The advice that I would give to graduates looking to get into the pharmaceutical industry as a medical sales representative would be to do your research from the start. You need to understand the role of a medical representative and the importance of the job you will be performing.
I would also recommend getting as much shadowing experience as possible, with representatives from different therapy areas and different levels of experience. Getting shadow experience will give you a good idea as to whether you are suited to the role, as you will need to gain access to many people if you get a career in the industry.
I would say that CHASE benefited me greatly as a graduate. From the start CHASE were helpful and they had excellent communication at every stage of the process. An assessment day was arranged quickly where I met with Catherine. The assessment was very professional and really tests your skills to see if you have the qualities needed to be a medical representative.
I also found the assessment day to be very useful. As CHASE tests your abilities first, you are then prepared for any interviews with Pharmaceutical companies. This is where CHASE differs from other recruitment companies because they make time for you and you can tell they actually care about your career progression.
I was updated at least weekly with job opportunities and Catherine phoned me regularly. After only three weeks with CHASE I attended an interview and assessment with a leading Pharmaceutical company where I secured my first position in the industry.
My main advice to graduates would be that you need to be passionate about the career you are perusing. It is a tough process and you really do need to do your research and complete shadow experience days.

CHASE make you feel welcome and will do everything they can to get you in to the industry. Other recruitment companies do not make the same effort and can leave you waiting weeks for a response. This is not the case with CHASE. They are a fantastic recruitment company and I would like to thank Catherine and Pamela for all their help during the process.

If I need to use a pharmaceutical recruitment agency in the future I will be using CHASE.

After leaving university with a degree in Geography, I was under no illusions that it would be difficult for myself to get my foot in the door with companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. My advice to anyone wanting to go into the industry would be to try and shadow as many people from as many companies as possible. This will not only prove to your future employer how much you want to work in the industry, but it will also give you a fantastic insight into what it takes to work in the industry. In addition to this, one of the most important pieces of advice I can give is not to give up! You will almost certainly have days on your job search where things aren't going your way and where the end goal seems so far away, but be confident in your abilities and stay positive as a role will materialise if your willing to work for it!

Working with Chase has been such a positive experience for me. They have been fantastic in finding suitable roles for me over the past few months and have now indeed placed me in my current graduate role with a Top 5 Pharmaceutical Organisation. In addition, the support and advice that Chase has given me over the past few months has been invaluable in preparing me for interviews and assessment centres. I would recommend Chase to anyone who is looking to get into the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry due to the professional, reliable and personable service that they provide.

The final piece of advice that I would give to anyone to get looking to get into medical sales would be to make sure that you are prepared when you do the chance to attend an interview. If a company is inviting you for an interview, then the chances are that they see you as being capable for the role, so this is your chance to really impress them with your knowledge of the industry and the company that you are interviewing for. It is also a chance to show them your personality, as it is vital that you are a friendly, outgoing and motivated individual in order to succeed in a medical sales role.

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.

My advice to those looking to get into the pharmaceutical industry, although this may seem obvious, is to first research in detail exactly what the role entails. This can be achieved through shadowing a medical representative, speaking to a friend in the industry, purchasing relevant books or at the very least, internet based research. This will not only help you come across well at interview but it will also give you an opportunity to find out whether this is the right industry for you.

In the interview stages try to relax, act confidently and make sure you draw upon your key strengths. Prepare a number of good examples of where you have shown a variety of key competencies required for the position sought. Researching the company and the products you will be selling is also very important as it shows a real interest in the role. Finally try to think of some intelligent questions to ask at the end as this may make you stand out from other candidates.

Catherine interviewed me at CHASE, she has a wealth of experience in the industry and gave me really in depth and helpful feedback after my interview. Her honest advice really helped me improve my interview technique. Andreas acted as my recruitment agent, he was very resourceful when helping me prepare for my interview and was kind and responsive throughout the whole recruitment process.

I would like to extend my greatest thanks to all those who helped me at CHASE, and wish all those looking to get into the industry the very best of luck.

I was fortunate enough to get a job within 4 working days after a meeting with CHASE, which shows that if you're right for the job then CHASE can place you. Catherine Fitch, the CHASE representative, was extremely helpful in guiding me and perfecting my interview technique. She offered numerous tips, from how to structure and answer interview questions to how to dress on the day. I was shown a new light on how important it is to express the various key skills gained from extra curricular activities. I was really impressed by the time and care that Catherine gave to check that preparation for the interview was going ok.

Getting into sales in the pharmaceutical industry doesn`t have to be daunting. Preparation is the key to being a successful applicant.

Know the industry, look on websites, read magazines such as the Pharma Times, and be aware of the company`s competitors not only the company itself.

Know the role, get experience that uses similar key skills, and ask people what is involved in the job.

The interviewer will be impressed by someone that shows they are aware of, and are not put off by, the `challenges` of the role - as seen by some people. Know yourself, make a list of things you have done and achieved - including all extra curricular activities - and relate them to skills necessary for a role as a medical sales rep.

To stand out from the other candidates take in evidence of work that you are proud of eg dissertation, speeches, blogs. Handing a personal business card to the employer can also look impressive.

Trying to get into the pharmaceutical industry can be a daunting prospect. There are numerous roles, hundreds of companies and 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.