Now, delve into some tips for breaking into medical sales:
Tailoring your skills for medical sales
If you have a degree in biology, pharmacy, biomedical sciences or medical
engineering, you’ll be well-placed to bring your knowledge and expertise to
the field. However, it is possible to enter medical sales without a
non-science degree, and through showing business acumen from a sales or
marketing degree. Industry or relevant experience in nursing, healthcare,
sales, or marketing will help you standout. If you lack a science or
healthcare background, a robust sales background coupled with demonstrating
your ability to quickly grasp and master the intricacies of medicines and
therapies is essential.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills are crucial in medical
sales, as you will interact with healthcare professionals, discuss complex
products, and convey important information to potential customers. Highlight
your ability to adapt your communication style to different audiences.
Building strong relationships with healthcare professionals is also crucial,
so emphasise your ability to foster connections, establish trust, and
maintain long-term partnerships. Provide examples of relationship building
in your previous roles. Additionally, demonstrate adaptability and
resilience, showcasing your ability to handle changing circumstances,
rejection, and setbacks. Highlight situations where you demonstrated
resilience and achieved positive outcomes despite challenges.
Leveraging your experience
Experienced professionals from various industries can bring valuable skills
and perspectives to the medical sales field. Here are some routes to
consider:
Pharmaceutical or healthcare background
If you have experience working in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry
or you’re already on a medical sales career path but want to progress or
step change, you already possess valuable knowledge and understanding of the
sector.
Leverage your existing network and industry knowledge to explore medical
sales roles that align with your expertise. Get to know
what it means to be a medical sales rep
first-hand from people working in the role day-to-day, and remember to
tailor your CV for medical sales.
Sales and marketing experience
A background in sales and marketing is highly transferable to medical sales.
You’ll already possess
key traits to thrive in medical sales, such as being a good communicator. When it comes to applying and
interviewing for medical sales positions, highlight your ability to build
relationships, negotiate deals, and meet sales targets. Additionally,
emphasise any experience you have in the healthcare sector or working with
healthcare professionals as these relationships are key within medical
sales.
If you have no experience in healthcare, networking will be key. Find
trustworthy trade associations in your region. In the UK for example, there
is the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) or The Association of
British HealthTech Industries (ABHI).
Technical or scientific expertise
If you have a technical or scientific background, such as a degree in
biology, chemistry, or a related field, you can use your knowledge to excel
in medical sales and inform technical discussions. Your expertise will allow
you to effectively communicate with healthcare professionals, understand
product features, and address customer concerns.
You may also want to consider roles within
medical affairs. Find out
what a medical science liaison does
and
key soft skills needed to succeed
in the role.
Enter the exciting world of medical sales
If you are seeking a fulfilling and challenging career in the healthcare
industry, medical sales may be the perfect fit for you. At IQVIA, you’ll
find a breadth of roles and specialisms to challenge you, such as medical
device sales and pharmacy sales representative jobs.
Explore exciting
medical sales jobs
available at IQVIA and take the first step towards a rewarding career in
medical sales today.
