advice...

Discussion in 'KCI' started by Anonymous, Mar 9, 2014 at 10:36 AM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am posting on a few device boards hoping to get some suggestions on how to make the move from pharma to device sale. I have been in pharma for 15 years and have had a great career here. I have stayed with this company for so long because my base is $115K, 20K in bonuses and the work/life balance has been ideal while my kids were younger. Now that they are older and I need to pay for college, I want a position in medical device where there are better financial opportunities and the position is more challenging.

    I think the problem is that companies and recruiters look at me as a sample dropper that can't sell my way out of a box and I can't even get a phone call. My obstacle is overcoming this perception because I am not a glorified UPS driver and I can in fact sell. I have a science degree and can easily grasp the technical end of the position and my sales skills are above average. I actually do try to talk to my target physicians on every call and I have won several awards which reinforce the fact that I can sell. So, how do I convince those that are doing the hiring to at least give me a phone interview? I think I have a good resume but when they see 15 years in pharma, I don't think they are even giving me an opportunity.

    Any insight or suggestions would be helpful. Or any recruiters that actually take the time to talk to a potential candidate would also be appreciated.

    Thanks!
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Seriously, is this a rhetorical post? I think you pretty much summed it up why no one would talk to you in your first paragraph. You pigeonholed your career 10 years ago maintaining your "work life balance". Your right, Pharma is not a "challenge" and is exactly the reason why no one will talk to you. You should have realized this a long time ago, and tired to broaden your career. But you had to maintain your "work life balance". Sorry pal, medical device sales is not an 8-5 job. You are not getting orders by dropping off doughnuts, scheduling lunches, playing golf with your doctor, or whisking away your doctors to some exotic resort for an "educational conference". This is not selling in medical device, as you are accustomed to, and that style of selling is not going to cut it. You got the awards to prove it? What metrics do your awards use to gauge success, and who are you competing against? Other professional caterers, the mailman? Companies aren't going to risk their resources and time trying to mold or train someone who's metrics for success is scheduling lunches and getting tracked by how many doctors they can see in a day, as well as think this is the only way to sell as they have been for the last 20 years. You say that this isn't how you sell, good luck with that because that is the stigma that your industry carries.
    Good luck with your plateauing $135K earnings the rest of your life, that will get you maybe a semester or two of college, ever hear of a section 129 plan? Probably shouldn't have worried so much about your "work life" balance.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I think you should get off an anonymous blog with postings from angry ex employees and 13 year old kids trolling for idiots
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    "Seriously, is this a rhetorical post? I think you pretty much summed it up why no one would talk to you in your first paragraph. You pigeonholed your career 10 years ago maintaining your "work life balance". Your right, Pharma is not a "challenge" and is exactly the reason why no one will talk to you. You should have realized this a long time ago, and tired to broaden your career. But you had to maintain your "work life balance". Sorry pal, medical device sales is not an 8-5 job. You are not getting orders by dropping off doughnuts, scheduling lunches, playing golf with your doctor, or whisking away your doctors to some exotic resort for an "educational conference". This is not selling in medical device, as you are accustomed to, and that style of selling is not going to cut it. You got the awards to prove it? What metrics do your awards use to gauge success, and who are you competing against? Other professional caterers, the mailman? Companies aren't going to risk their resources and time trying to mold or train someone who's metrics for success is scheduling lunches and getting tracked by how many doctors they can see in a day, as well as think this is the only way to sell as they have been for the last 20 years. You say that this isn't how you sell, good luck with that because that is the stigma that your industry carries.
    Good luck with your plateauing $135K earnings the rest of your life, that will get you maybe a semester or two of college, ever hear of a section 129 plan? Probably shouldn't have worried so much about your "work life" balance….



    Wow…I asked for advice on how to enter the industry and instead, I got a judgmental jerk telling me that I should have made different choices in my life. I chose to put my family before my paycheck and I would do it again in a heartbeat. That doesn't make you any better then me because I did this but boy do you sure think it does. What I didn't mention was that I also receive stock options and profit sharing so my "plateaued salary" of $135k is more like $175K a year and I am not joking. On top of that, I have never missed any of my children's activities, holidays or Grey's Anatomy episodes (cause you know, that is where I got the genius idea to go into device sales….) That might not be as much as you make but I have no regrets and it is a lot more fun hanging out with my kids on Christmas Day then it is sitting at the hospital waiting for a surgery to start.

    What arrogant comments about how pharma reps are evaluated..how many doctors we see or how many lunches we schedule. Just like you, we are ranked according to how much money we make the company. In regards to awards, I have earned them based on dollars over quota…just like you fancy medical sales reps. You didn't have to take me at my word when I said I could sell but it would have been nice if you had and then just given me some constructive suggestions on how to get past the stigma of the industry. It may shock you but there are some excellent pharma reps. out there that could outsell you any day of the week.

    I hope I get hired in your territory by your competitor because after your comments, I am pretty sure that I can sell circles around your arrogant a**.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Ok, keep me posted as to when you get that call and get that job. I will keep an eye out for you. Oh, and make sure to stress to the hiring manager, especially at this KCI hellhole, of how important it is to maintain that work life balance, and how you can't start until after 8:30 because you have to pick the kids up from school, or have to be home at 3:30 to pick up the kids from soccer, and you cant do SFDC or respond to your manager after 8:00 because you need to watch Grey's Anatomy. That will go over really well, I am sure you will get the job. I've seen those Pharma reps who can "sell", agreed maybe 1 out of a 100 have what it takes, most try to stick to their ways, their candy ass regurgitation of scripts, and have no idea of what the hell they are talking about, wind up failing miserably and going back to Pharma in 6-12 months. Good luck.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    You are definitely going to have a hard time. Probably 1-2 years unless you get lucky right out the gate. As far as pay, you might as well stay in pharma if you are in that range. Most device jobs are $225 or less, probably averaging $150. You most likely will have to take a pay cut to get your foot in the door.

    I would suggest you come up with a good reason why you stayed 15 years. Having a work life balance will guarantee you never get a second interview. Any device recruiter will tell you they are looking for "hunters". Seeing 15 years in pharma looks counterintuitive to this.

    Try getting in contact with recruiters and making contacts. Good luck.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Stay in pharma. There is absolutely no work/life balance in device, you will take a major base salary cut for any device job, and your overall money will be close to what you're making now (actually, far more than you would make at KCI).
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    OP with a base salary like that you are STEALING money from your company. If I were you I would suck everyone off to make sure you keep your job for as long as possible because you WILL NEVER MAKE MONEY LKE THAT AGAIN IN YOUR CAREER! Your days are numbered as you are not a spring chicken. If you did get a device job it would be a shitty one with a shitty salary that promises big pay on the back end but the truth is any company that would hire you probably has a shitty product that doesn't sell and you will never make any variable pay other than your shitty salary. Sorry to be a prick but you need to be thankful for what you have and realize you are at the top of your field in pay and if you take that chance to get out of pharma you will never get back in to pharma.

    Lastly average device pay is not 150k. It is more like 90k. For every 150k job there are 20 that pay less than 100k. You know how there are a ton of shitty little pharma jobs that pay shit and have shitty products that you probably laugh at and the docs and offices never heard of? The same thing goes on in device and they turn reps over time and time again. That is the type of device company that would hire a pharma vet like you.

    Don't do career suicide. Keep that job and hold on with both hands and both feet and make sure your wife gives a handy to your boss to make sure you keep that job for as long as possible.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Trust me, I would stay if I could but my company just got bought so I have no choice. I realize what a great job I have and to top it off, I have a great boss.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    This company is on a huge downward slide. ask your recruiter. They hire cell phone reps now
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Did you find that job yet?
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    OP first off you are too old to get into MD and have the wrong impression. MD companies want individuals who will put their job above their family. You might be willing to do this but after 15 years reality from the hiring manager is that you are used to working 9-3. Secondly, as stated somewhere above MD industry no longer pays what it used to. For the past 5 years my pay has slowly decreased either from cuts in base, to company go to straight commission and quotas that are extremely stretched to almost unattainable. Even though your gig has been purchased by another company stay as long as you can and kiss ass with the new boys. Finally, stay from KCI this place is hell. I've been here 6 years and each year it has gotten worse.