We have included this section to dispel many of the common myths and misconceptions that are rampant in the industry. Understanding the truth behind these myths will boost your confidence to go after a pharmaceutical sales job and make the possibility of landing your dream job more of a reality.

Myth #1:  "You can't get into pharmaceutical sales without sales experience."
This is absolutely the biggest misconception that keeps so many people out of the industry.  I am living proof that this is a myth!  I worked as a sales rep for not only one of the top ten drug companies worldwide, but also the largest medical products manufacturer in the world!  In addition, I broke into the industry with absolutely no prior sales experience while working in a restaurant. If there was anyone who was not qualified for the job...it was I! 

Myth #2:  "It is all who you know."
There is a bit of truth to this because the more people you know in the industry, the more contacts you have; the more contacts you have, the greater the likelihood that you will hear about job openings before everyone else does.  The key is that if you don't know anyone in the industry, get to know someone! 

Myth #3:  "You have to have a science degree to get in."
This is one of the biggest misconceptions I know.  You DO NOT need a degree in science or health care, but you MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE!!!!  I know people who are now living their dreams as pharmaceutical sales reps who have degrees in social work, general studies, psychology, education, marketing, psychology, retail science, merchandising, communication, and engineering, just to name a few.

Myth #4:  "I can't do the job, I don't know anything about health care or sales."
This relates back to Myth #3.  It doesn't matter if you don't know how to spell "ingrown toenail," they will train you from the most basic medical terminology through all aspects of what you need to know about your products and how to sell them.  After your training, you will know your products better than the physicians who are using them, and you will never complain about not having enough knowledge.

Myth #5:  "There is too much travel."
As a rep with both a leading pharmaceutical company and medical manufacturer for over nine years, I never had to travel overnight except to attend quarterly meetings or training seminars that usually lasted about three to five days.  While a pharmaceutical sales representative, I only covered about seven zip codes and some days never put more than 15 miles on my car. 

Myth #6:  "The big name companies pay more and are better to work for."
Oftentimes, the bigger companies can get away with paying smaller salaries because everyone wants to work for one of the major companies.  The size of the company has no correlation with its pay scale.  In many cases, companies with higher salaries offer smaller bonus/commission structures and companies with smaller salaries offer higher bonus/commission structures. 

Myth #7:  "I will have to relocate."
Not True!  I have helped numerous people get into the industry without having to relocate.  About 95% of the job seekers I have worked with landed a pharmaceutical job without relocating.  On the other hand, there is an advantage if your are willing to relocate because many of the companies will send you to a smaller city or town for your first assignment, and then, after about one year, you can request a transfer to a city of your choice. 

Myth #8:  "The work load, demands, and hours are unbearable."
The truth is that you can work long hours, or you can work less by working smarter.  I NEVER worked more than forty hours a week as a pharmaceutical sales rep, and I always exceeded my sales quotas and held a top 10 regional sales ranking out of more than 125 reps. 

Myth #9:  "Because I live in a small town, there are fewer opportunities."
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!  If there is a medical practice in your town (no matter how small), there are reps calling on the physicians and trying to sell them their products.  I worked in a smaller town in Louisiana, and we had five reps from our company in that one city.  If you add up the hundreds of companies and multiply them times three to fifteen reps in each city, the number of career opportunities in even the small towns will astound you.

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