Often seen as a “dream job” or “piece of cake” position, most pharmaceutical sales representatives will gladly debate this with anyone. Pharmaceutical sales jobs involve intense product studying and testing. Pharmaceutical sales representatives are expected to understand basic human anatomy, physiology and clinical pathology. They must also know the indications, usage, and side effects of the drugs they represent as well as know the competitor’s products in order to sell against them. A typical day for a pharmaceutical sales representative involves “calling on” or “detailing” 8-10 physicians a day and often 3-5 pharmacists a day. Many representatives do this while covering territory ranging from 60-200 mile radius. Most representatives are responsible for covering 100-200 physicians in their area. Access to these physicians can be very difficult and often provide a challenge to even the most Senior Pharmaceutical Sales Representative. Creativity is important to help the sales representative gain access to difficult to see physicians. The typical sales call is often less than 90 seconds unless the sales representative’s sales skills are perfected to grab the physician’s attention. All this being said, the role of the pharmaceutical representative is not easy. Top performers in pharmaceuticals must have great relationship skills and must know how to present their message. Not easy!