I was asked the other day an interesting question regarding whether it is presently a good time to apply for pharmaceutical rep jobs. Has the industry reached a peak? Is it in a slump or in between? Well, the answer is it depends on the company. Each pharmaceutical company goes through cycles where there seems to be growth in sales force numbers at times and then there are low periods where hiring freezes and even layoffs could occur. These depend largely on what's happening to the pharmaceutical company's product lines.
Many companies have been caught without new products for the market when suddenly some of their original blockbuster drugs got genericized or pulled from the market due to other factors. The drug Vioxx from Merck is such an example. With nothing else new to promote, sales forces can be cut back. During launches of new drugs, it is the opposite with huge sales force expansions with many new positions to fill.
My stance on this is that if one wants to get into the industry, it is important to get your name and face known to inside people such as pharmaceutical sales managers, especially well ahead of any hiring campaigns. This helps put you up front compared to the rest of the crowd and makes you a known entity before your competition. Sales managers would always prefer to hire known candidates with excellent skills and potential. If they already know you through previous meetings and referrals from others in the industry, your chances of getting hired during any sales force expansion will be much greater than if you just applied as an unknown at the time of pharmaceutical rep job postings.
So basically anytime is a good time to at least network with important contacts in the pharmaceutical industry whether companies are going through growth or slumps with their sales forces. I know that when I was a sales manager, I always liked meeting any good potential candidates no matter what part of the cycle my company was in. You might not get a job right away but at least you will get your name out there in front of the people who can help you break into the industry. I always kept the high potential people on file and when it came time to fill positions, they were always the first individuals to call.
I wrote "How To Get A Dream Job In Pharmaceutical Sales - Direct Inside Advice and Guidance from a Sales Manager" to help outsiders break into the industry. One of the most important chapters in the book is how and who to network with in the pharmaceutical industry so that you put yourself out in front of the right people. These are the people who can help you get your first pharmaceutical rep job.
Many companies have been caught without new products for the market when suddenly some of their original blockbuster drugs got genericized or pulled from the market due to other factors. The drug Vioxx from Merck is such an example. With nothing else new to promote, sales forces can be cut back. During launches of new drugs, it is the opposite with huge sales force expansions with many new positions to fill.
My stance on this is that if one wants to get into the industry, it is important to get your name and face known to inside people such as pharmaceutical sales managers, especially well ahead of any hiring campaigns. This helps put you up front compared to the rest of the crowd and makes you a known entity before your competition. Sales managers would always prefer to hire known candidates with excellent skills and potential. If they already know you through previous meetings and referrals from others in the industry, your chances of getting hired during any sales force expansion will be much greater than if you just applied as an unknown at the time of pharmaceutical rep job postings.
So basically anytime is a good time to at least network with important contacts in the pharmaceutical industry whether companies are going through growth or slumps with their sales forces. I know that when I was a sales manager, I always liked meeting any good potential candidates no matter what part of the cycle my company was in. You might not get a job right away but at least you will get your name out there in front of the people who can help you break into the industry. I always kept the high potential people on file and when it came time to fill positions, they were always the first individuals to call.
I wrote "How To Get A Dream Job In Pharmaceutical Sales - Direct Inside Advice and Guidance from a Sales Manager" to help outsiders break into the industry. One of the most important chapters in the book is how and who to network with in the pharmaceutical industry so that you put yourself out in front of the right people. These are the people who can help you get your first pharmaceutical rep job.
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