Generic Pharma

Whether you are already working in healthcare and looking for a change to the area of pharmacy or vice versa, there are some things you should know before considering making a change in your career path.

It can be difficult to know if a new role is suited to your experience and skills and it is all too easy to go down the wrong route. So many people think about making the change without knowing if the job will suit them and as many as 50% are interviewed for healthcare jobs without really understanding why they are there, many simply do not know what they really want to do, and many more just feel like a change. In fact less than 25% of people really understand the role of a health care sales person and turn up at interview for the right reasons.

It is important to understand the difference between the role of medical sales rep in the pharmaceutical business and that of healthcare rep, as there are very real differences. Within the pharmaceutical business the role of medical sales rep will be larger and more structured, within a decidedly m ore beureacratic organisation. And the role of pharma rep can be best described and under very close management with close monitoring of performance.

In pharmaceuticala it is very difficult to measure sales as compared to healthcare, analysis is done by postcode bricks with information arriving 2 months late and it can also be difficult to assess as there could be several medical reps on a given territory all contributing to the overall sales figures. Because of these anomalies it can be hard to calculate highs and lows, and this can be an advantage if you are not so good, but hard on those who are high achievers.

Within the area of healthcare jobs the scenario is very different; sales generally requires a deal or contract to be actually signed which has the benefit of giving the rep information as to how much he has sold and when. Making month end assessments is easy and quite straightforward with a simple maths calculation being all that is required. This aspect of the healthcare jobs business makes it less formal in terms of management than pharma jobs. It is easy to see who is achieving and therefore time saving in terms of monitoring.

The environment within healthcare jobs industry is a simpler structure than that of pharmacy, with there generally being a tier of medical reps, managers and perhaps on national sales manager. A downside can be less opportunity for progression, but this also means less ‘politics’, you are more likely to know your fellow workers too which leads to a more close environment.

A word of advise pharma jobs are a safer bet for those who are not very good at sales, if you start to fail in the heathcare industry it will soon be noticed. The world of pharmaceuticals is at present a safer sales environment, however this will change. In pharma you will not be under pressure to get signature after each call and need not be too strong at closing deals. As on of possible 4 reps in your area you should have no problems. In healthcare sales jobs you may well be alone and this can be very difficult.

Before making a change consider your reasons, and don’t more from your present job for the wrong reason, such as just wanting a change or thinking there will be big money- this is possible but you must be a good sales person. If you cant get along with your manager try to sort out why instead of ‘running for the hills’/

To succeed in the area of healthcare sales jobs you really need to be a good salesperson. If you are you will undoubtedly to well and prosper, but remember there is limited opportunity for progression and if you are ambitious you will soon become disheartened. On the other hand if you don’t mind tight management structures and are ambitious then pharma is more likely to suit you.

However, don’t despair, if you make a mistake and don’t like your new post it is not so difficult move make the move back as working between the two industries is fairly easy.