Trying to get into the pharmaceutical industry can be a daunting prospect. There are numerous roles, hundreds of companiesand seemingly endless numbers of recruitment and contract companies alongside these. It is unlikely as a graduate that you will be able to go directly to a pharmaceutical company in order to gain an interview. Because of the need to use a recruitment company, you need to make sure that you contact one that not only has a contract with the leading players but will also provide you with an exceptional service in order to meet your requirement as a candidate.

This is where Chase differentiates themselves from the others. Ever since contacting Chase back in August 2008,they have been attentive, approachable and informative. They really listened to my needs and focused not only on securing me roles within the industry but also looking at how best to develop my career.

Throughout the whole process I had one main recruitment manager from Chase who was focused on my career and who fully understood my background and aspirations. This differs from other companies where you end up speaking to different people every week.

Chase initially secured me a 6 month Contract with a big pharma company, where I gained valuable industry experience as well as getting ABPI qualified. I have just secured my first headcount position with another pharmaceutical company as a primary care rep.

I cannot thank Chase enough for their hard work and support over the last year.

I would just say that I would recommend Chase to anyone looking to get into the Pharmaceutical Industry. My experience has been fantastic; Catherine and Chase have helped me immensely since I started looking years ago!

I wouldn't have the job I have now if it wasn't for the advice Catherine gave me at our first meeting.

The advice I would give to anybody thinking about aspiring to work in the industry would be as follows:

*Look on websites, such as Pharmatimes & Pharmafield, to familiarise with pharmaceutical companies and products
*Learn basics about the NHS, NICE and ABPI
*Complete at least 1 day shadowing and think about the things that you liked/ disliked, what you thought was un/successful and how you might do things differently

Once you have some basic knowledge, get in touch with a consultant from CHASE. They provided me with really practical, useful information and advice and were exceptionally helpful. One of the best things about this agency is that they really listen and adhere to your specification.

Understanding that working in sales is a right of passage into other roles within the industry and key to your understanding of its' customers as well as the environment in which pharma operates.

Get as much relevant workexperience as you can either during your studies or after you've completed your degree. I did two shadowing days with pharmaceutical representatives. Doing this will really help you decide whether this is the job for you and is great for gaining insight into the sales process. I also did a three month internship working on a market research project for a global healthcare diagnostics company. This internship gave me the opportunity to build on my commercial awareness and gave me some great experience working in a corporate environment.

The last factor that helped me secure a position was to get a job with a contract sales organisation as a pharmaceutical sales representative. This really helped me to demonstrate my commitment to joining the industry, gave me a much more in depth understanding of the sales process and a much better understanding of the skills and attributes that are needed to be a successful pharmaceutical sales representative.

Chase is a brilliant recruitment company! I would not have been successful without their excellent feedback and support! The great thing about Chase is they are really good and matching their candidates to the right companies. If you choose Chase you will not be disappointed, just make sure you listen to their guidance and you'll end up where you want to be! It is not easy getting into the pharmaceutical industry, competition is tough, but if you work hard, stay focused on your goal and most importantly be yourself, then you will have no problem getting into the industry.