Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs for UK Graduates

The average day of a pharmaceutical sales representative can be long but rewarding. In the morning, sales professionals attend meetings with their sales managers to discuss their call sheet and any sales appointments that they have for the day. As well, these meetings can include sales quotas, company information, and motivational techniques to keep sales people on their game. Sales people begin their day in earnest by making calls to hospital administrators, doctors, and other medical professionals to discuss their company’s products. Business lunches and office visits to returning clients are necessary for sales people to close sales. Paperwork and returning phone calls late in the day finishes off the day for salespeople. The typical day lasts eight to ten hours, with some days lasting twelve hours at the end of a sales cycle.

Graduates interested in learning the pharmaceutical business or want to make a difference in peoples’ lives should consider a job as a pharmaceutical salesperson. The market is great for young professionals and graduates interested in these jobs, as pharmaceutical companies rely on an increasing number of sales people to sell prescription drugs and medical equipment. Often, pharmaceutical companies in the UK and Europe will offer an extensive training program and apprenticeship to help sales people become more comfortable with the industry and the products sold. The boom of pharmaceutical companies on the European continent has meant more sales jobs available to graduates.

While graduates interested in sales jobs want to consider pharmaceuticals, they need to think about a few challenges in their early career. There is tremendous turnover in general sales departments, with pharmaceutical companies constantly recruiting for jobs. The main reason is that young professionals and graduates move onto different industries or are promoted within companies to management positions. Advancement possibilities are good for graduates but the competition among sales people is tremendous. The stress of meeting quotas in a competitive marketplace can be too much for graduates just out of university.

There are many benefits to pharmaceutical sales jobs in the United Kingdom and Europe. While base pay for entry level sales people is in the low to mid 20,000 pounds, the sales incentives easily put that into the low 30,000 pound level. As well, pharmaceutical companies offer great pensions, benefits, and perks to keep talented sales people in their ranks. Graduates who find that they enjoy the work and have the right skills to succeed also find personal rewards, which allow for a better work environment and possible advancement in the future.

Rupal Patel is the Marketing Manager at JustClick, who are a leading source of Graduate Jobs and Graduate Careers, also offering a Graduate Lifestyles portal with news and reviews on current affairs.