How To Increase Your Pharmaceutical Career Marketability

Biotech companies continue to grow and develop at a remarkable rate. Money Morning reports that up to 300 initial public offerings by biotech companies may happen this year. Considering that many other industries are struggling during this time of economic uncertainty, biotech jobs is a great area to look into if you are looking for a promising career. Furthermore, a simple pharmaceutical career search can help you find where the jobs are in the industry. One of the most stable and quickest growing areas is pharmaceutical sales. Related: 5 Awesome Healthcare Careers With Salaries Over 100k A pharmaceutical sales representative is a job that requires a wide range of skills, but it also offers high retention rates and a good earning potential if you can flourish in this role. While salaries vary on experience, location of your job, and other factors, it's a hot job market with a promising future. Here are some tips to help you take the right approach to becoming marketable to pharmaceutical companies:

---

Education

First, it's important that you earn a bachelor's degree, as many pharmaceutical companies have this as a requirement to work for them as a sales representative. Further, while many companies may not specify a degree type, it's ideal to pursue an education that can help you take what you learn and transition into a sales job easily. With this in mind, it's ideal to take a combination of business and science classes. PharmStorm recommends earning an MBA since this can improve your chances of earning a job in the pharmaceutical sales field.

Stand Out From The Crowd

Along with earning your degree, it's important you are able to stand out from other candidates in your field. Two ways you can accomplish this is by earning your Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative Certificate and receiving sales experience.

1. Certification: To earn your CNPR certificate, you should buy the Certification Pharmaceutical Sales Training Manual. This manual is a great guide that can help you prepare for the exam by showing you the type of material on the exam and ways to pass it. By obtaining your CNPR, you show pharmaceutical companies that you are an expert in your field and this can separate you from other candidates.
2. Experience: Another great way to enhance your marketability to pharmaceutical companies is for you to gain sales experience. You can start small by becoming an account manager or sales representative with a local company. By learning the sales trade and becoming successful, you will have a great sales record you can show to prospective employers while also gaining the real world skills necessary to succeed once you earn a pharmaceutical sales position.

Finding The Right Job

Once you gain the education, certification and experience, it's time to find a job in the field. While there are many career search websites you can visit, it's important to find one that can help you land the right job. Keep in mind that many companies won't post jobs on websites such as Monster because they will receive an overload of resumes and they have found it isn't the most effective way to find the right candidate. Instead, you should use a specialized site that is industry specific to your career.

Research

Once a company expresses interest in you, it's important to do research on them before the interview. This will benefit you in several ways. One, you'll learn about the company, its history, values and growth ahead of time. Armed with this information, it can be a determining factor in whether this company is the right fit for you. Further, you show the company you took the initiative to learn about them. This may give you the edge over other applicants. To recap, the biotech field continues to grow, as hundreds of IPOs will come out this year. This represents a significant amount of promise in the future of this industry and its job market. Additionally, hiring trends suggest that pharmaceutical sales continue to be a stable job for candidates to pursue, as it offers an attractive earning potential. A simple pharmaceutical career search can help you see just how many jobs are available in your area and what type of skills, education, and certifications you will need for this job. By doing this research ahead of time and by following the right approach, it can help you earn the skills and education you need to become marketable to pharmaceutical companies. While it takes hard work to get into the field, the rewards are well worth the work.

Related Posts

The Changing Trends In Healthcare CareersThe 10 Most Lucrative CareersTop 5 Pharmacist Jobs In The U.S. For 2013   Photo Credit: Shutterstock