Pros
Most companies hiring full-time or part-time sales representatives will train both types of employees the same. So, as a part-time employee, you will receive all the education and training needed to work full-time later. You will be fully educated on the product you are selling and will receive all the training you need to take on the full-time job, should you choose to go that direction. If you are looking for a full-time pharmaceutical job, starting part-time will best prepare you for it. Your job is identical to that of a full-time employee, except for the number of hours. So you are not deprived of certain information as a part-time employee. You are fully prepared and you are constantly involved with those who can hire you full-time. You will be networking with the right crowds to earn that promotion. Since you will already know everything the full-time employees do about the product you are selling, making the jump from part-time to full-time will be a very smooth and easy transition. This is definitely one of the major perks of starting in an entry-level, part-time position. Entry level is the same level as the long term, full-time employees.
If you are not interested in making this transition to full-time status, there are still many benefits to working part-time. First of all, you have more flexible hours. You are not working around the clock every day, so if you have children you need to take care of or are attending a university and need time to go to class and do your homework, then part-time work will be much more flexible to your hectic schedule. If you are in the medical field or are studying to enter the field, part-time pharmaceutical jobs will better prepare you for that career. You can learn all about a specific drug entering the market and will be able to see how that product sells as well as the results of all those sales. You will see if the drugs you sell are effective and have the staying power that keeps that drug on the market. You will learn all about the ailments a drug cures, or is expected to cure, and thus will better recognize symptoms of those ailments. You will get hands-on experience with people in need of cures and remedies for those symptoms and will begin the early-diagnosis process. You will also better understand chemical compounds and how they treat certain symptoms as well as how they fail to treat others. You will see how this industry functions from the ground level and come to sympathize with those in need of remedies and cures.
Cons
As a part-time employee, your pay will be significantly reduced. You will not be receiving salary and will most likely receive no benefits. Pay will most likely consist of hourly wages rather than salaries. Your pay will be determined by the amount of experience you have, the company you are working for, and the product you are selling. So if you are looking for a supplemental income, this might be what you are looking for; but if you need a full, stable income to raise and support a family on, you might need to really push for a full-time position. The fact that there is no medical or dental insurance with part-time employment might be a big problem. If you have certain medical conditions or have a family to support and need coverage for them, once again, you really need to push for a full-time position. However, perhaps there are no full-time positions available your only option is to begin with the part-time position and try hard to work your way up.
Another downside is the actual sales job itself. Perhaps you are not great with people or do not have a knack for sales. Jobs like these depend on great sales skills and you might not keep your job if you are not good with people. Sales jobs force you to leave your comfort zone and approach strangers again and again. You constantly need to come up with new ways to approach strangers, and you need to brace yourself for some rude encounters. There are many people who have strong feelings against door-to-door salesmen. Many people will slam the door in your face or scream and curse at you as you run to the next house. You need to be prepared for this and have thick enough skin to take the empty insults. Just remind yourself why you need this job, or why you enjoy jobs in the medical field. Remind yourself why you prefer pharmaceuticals jobs over other low-wage, part-time jobs. Most people in college or who working part-time have to deal with all sorts of people and must be able to get over ugly encounters with angry people.
In the end, it all depends on what you are looking for. If you have a desire to learn more about this field, then you should take a job that will help you get a better feel for it. If you are interested in the medical field, you should do whatever you can and take whatever job you can to better familiarize yourself with it. Every job has cons. Every job has a downside and people put up with it because they have a goal to reach and the best way to reach it is by taking the difficult road. Everybody needs to step outside their comfort zone if they really want to get anywhere and accomplish anything of worth.
