Finally, its over.

Just sent out my resignation letter tonight.

Young people, do yourself a favor and just leave this industry, and all medical sales behind. Companies today don't have integrity. The insurance companies, not the doctors, control the game. So, find something you love to do, and don't tell me it is sales. Sales is just not cutting it anymore. The disrespect I have observed over the years has been bad, but the last 5 years have just been off the charts bad. Get back your heart and and step into a better life by not focusing so much on making money, but rather finding employment with positive people that care. Getting these annual assessment and field ride evaluations that do nothing but make you a slave are not good for your mental health. Best to all, and I will see you in these offices some day, in my shorts and golf shirt, wishing that you find something that is more respectful and honest to do with your life. I missed the boat and didn't find out until later in life how much of a lie this corporate sales stuff really was. For that, I am a bit ashamed, but I have recovered from that guilt, because I didn't know better. Those that read this and understand it will thank me. The rest of you have much more introspection to do.

 

Don't feel guilty or beat yourself up - the industry has changed significantly over the past 10-15 years. I left it last year (older rep who was forced out) and managed to reconnect with my prior career field and am building on that. Future looks bright for me now. Compensation not as good as what I had in Pharma, but it pays the bills, will increase in the months and years ahead, and I'm much happier. My job is secure and basically recession-proof. No more worries about layoffs or losing my job because of a crazed manager. And the work I do now is infinitely more rewarding. I should have left Pharma a few years back, but I guess I was a glutton for punishment. Good luck to you and your new pursuits - never too late!

 

True dat...Sales is truly a horrible way to make a living (kinda of fun when you're in your '20s maybe) but a real nightmare as you get older...The pharma industry will bring anyone with a good soul, depression and/or PTSD which ain't worth the money...

Mothers don't let your babies become drug reps...

 

Ya, its painful. But, met some good people along the way.

Being a cowboy is better or a used car sales man )).

 

Yes, it is very strange. We all seem to think that these are great jobs because the pay is good.

But, when you consider the childish nonsense and unrealistic expectations that companies have, then this is not a good job anymore unless you are a narcissist or a person who lacks critical thinking skills.

The management in this industry is by far the worst of any industry too, because of their lack of support and us vs. them mentality.

Glad I left after only 2 years.

 

Lacking critical thinking skills in the corporate world is highly encouraged.

 

You were very smart...that is the maximum amount of time one should put in at a Big Pharma company where you could still ostensibly sell it as an asset. (You learned how a big companie works, got good training, blah blah blah...) Anyone that stays longer, will (usually) get sucked into the abyss of the security, and get brainwashed into thinking they have some sort of real career path. (Which they usually don't.)

The word is out people...Other industries know pharma sales is a joke believe you me...they know!
Good luck trying to transition out of the mess when you are older. Get out while you are young, or don't make the mistake of going in at all...Big Pharma will hurt you in so many ways...

 

Hasn’t hurt me, just looked at my Social Security statement and I’ve made over $3 million doing it, so far.

 

Good for you...and probably about 10-15% of 25-30 yr olds will do the same in the industry...the rest will hop from job to job at times getting excited about a new opportunity and getting the elusive big raise only to be kicked back down the ladder again. It's not a horrible existence especially if you want to remain single....but if you want to plan for a family or any kind of future...forget this industry. You will constantly be looking over your shoulder and wondering whats next. There is no way to count on anything and you are a fool if you trust your DM or partners. Good luck out there...I'm bout done with this and it's been ok...but I would only recommend this to those that can say yes a lot while biting their lip and are really good at building up emergency funds.

 

Excellent post...right on the money. The strange stress...somewhat specific to this industry ( other industries are no doubt stressful...but those in pharma can relate to what I’m saying ) does have a low grade misery/dread to it. You can’t count on a future built on the funny money earned yet always at risk of going away.

 

spoken like a true narcissist.
my guess that that you are an A hole, and don't even know it.

to your young soul: if you think money is a measurement of your success in this life, you are deemed to be a wandering, idiotic soul you entire existence. you are a sucker of the worst kind. find a heart before you leave this plane, because where you are going afterwards, its not going to be anything good. the rest of us will wait for you at the evolution bell curve with bill hicks, james bartley, and jeffrey daughtery.

 

yes, and yes.
its the people that we have to surround ourselves with on a daily basis. the terrible leadership, the upper management that wants to blame us for everything if things go wrong.

its the reason they love to hire young robots for these jobs, because they can easily manipulate them.

Best sales jobs are always going to be real estate or insurance, and its not even close. The upside is tremendous for both, and you can make as much or as little as you want, depending on how much time your work.

I heard it before on here, and its its true: Pharmaceutical and Medical Sales is for dummies.

 

you definitely lack critical thinking skills.
good luck, young soul.

my advice to you is to shut up, and read more books that don't have pictures.

 

"Low-grade misery/dread..." I've never heard the existential crisis that Pharma sales creates described so accurately...

for those with any self awareness and decency at all - Big Pharma will literally make you sick...(It did me...)

It's a toxic industry built on lies that thrives by fleecing the pubic and payors...

 

yes, that is another thing that this industry likes to do: justify its high costs due to the "research" it does. all lies on the cost of this research, and fleece the public.

oncology is arguably the worst of all specialty too. Do you people on these drugs live longer or have a better quality of life? not by a long shot.

 

OP, so true.

 

For sure Oncology is the biggest scam/charade in the pharma biz...First of all, I would not trust the data from their manipulated studies for a second. The fix is in...The studies show whatever they want them to show...It's a joke...Selling people 6 more months of survival (so they say) for a hundred grand or more a year in the pharma coffers....As the price of the drugs goes up, the lies get bigger and bigger...And everyone from the FDA to the Wholesalers (and everyone in between) is riding the gravy train of human suffering all the way to the bank.

 

its absolutely disgusting.

I know woman who was pretty much ready to die, and they billed her premium IBM Insurance (she worked there for over 40 years) about $80,000 about a week before she did pass. I mean, she had no flipping chance to live. She knew it. The doctors knew it.

Like its has been stated, this industry does not want smart, critical thinkers selling their products.

 

This is an excerpt from a CP post I read today on a small Biotech's board. I think it accurately describes the experience of reps at many companies throughout the industry today. How many of us can relate to all or part of this story?!

The culture here is TOXIC. Overly micromanaged and very mistrustful and skeptical. Every single person on my team are interviewing and looking for new jobs. We were completely LIED to in the interviews. Where is the great culture for sales? Big pharma is better than this company. No one could list one thing that makes this company better other than things that make it worse. Too many managers that overly manage, too much paperwork, too many metrics. Managers need to be cut in half as they have nothing to do other than to make the employees miserable. Managers should at minimum have 9 employees. Everyone is under a constant microscope. There is NO culture here and I wish I would have stayed at my other job. If it wasn't already filled, I would be gone. There is going to be a mass exodus soon. If someone could post one thing that makes this company better than big pharma, please post it. There is nothing.

 

What's ironic is when I first got into the industry (the 80s), it was the most awesome, elegant, and (yes believe it or not) ethical industry you could work for...The managers (for the most part) were a good resource, were respectful of the rep's abilities, and the companies lavished a great deal of care (and gifts/perks) to keep the employees loyal & happy.

Somewhere along the way it all started to go very wrong...Between the greed, DTC ads, selling sex over science with the Barbies & Kens, the absolutely dreadful laptop computer (maybe the biggest culprit) the job and industry went to total shite.