The sales and marketing sector of the pharmaceutical industry is an extremely competitive and dynamic area of the business world.
Staff are required to sell and market new medicines and products to doctors, consultants, nurses and business managers - decision makers that ultimately choose the medications that are prescribed to patients.
It is a billion pound sector in the UK, with budgets for sales and marketing exceeding that spent on medical research. Recruitment agencies find it easier to find employment for staff with science-based degrees, but non-graduates who have experience in sales and marketing are also likely to find work should they have A-levels and five GCSEs.
Candidates must be resilient, dynamic and creative. They must also have a positive attitude, be hard-working and find it easy and enjoyable to communicate with others. It is also important to be able to listen to what the client is trying to get across.
Most new staff will undergo a three-month probationary period on gaining employment to train them thoroughly on the products they will be working with. Candidates who start as sales representatives can move quickly into managerial roles should they excel.
Wyeth, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Winthrop and Astra Zeneca are just some of the major employers in this sector. Salaries can start at £30,000 and rise quickly to £60,000.