People like the paycheck but hate the job. Too many rules, not exciting, fear of lay offs, etc. Hard to leave the industry for less money. 10 -15 years ago pharma rep jobs were plentiful and people jumped around if not happy. Now the jobs are scarce and unhappy, negative people stay put.
That's too bad. Sounds like a bunch of spoiled brats who have never been unemployed for any period of time. The job is much more exciting when you've been so close to the edge.
Actually, PFE treats its people very well in terms of pay and benefits. If you're lucky enough to hang on long enough, our reps do very well. I just retired with a great pension and many years of far better pay than my B.A. degree would otherwise have afforded me. I think that too many tools have been taken away and it has taken the fun out of the job. Every job has its challenges, but we are not that closely supervised...just make the best of it and be happy that one of the world's biggest corporations actually keeps you around.
so true especially if you are in vaccine division-easy cheesy....no samples, just order taking, work two half days per week, fish, hunt, fool around, and take lunches-"office lunches" home-HA! what a gig! Yes, in Texas of course-south Texas!!
Not negative, just admitting and pointing out reality. If the truth posted in here is negative to you, then that is your interpretation. IMO, most of us are upset about the cluster fuck with our jobs and want it fixed. This is actually being positive and wanting the future here to be better. The negative people are those who shut off their brains and are satisfied with the screwed up status quo, act happy to just be employed, and believe all of the lies told to them by the management. Then call anyone "negative" when they point out realities and problems to be overcome in this job.
Freeloader? Sorry, but they described the majority of the people I work with on the East Coast. And lets not even talk about what it was like 10 years ago here. I had counterparts I never saw and rarely heard from. Before you claim that was because they stuck to their call cycle, let me tell you that our docs rarely heard from them, either. But come award-time, they were always there to reap the benefits of my relationships, skills, and work activity. Don't act like we don't have a plethora of part-time reps and managers here.
That was then and Pfizer is a different company now. Be happy you are one of the lucky old timers (even if you are in your mid to late 50's) who got in at the right time, reaped the benefits, and can now enjoy a good retirement. Can't compare then with now-sorry. Different job, different company, different industry, different healthcare.
I am happy, but not lucky. Worked hard every day. This business model has been broken for more than a decade. HIPAA hurt us badly and doctors tire of hearing about an old product for the 500th time. Not enough new products. If the relationship tools are taken away, there's not much left. No one on one dinners, no spouses, no promotional items, etc. I worked both the old and new times and made the best of it.
I think people are negative because they are frustrated. The large majority do not see a way out of this dead end job. Sure it pays 6 figure, but it is not rewarding. If it ended tomorrow 95% of reps would not have an immediate plan for replacement income. They could sell assets, live off their spouse but pharma is all they know and are not prepared. 110,000 reps on 2002 - 45,000 reps today. That is a lot of lost jobs and many of these people took massive pay cuts to find a new career. Access issues, sunshine act, formularies, etc. Are we really needed in vast numbers? You want us to be needed but the truth is we are not.
lawyers like Jeff Cohen who abuse your civil rights. I hope the NSA is listening to his interrogations. I'd rather be waterboarded by the CIA and given a pubic defender than libeled and slandered without scintilla of evidence.
I know this is a shocking concept for many in this thread, but there is no law that your job has to be fun, exciting, or otherwise fulfilling. The younger generations and specifically those in this industry have been programmed that the job was supposed to be a playground of frivolity. It's not. You work for a "for profit" corporation and they are all the same. They produce and sell products and services to maximize profit. You get a portion of the proceeds as an incentive for you to help in that process. When they can do it without you, or be more profitable without you, you get fired. Thats they way business works in capitalism. Don't like it or hurts your feelings: quit and start your own company. Maybe you will become rich and fulfill your life's every desire. Or maybe you will go bankrupt and lose everything. Either way, you are not entitled to have fun and be fulfilled by your job. For what it is worth, I still enjoy this job in spite of all the changes. It is more challenging than it used to be and definitely less stable. But I would still take it over 99% of other jobs out there.
So, its OK for you to "still enjoy this job", but not for others to want it to be fun, fulfilling or rewarding??? Doesn't "enjoying" require some of those things?
