If you have been to PharmBoard.com before, you are probably looking to break into pharmaceutical sales or move onto to another opportunity within this industry. This site gives you informative articles on various aspects of pharma job search, industry news, networking opportunities and more. But, we at PharmBoard.com thought it would be even better if we shared what a real PharmBoard.com member has to say about his experiences breaking into the industry and using PharmBoard.com.

Gibber, his PharmBoard.com name, graciously agreed to be our guinea pig and allowed us to interview him. We queried Gibber on his career before pharmaceutical sales, how he found us, his path into pharmaceutical sales and what benefits he found by using the information contained on PharmBoard.com. Read on for his answers. Thanks Gibber!

PharmBoard.com (PB): Did you have any pharmaceutical sales experience at all, before you landed you current position?

Gibber (G): No. My immediate position prior to pharma was (sic) an owner of a dry cleaning establishment, which I did for 5 years. Prior to that I worked for the largest uniform rental company in the country, as a sales rep.

PB: So, you had sales experience before getting a job in this industry. Now, how did you discover PharmBoard.com?

G: When I began my search for a pharma job I slammed the Internet for information, probably spending about 4 to 5 hours each day gleaning all the info I could find. I was on another site, when a pharmboard member said to me “Come to the other side…..it’s better over here!” So, I immediately checked it out and never looked back.

PB: That’s great, it is always nice to hear our members are satisfied enough to refer us to others. Gibber, has the information on pharmbaord.com helped you with your pharma search? And, if so, what specifically has worked for you?

G: Yes, immensely! I learned about everything, from brag book s to business plans. I had a few interviews before I learned of pharmboard and I realize now how silly I must have looked coming into those interviews completely unprepared. The folks on pharmboard raised me and helped me go fully armed into each and every interview…from basic information to detailed information about the company I was interviewing with next.

PB: So, it is fair to say that PharmBoard.com contributed to your successes. Please share some of those successes with other members.

G: Well, I got hired! I have also done very well since starting because of the information I have received from pharmboard. Not necessarily competitive info, but general industry information, that has helped me develop my own personal strategy for success.

PB: It sounds like you have used all the available information to your advantage and really maximized your membership. So, Gibber, what position do you hold today?

G: I am a Territory Representative and I started in November 2003.

PB: Since beginning your pharma sales career, what has been your biggest challenge in this industry?

G: Time management. I spend a lot of hours working at home the night before with pre-call planning and prepping for the next day. I enjoy it greatly, and maybe do too much of it….but as the saying goes, “Plan your work and work your plan”. I kind of consider myself the Peyton Manning of the industry.

PB: Well, Manning has said that people can’t understand why he spends so much time preparing for just a three hour game, but he thinks it makes it very gratifying to win after all that planning, so your philosophy of a lot of pre-call planning makes sense. Gibber, we appreciate your time, so in closing what advice would you give to any of our members who are looking to break into pharmaceutical sales?

G: Obviously, patience. But, having said that, I don’t want to infer that someone should be patient in their search. Just be patient in actually finding a position. The jobs are out there to be had. A person must go all out to find them…job fairs, current rep referrals, internet postings…find the jobs and go get them. Treat every interview like it’s your last one and of course, by all means, close at each interview. Let the interviewer know that if you aren’t hired that they just let the competition have the best rep available.

PB: Excellent advice, Gibber. Thanks again for your time and best of luck as you continue in pharma sales.

I graduated from college in March of 2002, and had applied everywhere for a pharm sales job. I was contacted by a recruiter at Glaxo, but it never really went anywhere.

I continued to apply everywhere, but knew I’d have to take the first job I could find with the economy being the way that it was. I took a job in marketing for a huge healthcare company, but knew it was only a one year gig at best. I stopped my search for awhile to take a break and enjoy my first “real” job.

About eight months into it, I knew I still wanted to do sales, but I was still interested in the healthcare/medical aspect from my job in healthcare. I kept running across openings for Takeda, and read up on them…I was really, really drawn to their progressive nature, and was interested in giving it a shot. I deluged HR with resumes and never heard anything. I got fed up so I searched on Google for over an hour and a half, and FINALLY found the name of a DM…I had no clue if he was hiring or anything, but I just wanted an actual person to get in touch with. I noodled around their site, figured out how their email addresses were formatted, and sent it off to the DM whose name I had found.

He got in touch with me a few days later, saying he had an opening and had JUST started interviewing. It turns out he knows a cousin of mine (small world) and said he’d be willing to meet with me. It sounded like a combination of a favor and some interest in how I’d found him in the first place.

I wound up having 3 f2f interviews with him, and the third one had another DM there who also had an opening. I left there exhausted….these took place over about 5 weeks and I had to drive 3-4 hours one way to get to his territory (which is also where I knew I’d have to relocate). They called about 2 hours after I left, saying I had been chosen to meet the RM. 5 days later on a Wednesday, I was on a plane to Chicago for a 40 minute interview which went well. I was called with the verbal offer two days later, on a Friday. (Still waiting on my offer package, which I’m guessing will arrive this week due to the holiday.)

During my Takeda interviewing, I was contacted by a Pfizer rep who wanted to meet with me before submitting me as a referral. (When it rains, it pours.) But, I knew Takeda was what I wanted, and I made no bones about it in my interview.

I didn’t network directly, per se, but I jumped through hoops to ensure that I stood out. I hunted down a DM directly a nd didn’t leave him any reason to not at least meet with me once. Just that one thing wound up having me as who they chose, and he assured me the competition was stiff. I had no experience, either, so YES, it can be done. It’s all about getting in front of a PERSON.

I learned a lot about what they needed and what they were looking for by listening a LOT. I listened to what the DM said, of course, but there were certain statements that were “hints” as to what he needed from an employee. They weren’t overt, but they’re there if you listen for them…pick up on them and match them to your skillset.

I read through Knock ‘Em Dead and Lisa Lane’s book. Both were helpful, and I combined advice from both to make it through the rigorous interviewing process. I think pharmboard was a big help, particularly in not knowing how to take things the DM said/did. The experience that people have had here is absolutely invaluble.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have done one thing differently. I think my soon-to-be-DM feels the same way. I magically appeared in his inbox, and they are pretty careful about not posting email addresses anywhere. He was impressed with my patience and tenacity in finding him, and we built a good rapport.

If you don’t get it the first time, keep trying….a lot of the success depends on the chemistry that you have with the person who is interviewing you. I wasn’t fond at all of the Pfizer rep that I was communicating with, and it certainly didn’t bolster my faith in how I’d get along with his boss. Selling is relationships, so make sure they’re good ones!

Your persistence WILL pay off. I have yet to come across someone who tried to get in for years and never made it…eventually, you do. The persistence will make you less and less nervous in the interview process and you will learn a lot. Trust me on this…if I can do it, you certainly can also.

Hang in there, best of luck, and I cannot wait to read all of YOUR success stories!

My first Pharma interview came from TAP at the end of January. I became upset when I saw an ad in the Sunday paper for the territory I had phone screened for and was still showing awaiting f2f. So I sent resume’s the next day via fax, e-mail and Fed-Ex. Low and behold it was for their Lupron Division and not the GI expansion we were all so wrapped up in around this board. I did well enough to be asked to fly to corporate, only to be called a few days later and be told corporate shot me down due to lack of 1 yr Pharma experience. I was bummed for a day or two but the members on this board and my own fortitude picked me up and brushed me off. The end of Feb I interviewed with Innovex and was a close second. That DM stayed in touch. In March of 03 I interviewed with PDI, Pfizer, BI and BMS. 1 week from my first Interview with PDI I accepted their offer. I have been with them since the first week of April. While at training for PDI the Innovex DM called with a job offer as did BMS. Pfizer I knew, I did not do well at that interview as it was three days after I accepted PDI’s offer and I was almost to relaxed. BI I did well and was surprised I did not get offered but the DM has been in touch twice to see if I was interested still.

My territory consists of 160 Doctors with a mix of 40% in the cities and 60% rural areas. Since May 1, I have put almost 12,000 miles on the company car and it is all work related. I have about a 17 working day call cycle. The nice thing about PDI is there is less stress and no speaker programs to keep you away from the family a few nights a week, unless you want to attend with the counterparts from the companies we are contracted with.

During the course of my search I read Anne Clayton’s book and David Curriers book. The key to success I believe is three fold. First, Patience. Second, Persistence. Third, Networking. They do not need be in that order. However, it is my belief that if one of those pieces are missing and you get into this field you are one of the few lucky ones. Networking by far, I found to be the most effective way of getting my resume into the hands of a desicion maker. Recruiters were of no help in my search. The company web sites I found to be of value only for research. Go out and get the local reps cards and start calling them or e-mailing them. They are the ticket into this show. Network with and learn from others on this board as well as those reps you do come in contact with. You never know when you may run into them in the field.