I work for a company, medical but not pharma, that has reps from their 20s to a long timer at 75. The 75 year old has been with the company at least 25 years and they have given no indication of forcing him out. Anyway, one of my former co-workers was put on a PIP over a year ago by a manager that disliked him and gave him goals he could not reach. He resigned and is retired now at age 68. That manager is no longer around and other reps and managers have suggested that he return to the company. He is considering it and called me for advice. I asked him if they knew how old he was and he said the only ones that know are the people in HR. One manager said they thought he was no older than 50. I think he is nuts to even consider it but he doesn't believe me. Am I way off base to even think HR would prevent this from happening? He seems happy doing part time work but he loved his old job. I have been trying to talk him into staying in retirement mode but I guess the grass is greener, or so he thinks. If I am wrong, I will back off but just wanted to see what others thought. By the way, I am 42 and I am thinking I am getting too old for this.
It is an easy job and the pay is great. Anyone should work in the business for as long as they can, regardless of age.
very true, but it does come with a price: your soul. what I mean is that you really have to bow down to your manager at all times, and resort yourself to being an elementary kid. its easier to do when you are young, because you don't know any better. when you hit a certain age, its painful unless you have a manager that "gets it". But, how many managers in this industry get it? My guess is about 1 out of 5.
Sounds like you are bitter and must have worked for a crap company and/ or got tossed out. Managers at better companies are easier to deal with. After all, the job is easy for those of us that know what we are doing and it is not a problem getting treated with respect.
Nope, started at Abbott and then worked for Astra. 1 out of 5. You love your mental abuse because money is your God. Good for you. Maybe you should put other things before money in your life. And I am not bitter, but disappointed that it took me so long to understand how cult like this industry is, as well as very unethical.
Hey, you are that mental boy from the other threads. We already determined that you got kicked out of pharma, and that made you bitter and angry. Here you are hanging out on the pharma board posting to yet another thread. You better find a way to deal with your issues. By the way, I found your posts about car sales hilarious. Tell us again as to how you think that car sales is a great job. We need a good laugh.
The smartest person I know has an MBA from Notre Dame, is a champion chess player, day trades, and is teaching classes part time for fun. His analysis is that car sales is the best sales job out there because of the following: 1. no need to go to college to start and make good money. 100k is very possible. 2. less stress than typical corporate jobs. 3. car dealerships are not as micro-managed as most sales jobs. 4. it is easy to request time off. pick your own days. Sorry to burst you bubble. The cult that you work at is painful, I know. I did it for close to 20 years, and it was painful. The real pain, however, was when I discovered it all. The facade. The lies. How they don't care about the patients, but only the profits. How the products don't really help. Its all a game, and you don't see it because you love money and material things.
Car sales?????? BBbbbbbbbbwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaahhahahahahahahahahahahahaha Everyone with a brain knows that car sales is bottom of the barrel. In fact, time share sales would be a step up from that. The pain you are feeling is from your dose of sour grapes. Sorry you got cut, but that is the way it goes. When you have to downsize a company, you need to get rid of the low performers (like you) first.
This comment tells me you are a mind control pharma. pfool. You have no clue how the real world works.
No, mental boy. It is mental illness that has control of your mind. The last comment made was right on the mark and you having trouble dealing with reality.
You are a flesh creature, and cannot understand me. So, you resort to calling me mentally ill, even though I have more education than you, more friends than you (true friends), more money, and work when I want to. Take a hike. Your posts show no original thought. When compared to my ideas, you fail. You are a sheep, and that is not something to be proud of. You are a mist that appears for a short time, and then you are gone...like all of us...the difference is you are a flesh creature and won't make it on the other side. I am just a messenger. Good luck getting out of the cube. I hope you do.
Hi mental boy. Still inventing stories, I see. I guess you need to find a way to cope after losing your pharma job. That started your slide on financial destitution and now here you are spitting out your sour grapes to those that have been successful. When you espouse tails of your money, friends and education, you merely reveal those as your shortcomings and then you add your story as a way of dealing with your failures. As said before, there is not much any of us can do for you. You need to get direction intervention from a mental health professional. What probably burns you even more is that I always wish you well by encouraging you to get help, yet all you have to dish out is bitterness and anger at our industry and those of us in it. We can't help it that you failed. I hope you are able to get the help you need and I also wish you good luck.
To get back to the original question and judging from the comments I hear from my former colleagues, 40 seems to be "too old". They can find some eager, self-impressed 23 year old straight out of Starbucks with a promise of a 45K a year job (which must sound like a six-figure income to a college graduate playing barista for four years), a fleet car of allowance (beats the crap out of hoofing it or taking the bus) and the vain promise of a bonus (which makes that employee discount look like peanuts) attractive. Plus they get trained and think they are medical professionals and not lunch caterers or sample droppers. I am still employed (for God knows how long), but I have to say I am looking like crazy and I don't give a flying **ck who says the job market is better--it is extremely tough to even get a phone screen and even tougher to compete against teenagers who can't even pronounce the drug or company name.
It all depends on where you live. In the bigger markets, there are tons of sales jobs. If you want to work, you can find bad sales jobs that pay 50k. Decent that pay 75k. Good that pay 100k. And great that pay 125k plus. Don't be such a downer. Its in the smaller to mid size cities, that you run into trouble, because they hire each other's cousins and nephews. lol.
Any ideas about the CSOs? Working for one now and getting 40k less income and finding it hard to get by. 15 years in industry with heavy specialty areas. Getting interviews, good complements but no offers. Advanced degree and was a medical professional in past.. Know a few other reps around my age in the 50s in the same boat. We all have awards and know the business. Wondering how to move someplace and get the income I need. Any ideas on a move into cso management or some other type of work that appreciates the background. Not interested in going back to healthcare patient work - pays even less and few opps in the area I was in.
I just interviewed with a CSO for a year-long contract. The interview was surreal. They kept asking why I was no longer with the company. I wanted to say something to the effect that the company no longer exists, but I figured if they didn't know that, they were pretty clueless. Starting salary was less than half of what I made, but I can't afford to be choosy after being unemployed for a year. Benefits are not as good and incentive compensation is very dicey. All in all, I would rather have it than not. Hope I get a second.
Most contracts pay 55-75 base with 8k for the car and 20 percent bonus... its still a 100k overall comp...and to ignore that is stupid. Also, contracts are the future of your stupid industry, so stop knocking them if you want to stay lazy and still sell pills. The days of manufacturers paying big base salary is gone, unless you get a lucky specialty position, which are unstable away and you are still dealing with idiot doctors. good luck to all, and stop inflating your worth. you are not valuable outside of pharma, and access stinks too, so your value is down in the job market because of that as well. Add the fact that the college grads will do your job for 1/2 the pay and 3X the enthusiasm.
