Making transition from rep to Corporate Trainer

While I am not a veteran I have been in pharmaceutical sales for about 5.5 years now. 2 years at Schering and the last 3.5 years at a big pharma company. I tried promoting at this big pharma company on a couple of occassions but my Regional Director is not too fond of me so it's making it hard.

I am now looking at external pharma companies but don't want to be a rep anymore. Would like to be a corporate trainer or a DM. My question to you guys is this. Is it realistic for me to go from Big Pharma as a tenured, seasoned rep straight to a smaller pharma company as either a trainer or DM? What can I do to make it in terms of getting the job? Any advice is highly appreciated. I am nearing 40 and feel I can do way more than just being a sales rep.

Btw: My education is BA degree.
Experience: 5.5 years in Big Pharma, always in top 10% ranked. District Trainer at Schering but never made it to corporate trainer.

 

I can answer this as I have been a top performing rep and a corporate trainer. Training is a wonderful place to be and a highly visible position. It will be tough to be a DM or trainer if you have not had experience in either - in another company. Try applying to a small biotech company where your chances may be better. However, you might see that most people getting training positions are and will be internal hires. Most people are district trainers if successful as reps so it means nothing. A regional trainer might mean more. Do not give up. Try getting a position in house now if possible. Sometimes a discussion with the regional may turn things around.

 

Not to be a dream killer but your odds of this happening are very slim. Most companies even small start ups and biotech’s(which are attracting top notch employees and generally pay much better than big pharma) have a plethora of experienced trainers and DM’s to hire from, both internally and externally. All with experience in that specific therapeutic area. I agree with the other poster you need to jump up to one of those jobs at your current company and then transition out. If that is unlikely because of your regional your best bet is to go to another company as a rep and start over and work your way up. Again this is very tough since, as you know, there have been mass layoffs over the past year or so and reps are fighting just to get back in, even taking ‘demotions’ back to primary care for less money. This is by far the worst time to be looking for a job in pharma! I get that being a rep can be a grind and it sounds like in just a few short years you are burnt out, but I would put the odds of you, with no corporate training experience or DM experience of you getting hired at that level at a new company at 1 in a million. Sorry.

 

This advice may have worked two decades ago, but not in this current environment. Today, chances of getting on with a small biotech are slim to none. Too many highly educated, tenured talent available since the lay offs of late. Also, going in house is a great way to get lost in the crowd with all the other ankle biting wanna-be's. Not a good move if upward mobility is the goal.

 

Incorrect. I agree with the other poster. In house is great and if you are a can-do professional, you will not get lost. Everyone thinks they can train.... most are not true to that profession. Go in house and also know that you will get into a small biotech. They love the high achievers and love the pharma mentality especially if it is needed in their structure. I KNOW.

 

This post could not be more inaccurate.

 

I agree 100% that not everyone is capable of being a good trainer. I have won multiple presidents clubs over the years and I have a high level of product, industry, disease state and competitor knowledge, and like at most companies if you are doing well they assume you will be a good trainer. I hated being a trainer and I was not very good at by my own admission! I never had the patience and just never had the zest to do it. Great trainers like great teachers require a special skill set and passion to teach that may or may not be indicative of their success in the field. Just because one is a superstar sales rep does not mean they will be a good trainer and likewise average reps may have a great skill set to be great trainers. My poor daughters know what a lousy trainer I am after our first “driving lesson”!

I also agree that going in house will not get you lost. If you are good people will notice and opportunities, if available, will come your way.

What I disagree with you on is this persons ability to simply jump to a biotech with zero in house(director of training, associate director, etc. experience) I’ve worked in biotech, mainly oncology, for the last 15 years at a variety of companies and not once have we ever hired an in house trainer who was either not from our company or was already an in-house trainer at another company, in the same therapeutic area. Also training in this day and age is very disease state specific, meaning there is no way this person is going to go to a MS or HIV or Oncology, or Hep B/C, company as an in house trainer with zero experience in those disease states, let alone zero in house training experience. There are too many great, experienced trainers out there who are looking for work, especially at the biotech’s.

This person needs to jump up at their current company in order to jump in house at any other company let alone a biotech. They only have 5.5 years of experience, and only a district trainer 3.5 years ago while at Schering, and none for the last 3.5 years at their current job. Doesn’t scream “experienced trainer” let’s take a chance and bring you in house to me.

Also I disagree with your take on “the pharma mentality especially if it is needed in their structure”. Again in my many years in biotech were rarely hire from big pharma because most of the time the loose structure and culture of the company is what we are trying to preserve and big pharma people a lot of times do not do well in an unstructured environment, as they need/like to be told how and when to do everything. Even the one who do well most will admit there was a 6 month to a year adjustment period. At every company, at every meeting you will hear the declaration in some form that “we are not, do not and never will be or act like Big Pharma!” At most bio’s if you have the top 10-20 big pharmas on your résumé you probably will not get a look. Most bio’s are looking for Genetech, Biogen, Gilead, Chiron, OSI, etc. Not Pfizer, J&J, Bayer, GSK, Novartis, etc.

Sure there are exceptions but with all the layoffs even in biotech, trying to break into a highly specialized therapeutic area(which most biotechs are in) is very unlikely just as a rep. Trying to break in as a DM or Trainer of which you have zero experience...zero chance.

 

agree with a little of both. However, know this: in house IS the place to be. If you are good, you will get noticed!!!

 

OP here: First of all thanks for all your candor and feedback. I am in a tough position right now and I appreciate what you have to say. It is frustrating because I know that I can do much more than just be a rep but getting an inhouse position at my company (big pharma) is very very hard because my RD is NOT supportive.

My DM likes me but that means squat. Unless your RD backs you up, at my company, I am going nowhere. I am not worried about layoffs. I have survived 2 already. I am a top performer and I have an okay base at 88K (I am 2nd highest tier level rep at my company and there are only like 10 nationwide at highest).

The problem is I am 39 years old. I am too old to be doing the rep thing. My wife is starting to ask me why a guy with my talent is just a rep. I have tried to interview as trainer before but both times my RD blocked me. Please guys, I am desperate for answers, I really don't know what to do. I know deep down I can do more, and I am motivated.

Since the consensus is that it's hard to jump to a small biotech or smaller pharma without prior trainer experience (I know DM is out). And at my company, under the current circumstances it's next ti impossible to go inhouse, what can I do?

 

My man, I hear ya. First I believe you have options just not the ones you would prefer right now. As I said before if you can’t jump up at your current company you should really start the job pursuit like it is a full time job and land a rep job at a new company. Prove yourself their and try to navigate the corporate ladder. If the RD is the roadblock as you say he, is than why would you want to stay there? Unless you think he is going to leave soon I think your best chance is getting out and starting over at a new organization.

Also there is nothing wrong with being a rep, especially if you can get in at a biotech doing something in a higher level (non sampling job) where you may be able to go from 88K to a 100K base and probably W2 more than a big pharma DM.

Just out of curiosity why does your RD not like but your DM does? Usually the DM is the one that forms the RD opinion about rep and generally if the DM likes you the RD will follow.

 

OP here: My RD has actually blocked quite a few people from promotion. In fact, nobody has promoted from his region, not a single person, in the few years he has been here. I am not sure why my RD hates me, but I have asked him point blank and his response is the standard I am not ready. That he sees me as a specialty rep but not a future DM. I am so frustrated I dont know what to do.

 

Well the handwriting is on the wall, and you refuse to read it. You aren't going to go ANYWHERE while you have this RD.

As for your age, you're 39 and YOUR WIFE is asking why you are still a rep? hmm, probably a SAHM. Tell her to go out and get a job and find out how hard it is to maneuver around pharma these days. BTW, you're not washed up at 39 - far from it - it's the ideal age. But if you're still doing the rep thing at 45, you might be stuck. AND you're not going to weather those layoffs forever. I was PC, top performer for 12 years and BAM - cut loose.