Anonymous writes:
Hello, I am writing you to ask you for some expertise help on what would be
the best way to go about a pharmaceutical sales rep job — like what should
I major in? Whether to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree? Any info you
could give me would be more that appreciated…. Thank you very much.
The Career Doctor responds:
Before I totally address your questions, let me first get on my soap box.
Over the last couple of years, the sexiest job opportunity for college grads
and career changers has been pharmaceutical sales representative. During
that same period, I think the most misunderstood job opportunity has been
that of pharmaceutical sales representative. Most of the job-seekers I’ve
talked with have this illusion that the job is glamorous, offers autonomy,
and pays amazingly well. The reality is that this career requires a lot of
work and determination — and if chasing doctors is your idea of glamour,
then so be it. High earnings potential? Yes, with the right company, in
the right location, with the right amount of persistence.
I know some former students and clients who are in pharmaceutical sales
and love it — while others who thought it was their dream career have
changed careers yet again. So just do your research and go into this
career with a realistic view.
Requirements vary by company, but the basic package you should have
is a bachelor’s degree (in any field, though a business field might give
you an edge) and previous sales experience (through summer jobs, internships,
etc.). An interest in science/medicine is beneficial, but not necessary.
Master’s degrees are generally not required — and may make it harder
for you to land an entry-level position.
Because of the popularity (and demand) surrounding pharmaceutical sales,
there are numerous books and other sources of information about this career.
Your best bet? Use your network to find a couple of people currently working
as pharmaceutical sales reps and conduct informational interviews to learn
more about their impressions and experiences. Informational interviews are
highly focused conversations with established professionals that provide
you with key information you need to launch or boost your career — and
can often provide you with critical feedback about breaking into a career,
your credentials, and more.
Learn more about informational interviews in the
Informational
Interviewing Tutorial published on Quintessential Careers.
Conduct research on pharmaceutical sales rep jobs by visiting this section of
Quintessential Careers: Jobs
in Health Care, Medicine, Pharmaceuticals, and Social Work.
Patricia writes:
I would like to get information on marketing as a career. Where I should go and
what would my major be? And what are the job prospects and types of jobs available?
The Career Doctor responds:
Remember that I am just a bit biased about marketing, okay? If you
want to have a career in the one area of any business or organization that is
integral to its success, then you want a career in marketing. Marketing is all
about developing (superior) products or services consumers need, and
delivering them at the highest level of customer satisfaction as possible.
Marketing is both an art and a science. Without successful marketing,
no organization can survive — because without marketing, you don’t
have any customers.
You don’t need do major in marketing in college, but I would strongly consider it.
You might also consider communications, public relations, psychology, and sociology as possible majors or minors. More importantly, once you are in
college, you need to get the marketing experience — as much as possible —
through volunteering, school projects, campus organizations, and internships
or co-ops. The experiences will be invaluable in not only helping you land a
great job upon graduation, but also fine-tuning your specifics interests
within the field of marketing.
I define marketing as delivering customer satisfaction at a profit… and there
are many career opportunities in performing marketing, such as: services marketing, brand management, retailing, distribution, sales, research, advertising, public relations, business-to-business marketing, political marketing, international marketing, direct marketing, non-profit marketing, and more.
Marketing is a hot field — and expected to keep growing for the next decade,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
with services and business-to-business marketing having the most opportunities.
You can learn more about marketing and marketing careers by going to the
Website of the professional organization of marketing:
The
American Marketing Association.
You can also get a feel for jobs and careers in marketing by going to the
marketing job sites found in this section of Quintessential Careers:
Jobs in Business,
Management, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Sales.
See if your library has this book — a great source of information —
Opportunities in Marketing Careers, by Margery Steinberg (McGraw-Hill).
Dawn writes:
I am interested in a fast-paced career. I have started going to college this
year for business management. I have little knowledge of what is out there
for the future. Would like some ideas and steps that will help me achieve that.
The Career Doctor responds:
I could not possibly begin to mention all the potential jobs you could get
with a degree in business, but I think it’s very wise of you to begin thinking
about it now because as you develop some ideas about career paths, you
can choose elective courses to help you specialize in one or more areas —
and, perhaps more importantly, you can begin to develop a list of prospective employers and internship possibilities to gain experience — and to make
sure the career you think you want is actually something you would enjoy doing!
So, here is your homework.
First, start researching careers in management. Key sources for you are:
your management professors (even ones you have not had for a class yet)
and adviser, the career services office at your college, and online sources (such as the fantastic Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor).
Second, develop a list of your skill sets (and document those skills through
accomplishments in school projects and work experience). Skills you should
have as you progress through your business degree include leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, written and verbal communications, teamwork, planning, organizing, and decision-making.
Third, start thinking of an internship for the summer. Some of the most coveted summer internships
have very early deadlines and better to start researching now and be ready
then to discover you just missed a deadline.
And to get a feel for the types of jobs out there, check out this section of
Quintessential Careers: Jobs
in Business, Management, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Sales.
Jenna writes:
I am currently trying to chose a career path. I will be going to college
soon taking medical radiography (to become an x-ray and ultrasound
technician); however, I don’t think this is the career I really want (bad
hours and too much human suffering). I want to do something that is a
little unusual — not your average job. I want to retire early … comfortably.
I want to learn a lot of new things on my way. Some ideas I’ve had are:
commercial pilot, architect, something in astrophysics… What I really
want are ideas for cool careers. Careers that when someone asks you
what you do for your living, they feel intimidated by your answer! I don’t
know what’s out there. Hopefully you do! So… any great ideas?
The Career Doctor responds:
What’s out there as a career for you? It’s a cliché, but it’s true: if you
have the intelligence, the determination, and the resources, just about
any career path can be yours.
But, don’t think so much about one career shaping the rest of your life;
think more about a series of careers that span your lifetime, some of
which may be related.
So, the first big question is why are you majoring in something — perhaps
even attending a specific college because of it — that you have no real interest
in ever doing? Why not look into other colleges and careers before you make that final choice?
As for other careers…the best sources are your teachers and your family…
you can also conduct a lot of career research online, using such sources as
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Because you have a wide range of interests, it might also be helpful to take
one or more career assessment tests; these tests work well in conjunction
with you own assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as
your likes and dislikes.
As you think about majors, you might want to read my article,
Choosing a
College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path.
You also might find these two areas of Quintessential Careers especially helpful:
Tabitha writes:
I read about you in the magazine “Private Colleges and Universities” that I received in the mail.
I am a junior in high school at the moment, and I am totally lost when it comes to figuring out
what colleges I want to apply to. How do I start? I’m getting a lot of pressure to develop a list,
and I am totally clueless!
The Career Doctor responds:
The junior year is perhaps the
most critical year in high school — at least in terms of implications for your future.
It’s during the junior year that you’re often taking the tough courseload, prepping for the SATs, thinking about careers, and deciding about attending college —
while also developing an initial list of colleges that interest you.
The good news? You have a year to really contemplate some of the issues I’ll
discuss here. The college admissions process begins in earnest for you about this
time next year.
So, here you are, with hundreds and hundreds of college possibilities out there. How
can you narrow the list? One of the best resources is your high school’s guidance counselor. I know that in some public high schools, these folks are way overworked
and have way too many advisees to know each one — thus, it is your job to make
sure your guidance counselor knows who you are and what your interests are. Later,
it will be important that he/she knows which of your college choices are your favorites
in case one of the colleges calls to inquire about you.
But, don’t stop there. Talk with your family, friends, and neighbors. Find out where
adults you respect went to college. Go to the library and start looking through the
various college guide books, such as The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
(Find more books in our Teen College Books.)
Next, go online to one (or more) of the many college-choice Websites and
search for college by programs, type, size, and location…or just browse through the lists.
(Find more college-related sites in our College
Planning Resources for Teens.) Finally, watch for college fairs and visits from colleges
at your high school — and attend as many of those as you need.
At this stage in the game, don’t rule out any college based on cost. Many private
colleges have a high cost, but counter those costs
with attractive scholarships and aid packages to attract the better students. The ideal
scenario would be to have a list of 20 or so by the end of the year … then narrow it down
some more and visit that smaller list over the spring and summer.
Need more specifics about the process? Read my article,
Choosing
a College that’s Right for You, published on Quintessential Careers.
You can also find more tips and suggestions in my
College
Admissions Do’s and Don’ts, published on Quintessential Careers.
Finally, be sure to check out our work related to college admissions:
Answers to Common
College Admissions Questions.
Louis writes:
I am 31 years old and have just completed an associate’s degree in computer
networking and then went on to complete a B.S. degree in computer science.
I am now studying for a B.S. in business administration. Then I will be
continuing on for my MBA. I am currently working as a computer analyst
making only $30,000 a year. What types of salaries should I expect
after completing all four of these degrees? I intend on being a project
manager. Am I wasting my time and money on education? Or will I be
able to command salaries of over $60K to $70K because of the
education that I intend to complete. What is a good career progression?
And how should I go about progressing to that upper salaried positions.
The Career Doctor responds:
I think far too many job-seekers put too much emphasis on salary when
researching careers or conducting career planning. Yes, what we earn is
important to our feelings of self-worth and self-esteem, but let’s not
overlook the importance of the intrinsic value of enjoying what you do.
So, if project management really excites you — and you can make a
good living doing it — then that’s a good match for you. Please do be
careful of picking careers or jobs simply based on how much you’ll
be able to make. And in this job market, many job-seekers would
love a job where they are making only $30,000 a year.
I do want to congratulate you on the ability to balance working and
attending classes at the same time, because not everyone can do
that, and while it will take you longer to reach your educational and
career goals, you’ll be a more experienced and well-rounded job-seeker.
How can you best determine if project management is a good match for
you — both in terms of your interests, skills, and education — as well
as your salary requirements? Hit the online job boards and examine
as many project management positions as you can find. Not only will
this research help with your career goals, but you’ll be able to compile
a list of keywords and phrases that employers use when seeking project
managers. Once you have those keywords, you should be sure that you
use them in your resumes and cover letters.
You should also consider conducting a few informational interviews
with people who are currently involved in project management. Not
only will these interviews help build your network, you’ll also learn a
great deal about the skills, experience, and education valued in that
profession.
Go to this section of Quintessential Careers to find job sites where
you can conduct research: Best
Job Sites for Job-Seekers.
Learn more about informational interviewing by using the
Informational
Interviewing Tutorial found at Quintessential Careers.
Ellie writes:
I started attending college recently. In college, everybody is asking
each other about their majors. I still haven’t decide what I should major.
I have always had a interest in dramatic arts. But I’m afraid I can’t do it.
I’m Chinese, and I have a hard time trying to speak in front of people. I
don’t know if I should pick dramatic arts. If I pick a wrong major now, I’m
afraid I will regret it later.
The Career Doctor responds:
My best words of advice for you — and the many, many other college students
experiencing similar feelings? The three R’s: relax, reflect, research. College
is a time to really discover what the adult within you wants to do with your
life — or at least the next phase of your life. Use this first year of college to
really explore who you are, what you like, and what you want to do.
Experiment. Take a variety of classes. Talk with older students in different
majors. Meet with professors and talk with them about careers. Go to the
career services office of your college and take some career interest
assessments. Research potential majors, careers, and jobs. Join a
variety of student organizations.
And don’t feel pressured to make any decisions right away. Most first-year students take very similar courses — regardless of their major — as most
colleges have a set of foundation or core courses that all students must complete.
Yes, some students enter college knowing exactly what they want to major
in — perhaps even knowing their career goals too — but that doesn’t mean
you have to jump to any decision right away.
What should you do? Consider trying out for a small role in a college play.
If you’re not taking one of these courses this semester, consider taking a
public speaking or theatre class next semester; even if you decide to go in
a different career direction, learning how to be comfortable speaking in front
a group will be invaluable skill to master. You should also examine what it
is about the dramatic arts that most interests you; this assessment will
help you better understand yourself and other potential careers/majors
should you decide not to major in dramatic arts.
For more advice and resources, please read my article published on
Quintessential Careers: Choosing
a College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path.
And for all you first-year students trying to make the transition from home
and high school to college, read this article on Quintessential Careers:
Your
First Year of College: 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year and Beyond.
Rachel writes:
I am currently 15 years old and in the 10th grade. Since I
only have two more years left to really do my career planning and college planning,
I was wondering if you could help me in any way. I would really love to become a
magazine editor and I’m just not sure where to start at. For instance, what I should
major in. If you can help me in any way, please email me back! Thanks!
The Career Doctor responds:
I first need to give you a hearty congratulations, Rachel, for thinking about your
career at such an early age. I think high school is a great time to begin thinking
about the things you really enjoy doing — and then researching careers that
match those interests.
Magazine editors, as you probably already know, need to have a strong grasp
on the English language, have good people skills, and good organizational skills.
Most editors were first writers who then progressed up the ladder to assistant
editors, associate editors, and then editors.
So, your first step is really to learn more about the career. What really attracts
you to the idea of being a magazine editor? There certainly is some glamour
attached to the job, but you need to do the research to see all the hard work
that goes along with the job. It’s never too early to contact a few editors and
ask if they would allow you to conduct an informational interview with them.
An informational interview is where you meet and discuss jobs and careers —
where you can learn much more about a career field, and where you can
begin to build your network.
The two most important things you can do now is find a good college where
you can take more writing classes and start getting writing experiences. A
college with a journalism program is helpful, partly because the professors
may have more contacts in the field, but really any college that has a strong
writing program would work. And experience is critical. Start writing for your
high school publications and consider freelancing for your town’s newspaper.
Once in college, strive for editorial internships and more experience.
Find lots more resources in the
Career Exploration
Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
And find lots of college resources in the
College Planning
Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
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