Car Rental to Pharma Sales

[Anonymous]

I've always heard that car rental sales can be a path to pharma or medical sales, because you can get good, solid b2b experience. Would love to know if this is really still true?

[Anonymous]

I have known several that have made the leap. Usually with smaller pharma cos though. It all depends on what you have done in the industry. At the very least, rental reps usually work long hours and that will say something for your work ethic.

[Anonymous]

Head towards Medical Sales, and stay away from pharma. More hours in Medical Devices, but a lot more money. And if you stay in pharma for a period, it is tough to get out, because managers think that pharma reps are lazy. Believe me, I went through it, and had to explain "how I was different from other pharma reps".

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Many of us in medical sales still snicker behind the backs of ex-car rental guys. I see more and more managers getting away from hiring the Enterprise guys. The only way I see this working for you in this tough job market where you are competing against a lot of seasoned professionals who have been layed off is if you have an excellent science education background. No one wants a psych major with no experience other than car rental to be telling doctors about the latest implant. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

Hey Car rental manager, go screw yourself and you spammy advertising for the "other" site. We are discussing it here.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot od peope discussing it i see

[Anonymous]

Why Pharma anyhow?

I saw females getting hired at GSK with Enterprise experience, and not of it.

That being said, the market is overcrowded and really not as sweet as many assume it is. I am actually on this board to look for a way out of pharma with years of experience.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, pharma can be good, but it is difficult for most right now and may get worse. It looks like the future will be in biotech for pharma. They will need reps who are more like consultants for the complex products

[Anonymous]

pharma is declining...medical sales is the way to go

[Anonymous]

I am not sure I would call the Car Rental industry sales. The car rental folks do work long hours, but that is their culture. I would take someone straight out of college before the car rental industry.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure I would call the Car Rental industry sales. The car rental folks do work long hours, but that is their culture. I would take someone straight out of college before the car rental industry.


I don't see a lot of candidates going directly from car rental to pharma. But I do see car rental on a number of pharma candidate's resumes. I guess it does show the ability to work hard if nothing else -- if they stay in the position for a while at least.

[Anonymous]

unless you actually do Contract Sales, which at Enterprise you do not, car rental is NOT sales...


But yes, they will hire you.

And to the poster who ased why you would go?

umm...


Double the money?




(and yeah, it really is)

get a recruiter.

[Anonymous]

Former hiring pharma dm here, now in medical device sales in a highly specialized field...

I always preferred the following backgrounds;
copiers, uniform sales, soda/beer sales, basically where you are actually selling to other businesses. rent a car reps. didn't disqualify you at all, it is just if i had a good copier rep in front me, he/she would probably get the job.

[Anonymous]

Device or pharma: just get yourself out there and network/pitch yourself to as many people in the industry you can. No matter what your experience has been in... if you are hungry, want in and are confident in your success/self, you will get in. Go after an offer exactly as you would a doctor. Be creative and a little crazy. Eventually you will peak the right attentions. I was door-to-door before landing a spine position w/in a year out of college.

[Anonymous]

Former hiring pharma dm here, now in medical device sales in a highly specialized field...

I always preferred the following backgrounds;
copiers, uniform sales, soda/beer sales, basically where you are actually selling to other businesses. rent a car reps. didn't disqualify you at all, it is just if i had a good copier rep in front me, he/she would probably get the job.

If I work for a Xerox sales agency for a while and have good numbers, would that qualify me a little better. In your opinion how many years of selling for Xerox do I need before getting into medical device sales? What about Pharm Sales? I talked to different Pharm reps, and they say the industry is not the same anymore and they are getting out of it. What's your take on that? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

If I work for a Xerox sales agency for a while and have good numbers, would that qualify me a little better. In your opinion how many years of selling for Xerox do I need before getting into medical device sales? What about Pharm Sales? I talked to different Pharm reps, and they say the industry is not the same anymore and they are getting out of it. What's your take on that? Thanks in advance.

To go from copiers to device probably at least 2 years of good numbers
Pharma after one year

Pharma isn't bad, it is just changing and nobody really knows where it is going, lot of layoffs. That is why i am a former dm, go laid off 2 years ago along with 40 percent of the salesforce. If you like job security, pharma isn't for you. I was more worried about being cut not for bad numbers but because the salesforce was bloated and I even I saw that.

In device now and love it. I will probably w2 180k for 2009. If you you want to know more let me know.

[Anonymous]

To go from copiers to device probably at least 2 years of good numbers
Pharma after one year

Pharma isn't bad, it is just changing and nobody really knows where it is going, lot of layoffs. That is why i am a former dm, go laid off 2 years ago along with 40 percent of the salesforce. If you like job security, pharma isn't for you. I was more worried about being cut not for bad numbers but because the salesforce was bloated and I even I saw that.

In device now and love it. I will probably w2 180k for 2009. If you you want to know more let me know.

Thanks for the response. Without copiers there isn't any way to get into device? Even just an entry level device sales?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response. Without copiers there isn't any way to get into device? Even just an entry level device sales?

i was the former dm...

you could probably get into a low paying device company, 40 base, 30 in commision for the first year, if you are lucky. Or you could probably do disposables for a smaller company selling stuff like catheters, IVs, etc. It sucks working in a smaller disposable company because you go against huge companies and market to big hospitals where all they care about is price, it is very hard to compete. I turned down a company like that 6 months ago because i knew they just couldn't compete against the cardinals, mckessons, kendalls etc.

To make you marketable to a reputable device company, you need to work in a hunter type of job, meaning where you go out there and find business in a competitive environment,

places like uniform companies, copiers, payroll, etc for probably 2-3 years. You need to show you can sell a high ticket item, especially something technical, which a copier is.

[Anonymous]

i was the former dm...

you could probably get into a low paying device company, 40 base, 30 in commision for the first year, if you are lucky. Or you could probably do disposables for a smaller company selling stuff like catheters, IVs, etc. It sucks working in a smaller disposable company because you go against huge companies and market to big hospitals where all they care about is price, it is very hard to compete. I turned down a company like that 6 months ago because i knew they just couldn't compete against the cardinals, mckessons, kendalls etc.

To make you marketable to a reputable device company, you need to work in a hunter type of job, meaning where you go out there and find business in a competitive environment,

places like uniform companies, copiers, payroll, etc for probably 2-3 years. You need to show you can sell a high ticket item, especially something technical, which a copier is.

Which are the low paying device companies? How long were you in pharma industry, and were you a rep prior? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Many of us in medical sales still snicker behind the backs of ex-car rental guys. I see more and more managers getting away from hiring the Enterprise guys. The only way I see this working for you in this tough job market where you are competing against a lot of seasoned professionals who have been layed off is if you have an excellent science education background. No one wants a psych major with no experience other than car rental to be telling doctors about the latest implant. Think about it.

Did you really write "snicker?" Father time...I will 'think about it.' You sold copiers. Selling is about knowing your product...you didnt get hired out of college to sell implants. Most people who work at Car Rental companies have the ability to learn and adapt. So...you made it to the glorious world of Med Sales. Why are you here? To impart wisdom?

[Anonymous]

Former hiring pharma dm here, now in medical device sales in a highly specialized field...

I always preferred the following backgrounds;
copiers, uniform sales, soda/beer sales, basically where you are actually selling to other businesses. rent a car reps. didn't disqualify you at all, it is just if i had a good copier rep in front me, he/she would probably get the job.

Dude, you think those areas are good prerequisites? I can think of WAY better areas of sales than that.

[Anonymous]

I would like to point out one thing here. I am a recruiter for the Surgical Sales arena where many Medical device sales guys want to get into. Many of the positions reguire Stong BtB experience with companies like enterprise, Xerox, Gallo wines, etc. The reason is not so much the company as it is the exceptional sales training these companies provide.

[Anonymous]

I would like to point out one thing here. I am a recruiter for the Surgical Sales arena where many Medical device sales guys want to get into. Many of the positions reguire Stong BtB experience with companies like enterprise, Xerox, Gallo wines, etc. The reason is not so much the company as it is the exceptional sales training these companies provide.

Just another brainwashed recruiter who apparently doesn't know that there are a whole lot of other companies in other industries that provide "exceptional sales training", and in which the sales experience is infinitely better matched for medical sales than your copiers and Gallo wine. Somebody must have put this mindset out there last century and the industry is too intellectually lazy to even think about other sources of sales talent. It is really a shame.

[Anonymous]

Just another brainwashed recruiter who apparently doesn't know that there are a whole lot of other companies in other industries that provide "exceptional sales training", and in which the sales experience is infinitely better matched for medical sales than your copiers and Gallo wine. Somebody must have put this mindset out there last century and the industry is too intellectually lazy to even think about other sources of sales talent. It is really a shame.

I totally agree. A friend of mine works for Agilent and sells scientific instruments. He has had lots of exceptional sales training and knows how to sell highly technical products to professionals. Sorry, but Xerox and Gallo wouldn't even begin to come close to the quality of such a sales rep.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree. A friend of mine works for Agilent and sells scientific instruments. He has had lots of exceptional sales training and knows how to sell highly technical products to professionals. Sorry, but Xerox and Gallo wouldn't even begin to come close to the quality of such a sales rep.

I think what we are all missing is that recruiter/respective medical device companies etc should be looking for the following experience:

aggressive cold calling
good sales training
selling a me too product in a competitive environment
ability to make their own business plans
someone who understands the selling process

And again, copier reps. consistantly have all of this stuff.

[Anonymous]

Don't try to get into pharma. The industry has shrunk by about 40% in the last few years. Drying up pipeline, bad economy, too many reps, etc. If you are truely a model sales rep, sell devices, sell food, hell sell an airplane. Unfortunately, someone overused the pharma industry and it's lost it's luster.

[Anonymous]

I think what we are all missing is that recruiter/respective medical device companies etc should be looking for the following experience:

aggressive cold calling
good sales training
selling a me too product in a competitive environment
ability to make their own business plans
someone who understands the selling process

And again, copier reps. consistantly have all of this stuff.

aggressive cold calling >>>> A "Shimadzu HPLC rep" does this
good sales training >>>>> A "Shimadzu rep" has had GREAT sales training
selling a me too product in a competitive environment >>>>> Ditto
ability to make their own business plans >>>>>> Ditto
someone who understands the selling process >>>> The above more than understands the sales process, he/she is a master of it.
THEN there's the added attribute of being able to sell a sophisticated scientific product to professionals. I'd pick the {Shimadzu/Agilent/Thermo/PerkinElmer/Varian/Dionycs/Bruker, etc} rep hands down over a copier/beverages/Pitney/car rental/ etc, any day of the week.

[Anonymous]

Former corp pharma recruiter here. Yes, many co's do feel that the experience in running many different aspects of a business like at ERAC along with the training curriculum is a good launching pad into the rx industry. I would recommend that if you can't break into the industry as an entry level candidate, than this is just as good a stepping stone as you will find, along with copier,payroll sales etc.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this thread is dead, but as a former copier rep and someone who works at one of the top 3 custom surgical pack company. We all laugh at you, and scratch our heads. I would love for someone to explain just how washing cars qualifies you to be in the OR.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this thread is dead, but as a former copier rep and someone who works at one of the top 3 custom surgical pack company. We all laugh at you, and scratch our heads. I would love for someone to explain just how washing cars qualifies you to be in the OR.

C'mon -- dont be intentionally stupid. You know it involves more than washing cars.

And a dumbshit working for a surgical pack company shouldn't be laughing at anyone.

[Anonymous]

C'mon -- dont be intentionally stupid. You know it involves more than washing cars.

And a dumbshit working for a surgical pack company shouldn't be laughing at anyone.

That's ok I'm the only one laughing as I work 2 maybe 3 days week and bring home 6 digits. Have fun washing cars.

[Anonymous]

That's ok I'm the only one laughing as I work 2 maybe 3 days week and bring home 6 digits. Have fun washing cars.

Thanks for confirming that you are full of shit.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for confirming that you are full of shit.

And again we are all still laughing at you. If you run your territory right and have been doing this for a while it is very realistic to only be in your territory 2-3 days. But then again I wouldn't expect you to understand that.

[Anonymous]

And again we are all still laughing at you. If you run your territory right and have been doing this for a while it is very realistic to only be in your territory 2-3 days. But then again I wouldn't expect you to understand that.

If you were able to do this (which you arent) it would only make you a sadder and bigger asshole than people already think you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't be going on message boards trying to convince people how great you have it. People like you will always wonder what it is like to be normal and successful.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this thread is dead, but as a former copier rep and someone who works at one of the top 3 custom surgical pack company. We all laugh at you, and scratch our heads. I would love for someone to explain just how washing cars qualifies you to be in the OR.

What funny to me is that you're a former COPIER rep and think you're something special! A lot of my co-workers and I would be laughing at YOU at scratching OUR heads! I don't see how selling a COPIER qualifies you to be so snobby! LOL!

[Anonymous]

..and another thing- I'm in biotech...so spare me any sarcastic remarks.