Pharmaceutical Jobs in Canada

Working as a pharmaceutical representative may mean a lot of legwork, but can rake in competitive compensation, including base salary and premiums. Basically, pharmaceutical representatives provide physicians with drug samples. They will pitch the benefits of the medicines they are representing. To help them keep track of their sales performance, they record patterns of prescription by physicians.

Required education

You do not have to graduate with a specific pharmaceutical degree to qualify for a position as representative. With a bachelor's degree and excellent communication skills, you can easily land the job. This is especially true if you graduate on top of your class. You must, however, have a genuine interest in the pharmaceutical industry. An ability to speak and understand another language will also be an advantage.

Required skills

To work effectively as a pharmaceutical representative, you need to:
- handle matters with diplomacy and tac t
- be persuasive
- listen well to people you are dealing with
- be methodical
- be analytical
- be willing and able to work long hours
- have “people skills”

Possible salaries in the pharmaceutical industry

Higher compensation not only comes from the base salary but also from bonuses and sales commission, which are based on performance as a pharmaceutical representative.