How to Become a Pharmaceutical Consultant

1. Focus on your Education: A strong educational foundation can go a long way in shaping your career. At the basic level, you need to at least have a background in life science. For your Bachelor’s education, it would be advisable to have a combination of a science major, and a second major like marketing or communications.

There are two benefits to this – the science major will give you the freedom to work in different fields within the pharmaceutical industry. The marketing or communications major will put you in a position to understand the business side of the industry.

If pharmacy is your main goal, then you should look at a course that will help you get registered as a licensed pharmacist. Examples of these can be Bachelor of Pharmacy, Diploma Pharmacy Programs, or MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology. Also, a strong foundation can be of great help if you ever decide to start your own business.

2. Get Work Experience: A pharmaceutical consultant’s job broadly deals with working with clients and creating in-house strategies that can streamline work processes. Understanding the workings of various departments within a pharmacy or a pharmaceutical company is imperative. Depending on the department in which you are offered a job (R&D, sales and marketing, communications, etc.), take the time to create a strong foundation of experience and knowledge. Try to get first-hand experience working in all the different segments of a pharmaceutical company. For example, if you are into R&D, see if you can also get training in marketing and communications. Most companies offer training programs or seminars that can help you. Ensure that you have a minimum of 3 to 4 years of work experience before you make any plans to study further, or move to a different organization.

3. Work to Attain a Management Position: This point is about gaining knowledge and mastering the art of handling store branches, employees, products, marketing strategies, campaigns, etc. Combined with strong technical knowledge, this will also put you in a good position to attract, create, and maintain good relations with clients.

4. Keep Up with Latest Trends and Happenings: Knowledge and experience will certainly help you in your career as a consultant. However, it is extremely important that you keep your eyes and ears open about the latest trends and changes taking place in the industry. This will put you in a stronger position when pitching products and solutions to clients, and convincing them to make changes in their companies.

5. Create a Strong Network: The help of a friend or colleague can go a long way. Ensure you have a good network of contacts within your company and the industry. Take the time to converse with your seniors, peers, as well as professionals and representatives of other organizations. Attend conferences and trade shows; share your knowledge as well as get more information. A strong network will allow you to have the right people on your side as you move ahead in your career.

6. Be Ready for the Long Haul: Even if you have performed all the points mentioned above, your career as a pharmaceutical consultant will require time to take off. Do not get frustrated if things do not work out at first. Keep working and try to find ways to get new projects. Be willing to multi-task, work on multiple projects at a time. This will help you create a strong reputation in the industry, and even help you find new clients.

Passion, dedication, and smart future planning can go long way to establishing your career. A combination of all these points can lead to a strong and stable career as a successful pharmaceutical consultant.