Hi Fellow CD's,

I am new to Canada and have past experience in Pharma sales. Please advice how to get in this line here and also what do I study for further improving my chances in this line.

Please provide your suggestions and advice.

Regards

I have posted on this topic in the past, since I have been in this industry since the start of my working life re-posting my views -

Pharmaceutical sales is the ivory tower of this industry and it would be rare(although I know a couple of exceptions) for immigrants to gain entry in this area. Looks and personality matter a lot, so you find a lot of very good looking women and men in pharma sales . Some of them are recruited straight out of university. Needless to say they are white and even second generation desis are a rare breed. Competition is intense and positions are few, as there is one company selling one drug (due to patent protection) unlike the Indian industry where you would find 100 brands of Ciprofloxacin. Also, due to the recent mergers of Pfizer-Wyeth and Schering Plough-Merck, there will be a lot of experienced, unemployed marketing and sales people looking for jobs. Last week, Bayer in Etobicoke laid off hundreds of people. majority of them salespeople.

One way that immigrants can get around this barrier is to gain entry in a company in a different position (technical ops, regulatory affairs etc), establish yourself and then apply internally for sales jobs that become open. I know of instances when the receptionist has switched over to pharma sales, because of 'internal promotion'.

In terms of education, there is little you can do. There is something known as the CCPE (Council for Continuing Pharmaceutial Education) http://www.ccpe-cfpc.com/en/courses.html where you can get accreditation. However, this accreditation is mostly undertaken by existing pharmaceutical representatives on the behest of their companies.

Hi Freakutguy,

Thanks for your reply. Really appreciate your frank opinion. Look forward to meeting you some day. I will definitely keep you advice in mind.

Regards,

I totally second FOGUY's opinion.

I know of this B.Pharm guy who was a sales manager for an Indian Pharma company in India and migrated to CaNaDA. Here he found it very difficult to break into the Ivory Tower with such high glass ceiling, he decided to be a pharmacist.

He took his pharmacy exams and worked for an Indian owned drug store in Mississauga on cash basis. He passed his pharma exams and currently a pharmacists in a Grocery store pharmacy in Ontario making 22Bucks per hour.


There was this couple who were both pharmacists who migrated to Canada. The wife was in technical side while the hubby was in the sales side in India. They also hit the ceiling, both tried out for the pharmacists certification and as luck would have it the wife got hers certificate while hubby flunked all his attempts.

The wifey now works for a pharmacy somewhere in rural Ontario while the hubby is gaining Canadian Experience where dignity of labour exists(I think I'm politically correct).

As luck would have it you should try to pursue your sales aspiration or pursue your pharmaceutical aspiration. Do not mix up both and then end up pursuing your Canadian experience.

By the way as pointed out before by FOGUY the chicks who walk into your family doctors office. Hmmm......... HMMMM !. I wish Tiger had a look at them before he chose the cocktail waitresses. Broad shoulder with business suites, blonde hair with their perfume............... You donot want to leave the Doctors office.

Good Luck !.

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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.