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Pharmaceutical Rep

  • The Real Poop

  • Typical Day

  • Salary

  • Power

  • Fame

  • Glory

  • Stress

  • Physical Danger

  • Qualifications

  • Odds of Getting In

  • Odds of Hanging On

  • Career as Depicted in Popular or Unpopular Culture

  • Tools of the Trade

  • Bell Curve

Home Careers Pharmaceutical Rep Odds of Getting In

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Pharmaceutical RepOdds of Getting In

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Pharma sales have a reputation of being recession proof: People always have ailments of one kind or another, and they keep on using drugs to chase away said ailments. Demand seems to be one step ahead of supply.

The competition is fierce, and many an aspiring pharma rep has taken more than a year to get the foot in the door. But odds favor aspirants who have a college degree and sales experience and a couple of internships with pharmaceutical companies.

So, well, you have a couple of years selling clothes or used cars or bicycles (high-end, mind you). For the non-collegiate crowd, the odds may not be so good. Not having that college degree tends to be a deal-breaker. Sure, we all know geniuses who never went to college or have a couple of college units under their belts. But like Tin Man in "Wizard of Oz," he may not have a brain, but he does have that degree. And so should you.

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