Would you encourage a friend to go into pharmaceutical sales?

Would you encourage a friend to go into pharmaceutical sales?


An enemy yes.
A friend NO.

 

Yes, for sure! It is a great job. - 49 voted this (9.84%)
Probably yes. - 83 voted this (16.67%)
Probably no. - 133 voted this (26.71%)
Hell no, you would have to be crazy. - 233 voted this (46.79%)

I am very surprised that more than 1/4 voted yes. Wow!

 

NO, I meet people that ask me what I did in my former life. I tell them pharma. They always give a speel about wanting to be in pharma and wanting to talk to me more about breaking in.

Insert eye roll, as stomach turns

I tell them, they may be able to deal with all the cons (I list them out) bc they dont know any differently. I know how the industry used to be in the early/mid 90's so I'm forever biased AWAY from the industry and could not co-op to canned robotic speels and mindless interactions after being told that I'm the captain of my ship/ the CEO of my territory-Here are the tools, go make it happen.

I'm just not the one to ask how to get it. I thank God everday I drive to my office, then shut down my computer when work is done that I am out.

 

The decline began by companies hiring unqualified managers who then hired unqualified reps. By that I mean ex college jocks, cheerleaders, rental car salesmen, computer salesmen, who did not know the Krebs cycle from a Kotex but were smart enough to be a trained monkey. Most physicians I know will agree if you ask them.

 

This is true. As I neared the end of my pharma life, I encountered DMs intimidated by my multiple science degrees, extensive sales training, awards etc. They hired brats as reps who spent their days calling Panera Bread meetings to bitch and moan about why someone wasn't being a team player-all they while they continued to make subversive plans to undermine others. Or to have Panera meetings asking me to account for my cool, level-headed business persona that they interpreted as lack of passion. Why? Because I didn't f-bomb, stomp my feet, rant and rage because someone in H.O. changed the called plan, steal Doctors every other week out of my territory and add to theirs and on and on. I mixed up my routing, went with the flow and adjusted to make my numbers-QUIETly. I cannot express how sick and tired I was of that type of employee by the time I got out. And to deal with managers AND reps that called unprofessional, offensive, subversive behavior normal and my way of corporate analysis and attack wrong. I just knew the tables had flipped and i had to get out. I was trained to be that way by big blue. I was trained that this is how a professional acts, not like a baby who gets it's diaper wet. Yet, I had a manager threaten to write me up over it-he got canned by a hostile takeover before the ink was dry. Then, I had 'team-mates' come from that takeover to perpetuate the ridiculousness.

I'm so glad to be out. I'm grown with children, dealing with childless generation Y brats who think they should run a company just bc they got a stinking' degree-with NO experience. I can't wait until the industry blows up and resets the starting line.

I can't go into a Panera now. It's where the crooks meet gang up on the ethical employees, sanctioned by crooked DMs that feign concern for 'their team'. Check those receipts/meetings HO. It happens all too often.

Jaded-hecks yeh
Better? Oh yeh, hospital management - no reps allowed but I see ya in the common areas doing your work, faking calls just to be able to submit your parking garage receipt and log that IP address so your employers 'knows your working.' Our Doc are not allowed to interact with you. Go home.