After a few beers, I finally see it clearly: this industry is really for dummies. If you have a quality education and are smart, then you are making a big mistake even considering this for a career. Add the downsizings every other year, and the losers in the industry, and you have even more reason to quit. Personally, I can't wait to get downsized to start my new career. The nice house, the nice lifestyle are good, but these THINGS cannot replace self respect and the joy of having a job where you are treated like an adult. Bye Bye Pharma. I know you are not going to miss me, but I also know that I got my life back and my spirit and life back. For those of you that stay, have fun with the toys you get from this job, and have fun continuing to let the vipers in this industry suck the life out of you. Not me. Not anymore.
the more you drink, the better life seems without pharma. dont cry in your coffee tomorrow morning when you realize you drank too much and that you are still nothing more than a "dummy pharma rep" because you, like most others who post, dont have the balls to quit and are would rather wait for a downsize instead. grow up. stop drinking, have some confidence in your ability to find a job that is more rewarding a fulfilling for YOU. dont assume what is good for you is good for others. your opinion about the pharma sales job does not matter to those who still enjoy this position. the sooner you realize this, the sooner you can move on with another career and someone else who reallly wants this job can move in to replace you. good luck.
You are so full of shit. If you hate it so much why not quit NOW? Why wait for a downsizing that may never happen? Put you money where your mouth is fool and quit Monday morning.
There is no way in hell I would EVER quit this cushy job!!! MY GOD, ARE YOU PEOPLE NUTS? I get paid 6 figures to hardly do anything!! I eat fee lunches. I get free gas. I work only a few hours a day. I pick up the kids from school every day. I have great benefits! Why would anyone want to leave? It makes no sense! Yes, a trained chimp could hold out a computer for a sig, but so what! I know we don't bring one thing of value to offices, but who cares! I could give a rat's ass about patients! I want as much as I can get, and will do whatever is necessary to survive. This is THE best job in the world!
The horror of making 100k plus bonuses, company car, kick ass benefits, 401k match, good working conditions, and reasonable hours. I have struggled my whole life. No one really understands how hard it was to be the class valedictorian AND a cheerleader. I cry myself to sleep nightly.
A few interesting posts. I've often heard reps call a career in Pharma the golden handcuffs. The job is not without dumbing down and frustrations, but the salary and perks are good, thus the urge to leave is often superseded by the benefits to stay. I'd day I only think about this, oh, every 10 minutes of every day. By the time I get home, slide out of the company car, take off the suit, and look at a nice home, it's like the oracle said in the first Matrix. "Here, take a cookie. I promise, by the time you're done eating it, you'll feel right as rain."
This is a fantasy job as per previous posts...sure the job is a bit like Ground Hog day,,but what was the take away there in that movie?..go out and do something else, fun..so what..enjoy! Talking to former counterpart, who has real sales job..hundreds of miles a week, his target numbers just increased, while biggest client's project ends (along with 1.2 million in revenue -- he still has to make that up somewhere between cold calling and beating on doors)...This job is like having to go to Disney World everyday and then somebody complaining about the rides and crowds...(really don't like it here? .. go forth and blaze that new trail! maybe you'll be happier and richer, just don't rain on my parade)..Merry Christmas..(oh, yeah week off there, no pressure , nobody going miss me, won't loose any business, won't get any phone calls, emails or texts from my customers demanding my time, just fill up with free gas to drive to grandma's)
Classic, underachiever, in the pharma. industry. People like you...the reason I had enough. Mostly, because I was the one selling. You were the one getting signatures. Good game. Enjoy your stupid life of mediocrity and having to play the game all day with your manager.
Exactly. I go the through the motions, give co results and metrics they want. It's ground hog day for sure, so I started realizing I had the opportunity to make parts of my personal time more enjoyable, more productive. New hobbies to embrace, etc. I focus on those things that I'd likely not be able to do if I had some other job. The Groundhog Day aspect DOES totally suck though..I just reframe it as something to endure so I can put better energy into other things I enjoy, which also takes my mind off this mindlessness.
You see this watch? You see this watch?...That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that's who I am. And you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a s--t. Good father? F--k you -- go home and play with your kids!! You wanna work here? Close!! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this -- how can you take the abuse you get on a sit?! You don't like it -- leave.
Perfect example. Talked to another rep about how mindless and depressing the job could be and he said he would make a few calls then go to a store and look at something that related to his hobby. That helped get him get through the day and at least gave him something to look forward to. The way he described it was to do a few things for the company, then do something for himself. Not a bad idea.
Great gig, easy money (ok big shots , no we're not talking million$, but very good here in middle America)..the down side trap is when you get the call, pharma sales and what we really do has kinda of leaked out to general public (pretty gals bringing in lunch with smile skills)...use some of that free time to network, join a local board and build a real network and skill story to sell when you need it...but for now I'm pretty much clocking half days till this Friday, off till New Year (no worry about market share tanking, missing a big sale or having customer call me day after Christmas with a problem)
