaceutical companies invest a tremendous amount of revenue in research and development. According to PhRMA Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2001, an estimated $30.5 million was spent in 2001 on research and development alone. However, the number of drugs that make it to market is very low. It is not uncommon for pharmaceutical companies to have only one drug make it to market out of 10 drugs in research and development. Most major pharmaceutical companies promote 4 to 5 drugs at a time. Over 70% of a pharmaceutical company's revenue comes from only 20% of their drugs (PhRMA Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2001). The financial risk is high, but the potential financial reward is higher. Research and development is the future of a pharmaceutical company. Thus, with such a commitment to the future, a career in pharmaceutical sales is a solid choice.

Q: What is the best way to break into pharmaceutical sales?

Some people say only divine intervention will help them get into pharmaceutical sales. I agree with divine intervention, but I also believe you should get your spiritual life in order, get your heart right, listen to the gentle nudge of God and work like HELL to make it happen.

Seriously, breaking into pharmaceutical sales is hard work. Throughout life, you learn "life rules" like "respect your elders" and "wear a shirt at the dinner table". Likewise, there are pharmaceutical job-hunting rules. Only nobody has told you about them. However, I am going to tell you some of these rules...secrets. How do I know these secrets? Because as a five-year veteran of pharmaceutical recruiting, I'm fighting the same battle you fight every day. Trying to find the open jobs! I'm going to tell you a couple of my secrets, but not all of them, because I still want to earn a living in my industry of choice.

* Secret 1: NETWORKING: It's not WHO you know, but who THEY know!

Tell everybody you know (family and friends) about your intention to become a pharmaceutical sales representative. They might know somebody who can tell you about an unpublished job opening.

* Secret 2: Speaking with a pharmaceutical sales representative or district manager.

Speaking with a pharmaceutical sales representative or district manager is probably the best way to break into the industry. You want to build a relationship with existing pharmaceutical sales representatives and district managers for several reasons. First, a referral from a representative to their manager is golden. The referral usually carries more weight than a resume from any other source. Second, they know the industry and might be able to provide you with a list of contact names (i.e., other sales representatives, hiring managers, or recruiters) or existing or potential open positions

* Secret 3: Job Boards/Career Boards

Nothing has had more impact on the job search market in the last few years than job or career boards. Job boards have changed the way companies find people and the way people find jobs. However, job boards are only one small piece of the puzzle. You must combine searching job boards with other techniques to conduct a thorough job search

* Secret 4: Get to know a Recruiter (Headhunter)

Recruiters are an excellent way to maximize your resume exposure and limit your resume risk. Most recruiters will know of several pharmaceutical sales positions with multiple companies in your area. Unlike human resource managers from one company, who work a very limited number of jobs, recruiters can handle several jobs from multiple companies.

Most pharmaceutical recruiters are contingency recruiters, which means they do not get paid unless you accept a job that they present to you (in contingency recruiting, the hiring company pays the recruiter's fee). Therefore, it is in the recruiter's best interest to place you as quickly as possible. Recruiters also bring industry knowledge, territory knowledge, and resume expertise to the table for your benefit. It is not uncommon for a recruiter to work with the candidate to "spiff-up" or improve their resume and coach the candidate through the interview process. I recommend that you get to know several recruiters in your area. Set up interviews with the recruiters, meet them, and build professional working relationships with them so you can trust them with your resume and career.

Secret 5: Check out my book "Secrets of Breaking Into Pharmaceutical Sales" at www.pharmaceuticalinterviewquestions.com and I will share 13 proven methods (tips and tricks) on how to break into pharmaceutical sales.

Pat Riley -
	Pat Riley is the president of 10 Abbott Street L.L.C., an executive search firm specializing in pharmaceutical and medical sales and the author of "Secrets of Breaking Into Pharmaceutical Sales", and "57 Most Frequently Asked Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions ...and Answers that Win the Job". Both E-Books are available at http://pharmaceuticalinterviewquestions.com [Ed note - link not active] Read More >>