Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have the right background to get into the pharmaceutical and medical sales industry?
Entry-level pharmaceutical or medical sales positions most often require a Bachelor's Degree preferably in the sciences and at least 1-2 years of successful selling experience. Without this experience, it is extremely difficult to get an interview. Most medical companies want at least 1-2 years of outside sales experience, preferably selling tangible products in a business-to-business environment. Examples of this would be experience selling in telecommunications, business products or consumer product sales.Your resume should focus on your sales achievements and sales rankings. If you are a top achiever, your resume most likely will get noticed.
For medical sales positions, at least 1-2 years of sales experience is also required. Often times, medical sales positions require a specific background or education in a certain product line. These types of positions are more difficult to secure since the employer needs a more extensive background than an entry-level candidate can provide.
What skill sets are necessary for pharmaceutical and medical sales?
Each position requires a different set of skills and education. What we find most important, however, is the candidate's sales abilities. An employer will measure your future success against your past successes. Because of this, it is important to bullet your achievements on your resume to draw their attention to those accomplishments. Hiring managers want detailed information up front about your sales rankings, quota attainment, awards and percentage of market share growth. Make these numbers available on your resume.
What is an average income for entry-level position in pharmaceutical or medical sales?
Obviously, income levels vary according to the type of position, travel requirements, and difficulty of the work involved. Most companies offer a competitive base salary with potential to make additional amounts in bonus or commission. Typical entry level salaries are in the 50K range with added commission potential.
Is it possible to switch from a career in pharmaceutical sales to a career in medical sales?
Employers look at experience level and sales accomplishments first. If you can prove outstanding sales accomplishments, most employers will generally consider your experience. It is easier to switch, if you have some relevant experience selling products to the same customer base or physician specialty groups. (Example: If you are currently selling cardiovascular drugs and calling on cardiovascular physicians then a medical device company selling cardiovascular devices may be consider your background a fit. In addition, the medical device company may give more weight to your experience, if your resume shows proven sales accomplishments in that specific specialty.
The same concept is true if you are leaving medical sales to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals.
Where does Global Edge recruit?
We recruit nationwide. We have opportunities available throughout the United States, with occasional opportunities available in Canada & Puerto Rico. All positions are posted on our web site and updated weekly.
What happens after I submit my resume to Global Edge?
Your resume will be reviewed by one of our staff. In addition to this review, your resume will be entered into our database for future consideration. If we find that your qualifications match the needs of one of our current opportunities, we will contact you to further discuss your interest. Your resume will not be posted or seen by a potential employer until we have discussed the opportunity with you.
I have a background in _______. Do you think my background is a fit for the types of positions you fill?
In general, most employers we work with are seeking candidates with vary specific backgrounds, qualifications and skill sets. The top qualification typically is a proven sales record with documented success followed by a science background, if possible.
We work with candidates from many different backgrounds and welcome your application for consideration on any position. Position requirements are posted on each particular job order.
Can I hire Global Edge Recruiting to find me a job?
Our firm is a search and recruitment firm. Our clients represent some of the top medical companies in the US and around the world. We work on a contracted basis with these top medical companies to provide them with top sales talent on a per agreement basis.
While we are glad to assist you with career information and tips to get into this industry, we do not provide one-on-one aggressive employment searching program for candidates. When you submit your resume to our firm, it places you in a position to be recruited for the various positions we work on based on the qualification set by each of our client companies.
If you are seeking assistance in locating a position, you might want to reach out to an employment agency as this type of agency works one-on-one with candidates to find employment.
Are there any fees for using Global Edge?
Our fees are employer-paid.
