Breaking into Pharma jobs

From the outside, the ‘pharma jobs world’ correctly looks an attractive place to further your sales career – Pharma jobs carry good salaries, interesting products, an educated customer base, outstanding training and plenty of choice. If you’re currently employed in selling FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), financial services, IT or recruitment, pharma jobs could be the right place for you. So how do you go about setting up an interview?


The pharma jobs industry is looking increasingly outside of its traditional areas of recruitment from life science graduates, nursing and the like. As the NHS has evolved into more localised decision making over prescription products, so the industry has broadened its recruitment options for pharma jobs – looking for a wider variety of backgrounds and commercial experience.


Decision time

This is a diverse area of business – from household name brands to generic (off patent) products, from specialist hospital only drugs to products sold over the counter in retail pharmacy. Pharmaceutical companies themselves sit in wider sector of ‘healthcare’ – pharma jobs covers everything from medical devices, equipment, to biotechnology and private hospital services. Make some choices – decide which customers you’d prefer to deal with and what products you’d like to sell.


Do your research

Every company is different – people in pharma jobs all call on GPs and sell drugs, but they will differ in how they approach virtually every aspect of the work and the careers they can offer. Talk to your local chemist or doctor if you know them ( – introduce yourself if you don’t!). Make contact with some local people in pharma jobs and meet with them – you probably won’t be allowed to go out and see them at work – many companies have clamped down on this recently. Visit company web sites – they’ll all lay out products, customer care, careers etc.


Choose an agency

Most companies specialist agencies to help fill their pharma jobs – don’t just sign up with the first one that you see – check them out too. Ideally look for these characteristics in any consultant or agency –senior industry experience, a track record in placing people from outside the Industry and get a feel for their relationship with your ‘target’ company.

What are they looking for?

Pharma sales jobs require a number of key skills:

- communication (listening & talking)

- persuasiveness – selling & negotiating

- team working (many large companies share customers)

- planning & organisation


Skills are learned – the other area to consider is ‘attributes’ – who you are and how you do things – for example, your motivation, energy and honesty.

Sell yourself

Obvious really, isn’t it! Most people fail here – focus on communicating your current success and how that experience will help you be successful in pharma jobs. Remember – you probably understand your current markets and customers far better than a recruitment consultant or pharma manager. Use clear facts & figures – avoid jargon – talk from a few detailed real life situations that prove your ability in the skill areas.


How you communicate – the energy, sparkle and drive that comes through in your initial meetings will dictate how you are perceived.


You should now start preparing for your initial meeting with a manager – either in sales or from HR from your ‘target’ company. Listen carefully to any advice and tips from your agency and look at some other articles within the ‘pharmacareers Library’.