How does one get a career in sales in the military industrial complex?

Which career is better? One in Catering Sales in a hotel, or in Pharmaceutical Sales?

• I wonder which pays better? Which makes the best use of a MBA degree? In Catering Sales, can I start a Catering business one day? What does it need to be successful in each of ...show more

• Answer:

  I can't speak for catering sales in a hotel or any other place, so I don't know how far (up) a corporate ladder or hotel chain one might go in that career. Pharma sales pays more than most careers (unless you have a technical degree) and offers you the most flexibility in terms of managing family/business. You can have a MBA in pharma sales but it doesn't do a lot for you unless you want to manage 8-10 people who are usually half your age. And you don't have to be a used car salesman to make it in pharma sales. I have a nursing background and am non-confrontational, yet I'm very analytical... this combo has served me and my family extremely well over the last 12 years. Pharma reps make a lot of money for talking to people. How much more fun could a job be? Plus, pharma companies (most of them) pay for your car, its maintenance, gas and repairs; you get a lot of days off; you have inarguably the best healthcare benefits on the earth; you can cut out early if need be; and if your dream is to climb some corporate ladder, that opportunity exists (usually provided you've excelled in sales). I say go for it. If you land a job and find out it's not for you, go back to catering. But I can almost guarantee that once you get a few bonus checks you'll be wanting more and more and more.