Is being a Lab rep any better than a Pharm rep?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I quit my pharma/biotech rep job last year after being in the industry 8 years. I now need to get back in the work force. I hated pharma sales because it was total bull. President's club was a lottery and more importantly, doctors and their staff didn't take us seriously ie. they shit on us. I'm tired of being shit on. Is life as a lab rep. any different? Do you feel you're taken seriously? Are you shit on as bad as a pharma rep?


Thanks

[Anonymous]

a lab rep is usually selling a service. Some company's like Cytyc you sell a product. Service and Product sales is completely different than a drug. You don't have to beg for the business. You dont have to be a catering service! (pharma is catering). A pharma rep spends more time ordering lunch than meeting with MDs. Laboratory sales is relationships!!! Pharma is a$$ kissing. The best thing that happens when you are lab/product rep is the ability to say: "Oh no, I am not a pharma rep, I am a laboratory rep, big difference" & "I work with your lab, I dont sell drugs and beg for scripts!"

I did the pharma for 4 years and the service/product for 10+ years. Hate the pharma! Back stabbing and no selling, just catering. Service/product is selling, relationship building, thinking outside the box and very rewarding!

Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

Ditto the previous post! Be prepared to be responsible for your sales. You don't have to wait 2-3 months to get your numbers. No bogus everchanging, evolving comp plan - you sell it, you get paid for it!

[Anonymous]

Run from Pharma! I was with J & J for 8 years and then went to one of the big esoteric labs. Extremely different.....but you're not one of the pharma clones that act alike, speak alike, dress alike, etc. Much more diversified, creative and a bit more stressful. Lots of luck in your search.

[Anonymous]

how is the pay compared to pharma? how is your commission calculated? what's realistic for the year?

[Anonymous]

Great candid posts...can anyone recommend a few good recruiters for Lab sales?

[Anonymous]

do you wear scrubs for labor and delivery diagnostic sales and lab sales? tired of dressing up and pretending to be "all that" with pharma!

[Anonymous]

Any recruiter names for lab sales?

[Anonymous]

I just got contacted by a recruiter for a hologic/cytec job and have a PI coming up. I am currently in pharma and looking to make a move out of it. These posts are great but a little general, can anyone give me some more insight into the business, the products. How about the pay...base seems a bit low.

[Anonymous]

Way better than pharma!

[Anonymous]

No better than pharma. Very much the same.