GlassDoor Career Editorial Team

If you are looking to break into a career in Pharmaceutical Sales this is an important question to ask yourself. We did some behind the scenes research to find out.

What We Learned:

From what have found out is if you are looking to enter the very lucrative and fast growing career of a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep you need to consider education as a way to break in. College degrees aren't the only way to get a great job as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep; another option is a professional certification program. You can get some certificates in as little as 2 to 4 weeks, while other programs can take as long as 3 months to complete. From our findings we have explained on this website we explain how to decide if certificates would benefit your career and share certifications that employers value the most.

How to Decide if the CNPR Certification is Worth It.

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WE STARTED BY RESEARCHING LINKEDIN:

From our research on LINKEDIN there is only one really recognized industry Certification we can find and that is the CNPR Certification. There are a few pharmaceutical sales Certifications but we went to LINKEDIN we could find Pharmaceutical Reps who are CNPR Certified or have completed the CNPR Certification program. We have found over 10,000 LINKEDIN members who were CNPR Certified and who actually have those certifications on their profile or display them next to their name. We looked into hundreds of profiles and did see that many of those people obtained their CNPR before they were actual Pharmaceutical Sales Reps and most broke into this career very quickly after adding their CNPR to their profile.

See below for some examples:

Carolina L Ramirez, CNPR

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for Paxlovid for Pfizer

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-l-ramirez-cnpr-certified-4bb938155/

Fontaine Holloway CNPR

Territory Manager at Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fontaine-holloway-cnpr-bbb62a71/

Karen Anderson MBA, BSHA, CNPR

Pharmaceutical Representative CNPR #631942017

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-anderson-mba-bsha-cpc-cnpr-37383a41/

What about the JOB BOARDS?

from our research with a resume scanning or search on ZIPRECRUITER and INDEED we found over 28,000 “CNPR” reps with most of them working in the pharmaceutical industry. Again, we clicked on several hundred resumes and noticed that many got into the industry in a relatively short period of time after obtaining their CNPR Certification From what we could see most of them found employment at Big Pharma companies in not weeks then just a few months of completing their CNPR Certification.

TESTIMONIALS FOUND

We researched several websites that showed testimonials from past students and found some pretty powerful testimonials from CNPR Grads. We have attached below some of the few we found:

“Overall getting my CNPR and then eventually getting into my pharmaceutical sales job was a wonderful experience. It was probably the most interesting book I studied since school. I truly thanked the association for all the help and support. When interviewing I quickly realized how many Pharmaceutical Co. employers look for industry knowledge, clinical training and pharmaceutical education from entry level pharmaceutical sales candidates. You really need to show the companies in the interview that you bring value to them as they look to grow their sales forces. They truly need qualified sales applicants who also have some knowledge of pharmacology and the medical industry. Overall, if you show passion and persistence in all stages of the interview process, you’ll be one step closer to getting a pharmaceutical sales job.”

Justin H.

“I wanted to post a review here after the association mentioned to me that they were getting some weird reviews here on this site. That is terrible what competitors are trying to do to this credible trade group. I wanted to share how valuable the CNPR was for me in getting my career started in Pharmaceutical Sales. When starting my job search for Pharmaceutical Sales I was just astonished on how many employers ask for this certification. The CNPR was noted in my interview with Ashfield while making the difference in getting my first job in the industry. My daily responsibility as a Pharmaceutical Rep is to educate physicians about why our products can help their patients through proven clinical data. My physician clients are busy so I have to get it out fast. The CNPR also trained me on the pharmaceutical industry selling guidelines and regulations which is so vital. I would recommend the CNPR to anyone. It is sad for me to hear that others are defaming this well recognized and essential industry credential.”

Stephanie A.

“I did the CNPR program which was great and the information in the course was actually very interesting. Coming from a medical background I appreciate the information it was a lot of reviewing but also a lot of new information. I am about to start a new career soon in Pharmaceutical Sales because of my CNPR. I have recommended this to a buddy of mine as well.”

Alan M.

“I recently was offered and accepted a position with a small pharma company promoting a veterinary canine cancer treatment. They were very impressed with my biology background as well as my basic knowledge of the pharmaceutical R&D, promotion, and sales process. Without my CNPR course I would not have been able to sound nearly as qualified and knowledgeable during the interview process. I believe having the CNPR certification and pharma industry knowledge definitely helped me get hired to my first pharma sales position. Thank you NAPSR!”

Kirk M.

“The manual was very informative and helpful with all the information necessary to pass the exam. Being able to study on my own time and take the time to fully comprehend the manual. I love working in the pharmaceutical industry as a Sales Rep. I really feel like I am making a difference. I am glad I obtained my CNPR.”

Brenda P.

"It is a must have to enter into a pharmaceutical sales career."

Brad K.

Final Assessment

What is a professional certificate?

A professional certificate is a credential provided to an individual after the completion of a standardized certification course and exam. This certificate provides evidence to potential employers that the individual has a quantifiable understanding of their field of work. These certificates are especially important if your career path doesn't require a degree. With a certificate, you can demonstrate that you are a trained professional in your field and hold important hard skills to potential employers.

How to decide if the CNPR Certification is worth it for your career

One of the quickest ways to stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs is to acquire certifications that highlight your area of expertise and add value to your education or experience level.

Which certifications are the most valuable to employers?

There are so many certification courses available both through colleges and as stand-alone courses online that it can be hard to figure out which of these certifications actually matter to potential employers. In general, you should look for certificate programs that are offered directly from their industry groups or that have an industry-wide standard.

CNPR Certification Reviews Press Release Blogs

CNN Money Names Pharmaceutical Sales One of the Best Jobs in America! CNPR Trains These Individuals With a median pay of 105k, many individuals agree that pharmaceutical sales is one of the best fields to be in. CNN Money agrees, naming it one of the top 100 jobs in America. Companies need pharmaceutical sales representatives, the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Reps can help!

https://cnprreviews.org/cnprreviews-bestjobtoget1123.html

Entry Level Pharmaceutical Sales Reps Take the CNPR Certification to Qualify for New Positions!
The Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR) program is designed for those trying to break into the pharmaceutical sales industry.

https://cnprreviews.org/cnpr-certification-reviews1120

If you are looking to find out what Human Resource and Staffing Professionals think of the CNPR Certification we have reached out to Susan at Malay Pharma for comments: