Pharmaceutical Sales Resume [Also for Entry-Level Rep]

You are or want to be a pharmaceutical sales rep. Pharmaceutical sales reps are great salespeople. And a resume is like a sales pitch, so you’ve got this in the bag, right?

Your sales skills definitely give you a leg up, true—and there’s a lot of overlap, no doubt. But it’s not the same. Make sure your pharmaceutical sales resume hits the mark.

In this guide:

• A pharmaceutical sales resume sample better than most.
• How to create the best pharmaceutical sales resume job descriptions.
• How to write a resume for pharmaceutical sales rep jobs that stands out.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a pharmaceutical sales job.

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Need a resume from more of a sales or medical angle? Just getting started? Or maybe you’re changing careers? We’ve got just the guides for you:

• Business Development Resume
• Customer Service Resume
• Medical School Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Pharmacy Technician Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Sales Executive Resume
• Sales Representative Resume
• Sales Resume
• SAP Resume

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Sample

Now, here’s how to write a pharmaceutical sales resume they’ll love:

1. Choose the Right Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Format

Imagine you’re cold calling a potential lead, but instead of your usual spiel you’re all over the place, rambling and um’ing and ah’ing. They hang up on you, and with good cause.

It’s the same here.Make your resume format clean, organized, and engaging. Here’s how:

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Format

• Use the chronological resume layout to show your most recent stuff first.
• Pick a neat and tidy resume font like Noto, Calibri, or Book Antiqua in 11–12 pt.
• Leave the margins of your resume at one inch and leave lots of white space.
• Stick to the right length. How many pages should a resume be? Pharmaceutical sales reps don’t usually need more than one page. Submitting a two-page resume is only an option for professionals with 10+ years of experience. 
• Use at least these resume sections: Resume header, Profile, Experience, Education, and Skills.

Some companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) to scan resumes—and not all of them handle PDF files well.

Keep this in mind when choosing among ODF, PDF, and *.docx for your resume. PDF is best, but not always accepted—check the job ad. Some ATS systems can't read PDF files even if you use an ATS resume template. In that case, the job ad will clearly ask you to send your resume in a different format—usually as a Word file.

2. Start With a Tempting Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Objective or Summary

You don’t get your foot in the door with a vague and meandering intro. So start your pharmaceutical sales resume with a strong resume profile statement that’s all active ingredient.

Pushed more product than you care to remember? Go with a resume summary—it’ll let you tap into all that experience quick smart.

Use:

1. One adjective (efficient, passionate, ambitious)
2. Job title (Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Pharmaceutical Sales Manager)
3. Years of experience (5+, 7+)
4. How you’ll help (acquire new accounts, strengthen existing relationships)
5. Two or three of your most relevant achievements (brought in accounts that were able to generate $2M p.a. in prescriptions)

These pharmaceutical sales representative resume summary examples show how:

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume Examples—Summary

Highly motivated pharmaceutical sales representative with 4+ years’ experience specializing in psychotropic and lifestyle-disease pharmaceutical products. At PanaceaTech, increased SoM (Saturation of Market) ratio for Fitobutin from 1.3% to 13.7% and finished 23rd out of 630+ sales representatives nationwide in DHW sales competition. Seeking opportunity to bring many new customers to UbiQT Labs.

Pharmaceutical sales representative with 4 years’ experience. At PanaceaTech, increased SoM ratio for Fitobutin and finished 23rd in the DHW sales competition. Seeking opportunity to join a Big Pharma company that offers attractive bonuses and incentives.

The first example is just what the doctor ordered: It’s concrete, quantified, and focused on what you can do for them, not vice versa.

Writing an entry level pharmaceutical sales resume? Start with a resume objective instead, and talk up achievements from other jobs that show relevant skills. Take a look at these example pharmaceutical sales resume objectives: 

Entry Level Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Examples: Objective

Dynamic pharmaceutical sales representative with 1 year’s internship experience. At Pharma-rama, developed strategic relationships with 10+ primary care physicians, specialists, and medical staff while surpassing sales quotas by 4% on average. Seeking opportunity to bring many new customers to UbiQT Labs.

Only just starting out, but keen to learn on the job and start bringing in those bonuses. Looking for a company that puts sales reps first.

The first example makes it clear that no experience does not mean nothing to offer.

This whole resume profile thing making you want to reach for the Focusyn? There’s a simple trick that never fails: Write it last. It’s as easy as that.

3. Write the Perfect Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume Job Description and Skills Sections

Turn your resume work history section into a medicine cabinet packed with achievements.

How to write a pharmaceutical sales job description:

1. Re-read the job ad.
2. Focus on the pharmaceutical sales skills and duties in it.
3. Think of times you’ve used those skills to overachieve at work.
4. Write resume bullet points that put numbers to the above.

These pharmaceutical sales resume examples show how:

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume Job Description—Examples

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

PanaceaTech, San Diego, CA

July 2019–present

• Increased SoM (Saturation of Market) ratio from 1.3% to 13.7% for Fitobutin and subsequently improved combined SoM for Fitobutin and Staminaide to over 55%.
• Finished 23rd out of 630+ sales representatives nationwide in DHW sales competition.
• Acquired 17+ new accounts with the potential to move 40% more product than the average.
• Ranked third in the region in 2020 and in the top 10 in 2019 and 2021.
• Key Achievement: Won the CEO's Counsel, ED Champion, and Libidomax Leadership Circle awards.

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

PanaceaTech

2019–present

• Increased SoM ratio for Fitobutin.
• Finished 23rd in DHW sales competition.
• Acquired new accounts with above-average potential to move product.
• Won various awards for sales.

Both examples make decent use of resume power words—But the first one is miles ahead with its quantified, on-the-job achievements.

One more thing before you move on: You’ll need a resume skills section.

Don’t pack it with every pharmaceutical sales skill you can think of or find online. Be super selective. Cover what the job ad requires and not much more besides. These lists are just here to get the cogs turning:

Skills for a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume

Hard Skills

• Salesforce Sales Cloud
• Keap
• Zendesk Sell
• Up selling
• Cross selling
• Sourcing leads
• Qualifying leads
• Office suites (LibreOffice and Microsoft Office)
• Chemical nomenclature
• Cold calling

Soft Skills

• Communication skills
• Presentation skills
• Sales skills
• Networking skills
• Negotiation skills
• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• Teamwork skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Interpersonal skills

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4. Turn Generic Education Into a Reason to Hire You

People from all kinds of educational backgrounds get into pharmaceutical sales. Your education may well set you apart—And it’s never something to gloss over.

List: Your degrees, schools, and years attended (with an expected graduation date if you’re still studying).

Add: Bullet points that speak to key pharmaceutical sales skills.

This pharmaceutical sales resume example shows how:

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Example—Education

Education 

BS in Chemistry

University of California Santa Cruz, CA

2012–2016

• Pursued a passion for industrial chemical processes coursework.
• Graduated with a 3.92 GPA.

Writing a pharmaceutical sales resume with no experience? Create a resume education section supplemented with extra bullet points on projects, classes, and accomplishments that show pharmaceutical sales skills in the making.

5. Prescribe Your Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume Some Extra Sections

Think of what sets you apart from other pharmaceutical sales workers. Do work experience, education, and skills cover it? Of course not—

So add one or two extra sections and paint a fuller picture:

• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Classes Taken
• Awards
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering
• Certifications
• Professional References

These two pharmaceutical sales resume examples show yes vs no:

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume Examples—Extra Sections

Professional Membership

• National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives

Certifications

• CNPR Certification – Pharmaceutical Sales Training Program, 2018

Languages

• Spanish – Advanced
• Scots – Intermediate

Hobbies

• Collecting butterflies
• Playing pianola
• Running along the beach (only in summer)

Certifications

• Pharmaceutical Sales Training Program

Languages

• Spanish, Scots

There’s nothing wrong with including hobbies and interests, but everything has to be directly relevant to the job ad. The first example includes only relevant information and is short but information-rich.

Very nearly there: You just need to write a cover letter to go with your pharmaceutical sales resume.

Your resume might be thrown out like so much expired medication if it’s not accompanied by a pharmaceutical sales cover letter.

Don’t risk it: Assume that you need a cover letter until the employer tells you that you don’t.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Key Points

For a pharmaceutical sales rep resume that gets interviews:

• Use the pharmaceutical sales resume template up top. Like a good prescription medication, it checks all the right boxes.
• Put pharmaceutical sales achievementsin your resume profile, work history, and education sections to show them you’re exactly who they need.
• Choose the right pharmaceutical sales resume skills. This means checking what the job ad requires and sticking close to it.
• Write a pharmaceutical sales cover letter. You’ve got passion, drive, and skill—this is your opportunity to put all that out there.

Still got questions on how to write your best pharmaceutical sales resume? Drop us a line in the comments section down below. We’d love to hear from you.

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