Career Options?

With all the changes (layoffs) we have experienced thought this might be a good time to share what options reps have for careers/employment. The typical rep is around 40 with a dual-income household. Is it viable to stay in this industry for another 20+ years as a rep? At this stage in life, can a rep "reinvent"? What have you heard that other reps have done? I do know some that have taken the time to get into real estate sales and financial planning and after a few years they are doing quite well. However, the "work/life balance" seems to be gone. Please share, this is an anxious time and I am curious what is realistic to expect.

 

A guy will be fine. You will land on your feet. A woman is screwed. You will not be bringing in money. The husband will grow tired of you and kick you to the curb.

Hope this helps.

 

Oh please. Don't you read the papers? Do you ever watch the news? This industry is done. I had 30+ years and after this last reduction it was a relief to finally get out from under this dysfunctional company and industry. The last couple of years became unbearable due to all of the back fighting, innuendos, inept managers, et.al. It all started to come apart when Merck got into the "arms" race..they hired way too many people for a marketplace that couldn't sustain that many people running into too few offices.
Next came the Insurance companies making more decisions than the doctor and the nail in the coffin was Obama care. Doctors make very few decisions on what the patient is going to get for meds. This is why there is NO future here in this dinosaur of an industry. Too many upper management types are still trying to run companies like they were run in the 90's and early 2000's.
I did get another job (getting paid less) but I'm loving life again. You can to, you just have to put your mind to it. Good Luck

 

Ye ol observer is correct. Women are the back of the bus group. Everywhere in everything they don't rate. The softer breeds are easy picks. Gets them kicked, booted or delicately placed on the cut for the curb list. Easy, every time! Gals are guaranteed to take the pinks....few questions asked.

 

They could always hook. Pink is usually their favorite color anyway.

 

So not true. When a company is growing and everyone is making money you can hire all you want. Once there is a contraction and growth slows the company needs to change. Decisions need to be made. Who's going to do it? Some scattered brain person who can't even decide what to put on in the morning? The company needs leadership. A female manager is like putting a hole in a boat. It's just a matter of time until it sinks. Nothing good come out of it.

 

Many people will have to go back to school. Healthcare is an expanding field. The truth is many jobs are being outsourced overseas and the $ will never come back to the U.S. The pharmaceutical industry is on the decline; more jobs in the future for everyone will be robotized, automated. Look at antiques( secretaries voicemail, faxes, etc. you can imagine. The cost per rep is so prohibitively expensive; the industry is swiftly changing. No, 20 more years for a rep is impossible unless they have an MD degree because a national managed care environment will not make it possible or allow it.

 

Most of the posters are correct. The days of "Big Pharma" reps are numbered as well as managers. Obviously you can try to stay in the field with contract sales, but there is no certainty there either. Insurance and car sales are an option as it is hard for a lot of employers to consider pharmaceutical sales as real sales. Not being mean, but pharma sales does not develop one's skill sets. It's tough to find a career that will have the same perks and money as drug sales with a low skill set, but then again, it's not always about the money. Find something fulfilling or something that makes you feel like you have a purpose. It's not going to be easy, but you'll probably end up happier and less stressed in the end. After knowing what you know about the industry, why would you want to stay in it anyway?

 

Early 50s here…Pushed out of Merck a few years ago by a rabidly nasty CTL. Gave almost my entire working life to Merck, only to be savaged by a pit bull.

Anyway, I can only offer my story…There are jobs available to ex-pharma reps outside of the industry, but they are mostly bottom feeder type sales jobs, with either no or low base salary, or commission only. Things like solar, aluminum siding, merchant payment systems, etc…

You will be inundated with emails from insurance companies and financial advisor companies who want you to come talk to them…Those are things that can be good transition jobs, but most pharma reps (myself included) are too lazy or too beat up at this point, to put in the work and dedication needed to get over the first year hump.

Real estate licenses are very easy to come by in most states, but most people don't realize how difficult it is to get started in that business. You need to go get trained with a brokerage in your area, and they will basically hand you a phone book and tell you to call everyone in your neighborhood and to follow up with a knock-on-the-door visit to try and drum up business. The average real estate agent is lucky to make about 30 grand a year, and most simply wash out of the business within a year. There are, (obviously) many agents that do become established and do very, very well selling real estate. Trying to become one of those folks in your 40s or 50s is a long shot.

There is always the franchise route if you have bee a diligent saver, and buying yourself a job is certainly an option if you are a risk taker, (most pharma folks aren't) and you don't mind supervising high school kids making sandwiches, or making sure little pieces of fruit are cut up right to make an attractive (flower-like) arrangement. Most franchises are a good deal for the franchisor, less so for the franchisee.

There you have it folks…Wish I could say it was a prettier picture post-pharma, but it is not. I was the "all-star" pharma rep too. Trust me…It won't matter once you are out of the industry. What a bad career choice pharma turned out to be.

 

Wahhhhh Wahhhhh cry baby ! Ahhhh Ha Ha Ha Ha nobody gives a crap about u or your story you tell a hundred times on cp

 

folks ? you talk like you actually have a audience listening Bawwww Hawwww

 

Most of the posts here are good reality checks. If you are under 45 and need to stay employed it is time to start reinventing while still in pharma. If you are older, just hang on for as long as you can (save as much as you can and scale down your lifestyle where you can). Build your network and polish up your Linkedin profile. Visualize how everything you do can be used as an Accomplishment Summary. Rather than being a pharma rep victim, can you use your current situation to strengthen your position? Take advantage of the resources you currently have. To do nothing will guarantee that you WILL become a victim.

As a side note, there are careers with purpose. Example, I know of people who have gotten out of pharma, went back to school, got a teaching credential and are loving life. The income is not as great but the overall quality of life is better. Plus, I know teachers who are retiring with $9,000/month pensions and great health benefits. Just an example, I am sure there are many more.

 

Why would one not want to become a victim? In our new Obamanation, it is much cushier to be at the bottom, staying home all day watching soap operas, than battling traffic and stress of being a sales rep. Why bother working and supporting those below you?

Working hard is for suckers now…Welcome to the brave new Amerika.

 

It's not that bad. The funny thing is how emotional people get. They start to cry and become idiots. If they were that passionate about their jobs in the first place it would never have happened. Most of the venom on this site is disgruntled women who have no sense of reality. How can people get blindsided? We have no pipeline, R&D should expect to get cut. Quality of product is bad, QA should expect to get cut. Sales is bad, everyone should expect to get cut except for finance and marketing.

That is how it works. You should work hard everyday as if your job depends on it. If you don't, expect that pretty little pink slip. When you get asked to take a package (like you really have a choice in most cases), ask yourself what did you do wrong so you don't repeat it at the next company. It's all your fault and you need to fix yourself. Don't depend on others. Don't cry and complain about how unfair the process is. Just get out of the way so better people can work harder. Don't become a headache for others. We are not your keeper.

 

work hard everyday?? there is really no legit work to do anymore…I can only deliver so many deli trays to so many offices…providing lunch will only take you so far in this world, unless you own the catering company.

 

TO post #14 you obviously do not know what you are talking about. So get back on here when you are over 50, have knocked yourself out for the company, got eliminated from out of nowhere thru no fault of your own and then you will see how it goes. I have been in this industry for most of my life. I have seen great reps eliminated due to unequal territories, different challenges, obstackles, managers who were just jealous of them, did not like them, etc. You really have nerve and it will happen to you but you know not the hour nor the day.

 

Are you some kind of idiot? It makes no difference if you work hard and do the right thing. The company is screwed up due to bad leadership, corrupt deal making at the highest levels and just plain idiotic decisions. Majority of those who got let go were hit because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing more. Sorry dopey!

 

"If they were that passionate about their jobs in the first place it would never have happened." --------------100% wrong.

"If you don't, expect that pretty little pink slip."--------------100% wrong.

"Just get out of the way so better people can work harder."----------100% wrong.

......what the hell are you talking about? You're either on drugs or delusional.There are plenty of folks here who put in endless hours. Cross every T. Dot every i. They're cut!

Arriving early, working late? Consider yourself pink slip bound!

The forever protected will get a new royal carpet installation...

 

Reality is pharmaceutical reps (specialty, pc, etc) are trained in a highly narrow, specific field. It does not translate to a lot outside of pharma. OK maybe you are a "star" rep with sales ability. Many companies are just not interested especially at a certain age, income, etc.

 

Could be why some workers are inclined to have an "it's all mine" attitude about their assigned territories. It's a get the hell out approach to teamsmanship. They want the gig as long as they can....Foul and stinky when the one's doing all the work (aka busting their butts) are trumped by the sly dogs who excel at nothing but working the system....