Great tips to fast-track your career

Are you keen to fast track your Pharma/Lifescience sales career. Do you have ‘that’ in you to pursue a different career path which changes your sales environment. This post might be of some help to you.

One of the sureshot way to fast track your career growth is by transitioning careers midway to different streams within the Industry (…or sometimes outside). When I say this it may look like some incomprehensible statement. Probably I need to be more specific and clearer but as you read on you will understand my point better. I have closely witnessed successful changes done by pharma/lifescience professionals especially in Sales and Marketing streams making mid career transitions from selling prescription pharma products to selling medical devices/equipments.

A Story

Let me share with you a story, a true story. Jay, fresh out of his college after his B.Pharm course, started his career as a medical representative with a leading pharmaceutical company. Couple of years later moves to another company specializing in pharma products for Cardiology and Diabetology. Here he gets an opportunity to work closely with Cardiologists and the Diabetologists in his territory. Being a high achiever, he generates more sales, enjoys a great relationship with his customers and becomes well recognised within his company, in his territory, customers etc. And more than that he takes extra effort to learn more about the other therapy areas in these specialities and also he is very much visible in this market space.

Around this time a medical device company specialising in cardiac stents wants to make use of his services. This medical device company is thoroughly impressed with the kind of customer relation Mr Jay has with his KOLs. Infact, he got positive reference from a couple of his Key customers when the company interviewed him for the job. They handpicked him for a senior sales position with a promise of faster growth and better monetary benefits. Mr Jay grabbed the offer with both hands and within next 3-4years he rose to handle a regional responsibility. He moved further ahead and had wonderful opportunities coming his way paving way for national and international responsibilities, all before he was even 35.

Its time to answer your calling

Hey, was he just in the right place at the right time….or was he just plain lucky.

This is not a text book story except that Jay is imaginary. Many of you in the industry would have seen successful examples of this kind of career transitioning happening at some point of the indivuduals’ career which catapults them to a faster growth.

It is not luck and it is definitely not about being at the right place at the right time. It is more about making choices. Crucial life impacting choices. Anybody who wishes to make this transition need to answer these two important questions.

#1 Do you relish your role as an Individual contributor.

or

#2 Do you like managing people.(because some may feel it is not their cup of tea)

In my humble opinion, if your choice is No.1, you have a higher probability of turning out as a super performer in your new role. If your choice is No.2 and still you want to make a transition, you will still be a successful performer but your goal of managing people may be pushed away further by a few years.

Making the choice to move from pharma sales to medical device sales will propel your career in different directions and what level you reach and how long it takes to reach that level varies greatly between these two sales streams.

Now its your turn to give your feedback. Have I missed any important point or have I got something completely wrong?

Please share your stories, feedback and encouragement.

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