Clint Cora is an author, motivational keynote speaker and a consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. He holds a bachelor's degree in science, as well as a master's of business administration. He also has 14 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, working as a hiring manager, trainer and in product sales. Cora blogs regularly about pharmaceutical sales jobs on his website, Pharmaceutical Sales Drug Representative Jobs Blog. The blog features instructional videos, motivational features and other helpful tips for those looking to pursue a career in this field. After realizing how competitive the market is for his former profession, Cora created a free 30-minute webinar video full of information about the industry and how to launch a successful career in it at GetPharmaceuticalSalesJob.com.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
Initially, I got into pharmaceutical sales because of my science degree. I very quickly realized that there is not much you can do with a science degree, especially since I did not want to do research or medicine. I went back to school and earned my MBA, and I thought that science and business was perfect for working in pharmaceutical sales.

How did your education help you in your career?
The basic science classes I took helped, but it is not absolutely required if someone is a fast learner. Pharmaceutical companies will always train new sales representatives on the science knowledge that they need to have about a particular product or products. Still, having a good grasp on science doesn't hurt. With the MBA, I did presentations and other projects that prepared me for a selling career. It's a good thing to have to get into this particular field. A degree of some sort is always needed, even if it's not in science or business. Back in the day you could get away with not having one, but today there are too many qualified candidates so you really need a degree. Again, it doesn't have to be in science or business, but it does have to be in something that proves that you are trainable.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Good communication skills are important, which is not a given for some graduates. You're going to have to do presentations. Selling skills are also helpful. It's good to have some experience in sales, even if it was just a summer job working at retail jobs. But again, it's not necessary because people can be taught how to sell during the training (that all pharmaceutical sales representatives undergo). You have to be relatively effective working independently and be self-motivated. You work on your own, so it's important to be able to schedule your own workdays. It's a good type of freedom, but not everyone can handle it.

What do you do on a typical workday?
Basically, you may be calling on five to 10 doctors per day. You could be going to doctor's offices, clinic or hospitals and interacting with them, or interacting with nurses. You also interact with retail and hospital pharmacies. Depending on your geography, you might have an entire city in your range, or you may work in the outskirts and have to drive overnight to the small towns that also have doctors there. There's a lot of driving around.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Somebody who is a good communicator, but likes independence. That being said, they also have to be a good team player when it's called for because sometimes you may have to work with other drug representatives for a project. You also have to be able to take rejection. Like any other selling environment, you have to know how to take no for an answer.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
Pharmaceutical sales has a very good reputation of having lots of perks. But there is a lot of competition to get into it. Most jobs are not posted, and those that are get hundreds of resumes. I know, because I've been the person going through those resumes before. It's easy for you to get lost in all of those resumes. The industry is notorious for spitting out candidates after the first interview. It is tough. My advice would be to research as much as possible into the company and industry before you even apply. Networking is very helpful too because the more people you know, the better. It's important to know these things because if you don't blow a company out of the water on your first try, you blow your chances.