Has anyone utilized the NAPRx pharmaceutical sales course?

I took the CNPR program and passed it in 2008. I received some interviews right away because of having the CNPR on my resume. I was moving quite well through th interview process with 2 pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately, my mother became ill and I had to move to Florida to help her. I started back up with the interviews in February 2009 and I was just offered a job today with Astellas Pharmaceuticals. I was doing a google search for my CNPR # and found this blog link. I can tell you from experience that I would recommend the CNPR program to anyone who wants to get into pharmaceutical sales and lacks a solid pharmaceutical and/or medical background. I am living proof that it worked for me. See you in the sales field.

Hi Jim,

Thank you for the reply. I did take the coarse but have not had any luck in landing a job. Any Hints to success? I am willing to re-locate as well.

Cathy

I took the CNPR course last fall and now work for Astellas pharmaceuticals. My company is hiring and I would apply here.

Hi Kelly,

You work for Astellas? I have been looking for a position for a while now and have had no luck. Do I have to apply via their web site? Do you get a referral bonus if I use your name as a referral?

Thanks for your help
Cathy

I also obtained my CNPR in December of 2008 and I ending up accepting a pharmaceutical sales job also with Astellas. I applied through their website and that started the interview process. You should definetly apply as we are still hiring.

If you don't have the certification yet, will I get an interview, or do they only consider candidates that have the CNPR cert?

You will need either the CNPR Certification or some formal pharmacology education to qualify. Almost all pharmaceutical companies hire applicants with sales ability and some pharmacology or medical education/training.

I have not found that the Certificate helps you get a job. The applications are made on the internet and none of the companies I have come across ask if you have a certificate. Most are wanting a Bachelors of Science with Medical and sales experience. I have not found any that really care about the certificate.

No vocational education for any industry can you get a job on its own. The CNPR Certification will get you the interviews and push you further along the interview process. Pharmaceutical companies certainly look for the CNPR but they also look for at least an Associates or BS and some sales ability as well. I am a recruiter in the industry and the best candidate is someone who has some pharmaceutical industry knowledge, sales ability and a nice polished appearance.

True, in sales appearance has a lot to do with success. Any tips on applying? I will have a double bachlors by the end of the year with 18 Yrs. in Medical field and 18 in sales. I also have my Certificate. It is hard to get noticed when everything is done on line.

Richard said: No vocational education for any industry can you get a job on its own. The CNPR Certification will get you the interviews and push you further along the interview process. Pharmaceutical companies certainly look for the CNPR but they also look for at least an Associates or BS and some sales ability as well. I am a recruiter in the industry and the best candidate is someone who has some pharmaceutical industry knowledge, sales ability and a nice polished appearance.

I agree Richard, it takes more than a certificate. But for someone who has outstanding sales success and experience, and a BA, I still don't know the pharmacology language and think the knowledge of the CNPR would be the icing. Yes?

The CNPR is offered at over 300 college for a reason, it is education and training that pharmaceutical companies look for from applicants. The pharmaceutical industry was the driving force in creating it.

I have an interview tomorrow with Astellas (applied through the NAPRx website www.napsronline.org ), does anyone have any advice?
Lisa, CNPR

Lisa Bauer in Marietta, Georgia said: I have an interview tomorrow with Astellas (applied through the NAPRx website www.napsronline.org ), does anyone have any advice?
Lisa, CNPR

Hi Lisa,

How exciting that you have an interview!! Congrats! I am so curious as to your background, ie sales, nursing, etc. Do you have a great "brag book" prepared? Are you ready to do sales role-playing? Do you think you got the interview because of having the CNPR cert?

Best of luck in your interview,

Sandi

Those of you who got the cnpr training & certificate & were placed... what was your resume up to that point? Thanks for your help!

This is probably a scam they spam my email with Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs everyday. If it's too good to be true then it's probably a scam. They are desperately recruiting people to scam them. Especially recent college graduates. The govt. should really step into this and enforce regulations on organizations that try to take advantage of recent graduates.

I can tell you from doing comprehensive research on this subject the CNPR Certification is a Federal Designated Mark and can be taken at over 300 major colleges and universities here in the United States. The Fed Govt and major universities promote, regulate, and offer the CNPR Certification because it qualifies candidates as well as trains entry level applicants for a pharmaceutical sales career. These major institutions would not be involved with something that was not worthwhile!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scam Report in Montebello, California said: This is probably a scam they spam my email with Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs everyday. If it's too good to be true then it's probably a scam. They are desperately recruiting people to scam them. Especially recent college graduates. The govt. should really step into this and enforce regulations on organizations that try to take advantage of recent graduates.

If you are receiving "spam email" it's because you went to their website and asked to have updates sent to you. They don't just spam people. And believe it or not there are MANY pharmaceutical companies that are hiring due to growth and new pipeline drugs coming on the market. Do your homework before you flap your jaws with scam words!!!

I am a 28 year old, have a great appearance, an outstanding personality, and have been in the auto sales industry for the last ten years. I have been with my current company for 7 years and was promoted to commercial sales manager 3 years ago. I have no college experience as I was forced to start working at an early age fresh out of high school due to the death of my father. I can sell anything to anyone but do it by selling myself first. I am looking into this training also but I am not sure if I have what a pharma company might be looking for. It sounds like they all want some college degree as well as this training. There are many other aspects that I am unaware of also such as a brag book? Could anyone out there, preferably someone in the pharma industry give me any advise. What should I do other than obtain a paper certificate that says I pass state ethics laws and have some industry knowledge.

Dan,

You are not going to get into Pharmaceuticals without a college degree, period. With all of the resumes they get per day WITH degrees, they can be very picky about that and are. I will tell you this, you can get into Medical Device Sales (which pays more than pharma) without that degree though and with your qualifications I bet you would be good at it too! Start searching on Medical Device jobs :) Best of luck to you in your endeavors.

P.S. A brag book is a book of your accomplishments, awards, rankings, proof of past income...etc.

I appreciate the quick answer and the advise. Medical device sales is a field in which I actually do have a few contacts but I thought that it was harder to get into than than even pharma is. I will look into some qualifications and training for that field for sure. Unfortunately I had the feeling that a college degree was a requirement. If you or anyone else out there has any other advise for me please let me know. I work for a Good Ford dealer so my job is in no way in Jeopardy. I have wanted out of the auto business long before the current state and just refuse to accept any old fly by night job. I am a professional in everything I do and know that I can help make a difference in someones company. Thanks again, I look forward to more e-mails.

Hi Dan,

There is a certification for Medical Device Sales you can get too. Go to the NAMSR website.

www.medicalsalescareer.com/aboutus.html

This is a thread here that talks about the various things about Medical Device Sales.

www.indeed.com/forum/job/medical-sales-representative/NAMSR-National-Association-Medical-Sales-Reps-am-trying/t37240

Some will still require a degree, but most want sales experience. It's worth a try. Pharma is totally different from Medical Sales. Pharma take orders from the Physician, they don't deal with the end user which is the patient. In Med Device you are working with the patient, and sometimes right in the OR showing the physician how to use the device (depending on where you land in the industry). The NAMSR cert is intense and gives a lot of info so you can look and sound like you know what you're talking about at an interview. In your case, it's going to be harder for you to get into pharma than Med Device because of no degree. I have been studying and researching these areas for some time, and have come to the conclusion that the best fit for me is Med. Device. I purchased a former recruiter and sales manager for Johnson&Johnson's web information and have been digesting that before delving into the training for the certification. Just waiting to get the cert done before I start applying. I want that cert on my resume!!! Good luck and I hope this info helps!

Thanks again Sandi. I appreciare the help. Thank God for forums like this before you invest in the wrong future.

glad to have found this, it seems the general consensus is that the certificate for the pharma sales is worth it. I had no idea one had to have a certificate for medical device sales. This sounds a bit more interesting than pharma. I had applied for a jon here in kc for a medical device mobile repair technician, but nothing came of it. Sandi Quinn in Michigan....how is the studying going? I dont quite understand about purchasing a recruiter???

Any other information on medical device sales? I have the BA, over 14 years in one of the toughest sales area...automotive paint to collision centers....and the time to start on certification....ps, if anyone needs help when it comes to car paint let me know!

I am considering the NAPRx correspondence program but am interested in the animal health side....will it still be worthwhile for me to get my certification? How much of the information will apply to both human and animal pharmaceuticals?

not sure if the certificate is worthwhile or not.
Still trying to talk to a drug dealer. As for animal drugs, had a girlfriend that sold them over the phone and she did not know squat, or have any education.

Barbara in Miami, Florida said: I will always thank the NAPRX for the opportunity to learn more about the Pharmaceutical Sales environment. The CNPR Training manual was interesting as well as informative, I couldn't put it down. I've always been fascinated with this field of work and never thought it was possible to break into "Pharmaceutical Sales" but after passing the examination with 91% I was elated that I'm one step closer to acquiring my dream career. I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of the individuals who has worked hard to become a certified member of this wonderful organization. Keep up the good work, and I would recommend your sales manual to anyone looking to break into Pharmaceutical Sales. I will keep you informed to the outcome of my interviews next week with Schering Plough and Ventiv. I am sure I would not have gotten this far in the interview process without having my CNPR.

Thanks again and God Bless!!
B. Barnett

i know you state that you got an interview with a pharma company but do you still need 4 year college degree

Lauren in Dallas, Texas said: Where do you get the medical device sales certificate?

www.medicalsalescareer.com

bossert in kansas city in Eureka Springs, Arkansas said: glad to have found this, it seems the general consensus is that the certificate for the pharma sales is worth it. I had no idea one had to have a certificate for medical device sales. This sounds a bit more interesting than pharma. I had applied for a jon here in kc for a medical device mobile repair technician, but nothing came of it. Sandi Quinn in Michigan....how is the studying going? I dont quite understand about purchasing a recruiter???

Any other information on medical device sales? I have the BA, over 14 years in one of the toughest sales area...automotive paint to collision centers....and the time to start on certification....ps, if anyone needs help when it comes to car paint let me know!

BOSSERT IN KC - I didn't purchase a recuriter...I purchased her material she has in print on how to get into Pharma or Med Dev sales. Pretty lengthy and she's knows her stuff. I still haven't purchased the certification material for the NAMSR cert because my sales have really been off the first part of this year, but it's still my goal.

Sounds like you have some good sales experience. They look for B2B, and with a degree (not always necessary), and the NAMSR cert. you should be on your way!

Good luck!

rebekah2 in Kissimmee, Florida said: i know you state that you got an interview with a pharma company but do you still need 4 year college degree

This has been covered over and over again in this forum Rebekah. Let me ask you a question. Have you EVER seen a job posting for Pharma that says you don't need a degree? Read my post further up to Dan.

Good luck and GET THE DEGREE!

Sandi

Cathy Smith in Denver, Colorado said: Hi Jim,

Thank you for the reply. I did take the coarse but have not had any luck in landing a job. Any Hints to success? I am willing to re-locate as well.

Cathy

I suspect that your difficulty in landing a position may be due to your poor spelling.

With regards to having the nice polished appearance - I have my bachelors degree in communications, sales experience, and am not able to even so much as get an interveiw with a pharm company. I do have the right look. I am a model and dress very professionally. Should I add my picture to my resume? What is missing? I am thinking of getting this cnpr. What would you recommend?

alyoung1982 in Darien, Illinois said: With regards to having the nice polished appearance - I have my bachelors degree in communications, sales experience, and am not able to even so much as get an interveiw with a pharm company. I do have the right look. I am a model and dress very professionally. Should I add my picture to my resume? What is missing? I am thinking of getting this cnpr. What would you recommend?

If you are not a "Super-star" sales person with pharmacology and a degree, you're got going to even get your pretty mug looked at. Sorry for being flippant. Looks are not what is going to land you an interview. It is your credentials and your past sales experience. They can be very picky because they receive thousands and thousands of resumes daily. Get your resume professionally written for pharma and get the CNPR cert. You can't get the interview unless you get your resume and cover letter noticed first!

Best of luck!

LOL - thanks for the quick response...yeah I was just wondering if having my 4 year degree, about 2 years of successful outside sales experience was enough...do you really think the cnpr is going to make a difference? is that considered pharmacology knowledge?

also, when you see these postings for "entry level phama sales job" - is that for real? do they really mean it or are they just trying to get more applicants?

alyoung1982 in Joliet, Illinois said: LOL - thanks for the quick response...yeah I was just wondering if having my 4 year degree, about 2 years of successful outside sales experience was enough...do you really think the cnpr is going to make a difference? is that considered pharmacology knowledge?

also, when you see these postings for "entry level phama sales job" - is that for real? do they really mean it or are they just trying to get more applicants?

Yes the CNPR is pharmacology. You don't have a lot of sales experience and that could be why you're not getting looked at. The certification will definitely help, but there still is no guarantee that just because you have it that you'll get an interview. It does show that you're willing to continue learning and that's a plus. Do you know how to put a brag book together?

Those entry level job postings are a farce. They want you to buy into what they offer..a website or something stupid like that. Don't fall for it.

Okay thank you....is there any particular sales field that is better than another as far as being a good stepping stone or springboard job into the pharm sales? Ad sales? Anything outside sales good enough? What about inside sales? Right now I am not in sales because I had to take a job to stay afloat after my divorce. Last sales job I had I was selling yellow pages. Is that a good springboard job?

As far as putting together a bragbook, no I don't know how...I assume I could google it and find out...do you have any suggestions on the format of such a thing? Is it a "must bring" to any pharm sales interview I might get?

Thanks again I really appreciate your time and thoughtful responses,

Ann

alyoung1982 in Joliet, Illinois said: Okay thank you....is there any particular sales field that is better than another as far as being a good stepping stone or springboard job into the pharm sales? Ad sales? Anything outside sales good enough? What about inside sales? Right now I am not in sales because I had to take a job to stay afloat after my divorce. Last sales job I had I was selling yellow pages. Is that a good springboard job?

As far as putting together a bragbook, no I don't know how...I assume I could google it and find out...do you have any suggestions on the format of such a thing? Is it a "must bring" to any pharm sales interview I might get?

Thanks again I really appreciate your time and thoughtful responses,

Ann

Business to Business sales is what they look for, plus top 5% of the sales force, awards, and documentation to show you are a stellar sales performer. Ad sales is fine as long as it's B2B, and outside, no inside. A brag book will show all of your stats as far as your performance goes...the awards, exceeding your quotas, etc. Yes, a brag book is absolutely necessary when you interview with pharma or med sales. Google it to see how it's put together and what goes inside.

I have a degree in Marketing and I have been with a small pharmaceutical company for about 8 months now. I am struggling with the products because for one they have no coverage in my territory and they are significantly more than generics I am trying to sell against. I have made great relationships with docs and pharms, but I feel I am banging my head against a brick wall! I would like to interview with other pharma companies but I am concerned b/c I don't have a "brag book", as someone mentioned earlier, or any success streak with this company. Will this affect me badly or do some companies take in consideration different factors that affect other reps with other companies? Any input or advice?

I have a bachelors degree in Biology (recently acquired). I have an excellent personality and have been working selling fitness equipment at a sporting goods store. I realize that this is not b2b, however for the past 2 years I have been rewarded numerous times and given multiple pay increases (nothing to celebrate about) because of my exceptional selling and communication skills. I think being certified by this program is exactly what I need to get the interview. I am extremely confident in my ability to be a well presented professional at the top of this more challenging ( and much higher paying job ). How bad will not having B2B experience with a brag book hurt me, and will even getting this cert help alleviate the lack of experience....

p.s. what is with people bashing this program so much..i agree that knowledge is power. If I can obtain more knowledge about this field it will make me more marketable...so why not?..right?

hargrovemc in Hope Hull, Alabama said: I have a degree in Marketing and I have been with a small pharmaceutical company for about 8 months now. I am struggling with the products because for one they have no coverage in my territory and they are significantly more than generics I am trying to sell against. I have made great relationships with docs and pharms, but I feel I am banging my head against a brick wall! I would like to interview with other pharma companies but I am concerned b/c I don't have a "brag book", as someone mentioned earlier, or any success streak with this company. Will this affect me badly or do some companies take in consideration different factors that affect other reps with other companies? Any input or advice?

This is interesting to me. How did you get into pharma in the first place---no brag book? Have you asked your doctors about your drug verses generic? If you can't go into another interview with a pharma corp and tell them that you are stellar, they won't look at you. They want top salespeople and will hold out for that! I'm still wondering how you got into pharma to begin with...??????????

Looking for a job in a poor economy, I felt I needed to distinguish myself from the pack and my sales experience wan not sufficient enough for the pharmaceutical industry. I needed to obtain pharmaceutical and medical knowledge as quickly as possible, but also as cost effectively as I could. Using the material from the NAPRx I was able to go through the material and complete the CNPR courses in about 3 weeks of focused effort. I am now a CNPR Certifiied Pharmaceutical sales professional. This has been, easily, the fastest and most cost effective way to complete this certification while retaining the maximum amount of knowledge. I am now interviewing for several pharmaceutical sales jobs!

I took the CNPR Certificaton at Palm Beach Community College and found it to be very informative, comprehensive and eventually was the deciding factor in me getting hired for a pharmaceutical sales career. Kudos to the NAPRx.

I want to thank the NAPRx for helping me with my pursuit of a pharmaceutical sales career. The CNPR training was just what I was looking for and certainly was the deciding factor in my interviews. I interviewed with NOVARTIS, GSK, Forest and AstraZeneca and just accepted a position with Forest. I know this would not have happened if I had not completed the CNPR entry level pharmaceutical sales training offered by the NAPRx. Thanks again for helping me break into pharmaceutical sales.

Eric Lopicolo in Ballwin, Missouri said: I just talked to my freind who is a VP of Sales at Sanofi-Aventis and he gave me the go ahead. The NAPRX is a main lobby group for the industry, discussed regularly in PHARMACEUTICAL REPRESENTATIVE magazine. Their CNPR Program is utilized by several companies and is highly recommended to those looking to break into the industry. The CNPR program was designed and operated by the NAPRX and is available at over 300 colleges/universities. I am sure that these universities would not over the program if it was not helping the majority of their students. He also told me that Sanofi has utilized the NAPRx in the past to help them find new people.

Is Sanofi-Aventis still hiring?

Titus Pullo in Brandon, Mississippi said: Lisa Bauer said:

"I am making over $125k a year and do not work over 40 hours a week and receive a check every month for all of my business expenses. It is unheard of in this industry to pay for your own expenses. Who did you work for?"

Then Lisa Bauer said:

"I just called Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Novartis human resources and they verified that they have had contracts with the NAPRx. I have also been interviewing and yes it will take an excellent personality or sales experience in addition to the NAPRx training. I found the NAPRx training to very advantageous. The NAPRX was on the cover of PHARMACEUTICAL REPRESENTATIVE magazine in November 2008, go look yourself at www.pharmrep.com Goes to almost every rep in the industry!!! Also, by the way I do not work for the NAPRX."

Why are you interviewing? Sounds like you have it made.

Good to know. Where can I get this magazine?

Jim V. in Miami, Florida said: I took the CNPR program and passed it in 2008. I received some interviews right away because of having the CNPR on my resume. I was moving quite well through th interview process with 2 pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately, my mother became ill and I had to move to Florida to help her. I started back up with the interviews in February 2009 and I was just offered a job today with Astellas Pharmaceuticals. I was doing a google search for my CNPR # and found this blog link. I can tell you from experience that I would recommend the CNPR program to anyone who wants to get into pharmaceutical sales and lacks a solid pharmaceutical and/or medical background. I am living proof that it worked for me. See you in the sales field.

I am excited, I am enrolled in the CNPR Certificaton Course at Ohio State University. My father was a pharmaceutical rep and I am looking to enter the industry as he made a great living in the industry. Is Astellas still hiring?

Cynthia in Maryland Heights, Missouri said: I can tell you from doing comprehensive research on this subject the CNPR Certification is a Federal Designated Mark and can be taken at over 300 major colleges and universities here in the United States. The Fed Govt and major universities promote, regulate, and offer the CNPR Certification because it qualifies candidates as well as trains entry level applicants for a pharmaceutical sales career. These major institutions would not be involved with something that was not worthwhile!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where can I find a list of colleges that offer the CNPR Certification?

go to www.napsronline.org and they can help you.

Let me express my appreciation for such a complete and robust pharmaceutical sales certification training course. I spent a long time in the military as an instructor at the at Fort Bragg. Let me say that the training provided by your association was as good as any training I have ever received. When I started working as a pharmaceutical rep I was sharing the information that I received at the certification training to others. If I can ever be of any help in the Midwest region please do not hesitate to call and I will happily get involved.

Stephanie in Saint Louis, Missouri said: Looking for a job in a poor economy, I felt I needed to distinguish myself from the pack and my sales experience wan not sufficient enough for the pharmaceutical industry. I needed to obtain pharmaceutical and medical knowledge as quickly as possible, but also as cost effectively as I could. Using the material from the NAPRx I was able to go through the material and complete the CNPR courses in about 3 weeks of focused effort. I am now a CNPR Certifiied Pharmaceutical sales professional. This has been, easily, the fastest and most cost effective way to complete this certification while retaining the maximum amount of knowledge. I am now interviewing for several pharmaceutical sales jobs!

Thanks for the feedback.