How To Get a Job In Pharmaceutical Revenue If You Haven’t Worked In Sales

As a clinical sales recruiter, I get almost every day inquiries from people who would like to be in clinical sales even though they have no sales background and wanna know what they should do.  I’m never surprised to get these calls.  Pharmaceutical sales is (I think) the top tier of sales categories, and there are many, many people who wanna be involved in it.  But because it’s such a desirable career path and so many strong candidates are vying for jobs, competition is tough–which means you’re going to got to be at the top of your game to land a spot.

Landing a position in clinical sales is difficult, but not impossible.  There are 3 ways you can go (or you can mix and match):

Hire a career coach. An hour will do it for most people, generally split up into short sessions over days or weeks, as you implement the suggestions.  It might look something like this:

• First Twenty minutes: Review your resume, identify your goals, and pinpoint which areas you need to improve.  You’ll get a list of sales books to read (so you don’t got to take a class), and we’ll set up a job-shadowing opportunity, if you’d like.

• Next Twenty minute session: Once you’ve read the books and made your resume changes, we’ll discuss the concepts and review your RESUME.

• Final 20 minute session: We’ll put together a plan for your job shadow, discuss what your goal is, and talk about how to incorporate the keywords you’ll get from it into your resume so that it will get the attention of hiring managers and their Applicant Tracking Systems.

But the best thing about working with a career coach is that it’s personalized.  If you need help with another aspect of getting the career opportunity, that’s what you’ll concentrate on.  You’ll talk about your specific situation, in detail, to determine the most effective steps you can take to land the position.

Get the How to Get Into Clinical Sales kit. I have organized anything I’ve learned from the last 15 years in the business into a a step-by-step, comprehensive guide:

* tips and tricks from 15 years of working and placing people in pharma sales
* a resume template designed to be your marketing brochure
* a bold and persuasive cover letter
* a technology sheet –your “secret weapon”
* a thank you note that will be another selling tool for you
* A 30/60/90-day plan – you’ll be the most prepared candidate the hiring manager has ever seen

The tools available in this kit are a complete, step-by-step map for you to follow to land your dream job in pharma revenue.

Work the “Do-It-Yourself” plan.

You can totally research what it takes to transition into medical revenue from a non-sales background.  There are hundreds of articles available right on this blog, and here are some key tips:

• Go for a ride-along with a sales rep. See what a typical day is like.  Ask questions about the job, discover out how to be competitive in the career opportunity search and once you get the job.  Get a few names to call from labs, doctors, or hospitals they sell to.

• Use the field preceptorship (career opportunity shadowing) to fill your resume with keywords that will make sure it’s flagged by computerized tracking systems.  Your CV should have a sales focus and also highlight your technical background.

• Work your professional network. Set up a profile on LinkedIn.  Join revenue groups like Revenue Cafe:  Sales Rep Careers to make contacts and gain knowledge.

• Improve your sales skills. Read about sales skills and sales call best practices online, and discover some books on sales techniques.  Watch my YouTube movies for job search advice.

• Learn to handle phone interviews. Most initial contacts with recruiters and hiring managers are conducted by phone, because it’s an efficient way to weed out candidates who aren’t going to fit.  You must know how to make a precious impression so you can land the face-to-face interview.

• Learn how to write a 30/60/90-day plan. This is a key element to your position interview process–especially if you’ve no sales experience.  It helps the hiring manager understand that you know what it takes to be successful in the career opportunity, and helps him “see” you as a sales rep.  A 30/60/90-day plan is a written outline of what you’d be doing in the first 30 days, the first Sixty days, and the first 90 days on the career opportunity–like training, customer introductions, and going after new accounts.  If it’s specific to the company, it lets the hiring manager know that you’ve researched and prepared for THIS job, and you’re very interested in working for this particular company.

It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.  I wish you the best of luck.

Article courtesy of  Peggy McKee - Owner / Senior Headhunter at the nationally
recognized medical and clinical laboratory revenue recruiting team of PHC Consulting.
© Copyright 2008 PHC Consulting | All rights reserved

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How To Get a Job In Medical Sales If You Haven’t Worked In Sales