As a pharmaceutical sales rep, will you be able to work under pressure?
While certainly a rewarding and potentially lucrative career, the work of a pharmaceutical sales rep comes with a great deal of built in stress and pressure. If they're going to seriously consider you for the job, your interviewer needs to be assured that you will be able to handle the lofty sales targets and tight deadlines that will be a normal part of the job.
"Yes, I have no doubt! As you can see from my resume, I've been in a busy and competitive sales market for the last ten years and I love the pressure that comes with meeting sales goals and deadlines. My track record of success in the auto industry will translate well into pharmaceutical sales because I know that product knowledge and knowing my customers are vital to making a sale. I know that rejection is high in your world and I never let a customer saying no get me down for long."
The best way to answer this question is by closely researching the tasks you will be undertaking in the pharmaceutical sales position you are interviewing for and thinking about which tasks will be the most stressful. As you answer, make sure you don't sell yourself short by giving a simple yes. Take advantage of this question and use the opportunity to sell your skills and value profiles. Ensure your interviewer that you handle stress on the job in a healthy and productive manner by talking about a time or two you did so in the past.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Yes. I always do my best to prepare, but things come up and you have to be able to
roll with it. I'm someone my colleagues can count on and have a make it happen attitude.
Stephanie's Feedback
Staying calm in stressful situations is such an important skill set for any workplace! To deepen your response, you might include any strategies you've gleaned to help yourself stay calm and focused and/or how you take care of yourself when you're stressed.
