Middle aged man carrying Olive Garden, in a suit...

As I was pondering my career path, I walked past a well dressed rep carrying Olive Garden, four bags into an office...

I guess that is my future.

I mean, I respect the guy for "doing what he has to do"...

But, it was depressing to see it, and was just a small confirmation that I need to get a real job.

Apologies to the rep that may read this. I do respect you man, but at least call a restaurant that delivers your food. There is no need for us to do that, to save the company money.

 

Office cow here. The soup was cold, the salad was warm, and the breadsticks were limp. The rep forgot to bring me a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew Code Red and a box of powdered donut holes. No more lunches for him!

 

That's an old school guy. I never understand why they do that. I cater and don't pick up shit. The food is already there when I show up for lunch. When I run out of money, I'm done on lunches.

 

I like poster #3 but I remember feeling my stomach turn inside out as I stood in an elevator full of bags of food, ice, pop, desert and the patients were ogling over the food. I felt so humiliated and devalued. I saw the Dr for maybe 10min around 2:30 pm...3 hours later. So glad Im out.

 

Seriously fuck off. You little turds who think you're so much better.

 

Right, but you still come here to post your crap and try to make others feel your pain.

 

Seriously, I always had the folks deliver the food whenever I could. Found out if I had to haul it in, it took a couple trips (esp. if I had to bring in drinks and literature, etc.)...

and if the food went in first, the office would devour it quicker than a starving dog.

and if the literature went first, the office would complain the food was cold.

 

It takes a lot of humility to be a pharma rep and many both in and outside the industry don't want to accept or admit this. This is not a glamorous or prestigious position, but it is a damn good job. We don't have a "right" to anything within a doc's practice. "call a restaurant that delivers food"? Really? Why? What the heck is the difference? Do you think you are more worthy of respect because you do that? You are a REP not a doctor or consultant. Are you doing what it takes within guidelines to gain rxs? How is that depressing? I have a lot more respect for a male or female of any age knowing who they are and what they do than for some DB entitled rep who thinks they're above carrying Olive Garden. Yes, I'll carry it all day for a few minutes of time while other reps tell themselves they're above it. Reality check time!

 

The thing is the DB reps that come here and post these stupid threads really are crappy reps who can't handle the job. I try to use my caterer whenever possible but will carry in anything an office wants. Big fucking deal. I do disagree with you on the prestige and consultant part though. I was at a party this weekend and got several comments about what I do and how long I've been doing it. Sorry dumbass trolls, no one was laughing behind my back. And I really think that the key to success in this job IS to be a consultant. I tell docs why AND why not to Rx my drugs. No doubt in my mind that offices think I bring value to their practice and consider me their partner in treating my disease states. These loser turds that come here and bash what we do will never get it.

 

Your customers may like you, but I highly doubt they see you as bringing any value. Most people outside of the industry do not realize what a joke pharma sales is, so they don't know they should be laughing at you

 

Yep, I agree with this. The job IS a joke, and if you think you are actually "bringing value" then you are fooling yourself. I DID this job for a long time, and I KNOW it's a joke (so no, not a clueless outsider here). If people at parties think you're impressive somehow, they simply don't know any better. There's a reason that other industries don't want pharma reps ("pharma need not apply"). It is NOT prestigious or glamorous (anymore! not for a long time now), and it's a job for fresh-out-of-school kids.
Maybe those people at the party weren't laughing at you, but believe me, plenty of people out there ARE. My spouse was thrilled when I decided to get out, b/c even HE became embarrassed of what I did. All of the other people he knows in the pharma industry are big time cheeseballs, and he didn't want me associated with them.
NOT a real "consultant", no "value", and it's a boring, useless job. Good money, car, and nice clothes -- yes -- but it's all a facade!

 

Gee thanks loser. Your opinion is worth shit.

 

Older rep here. I could be that guy, except I'm a woman. I started in the mid 80s when it was a highly valued job by most health professionals. I am so over it now, but I will keep going as long as I can stomach it until I can retire from the gravy train and do something I'd rather do. The golden handcuffs have me in a choke hold. This job used to be fun and rewarding. Now it's a bore, with limited aceess, limited things we can say or do, limited intellectual capacity fools running the show, so many limits. I won't get into what ruined this gig. The world has changed in many ways since I started in this biz. Ah but the pay is good and I hardly have to do anything to get some results and look good to the company. I better drag my bored ass out there. Oh and I am not above carrying in food, Is that really a big issue?

 

Done on lunches?? When I am done on lunches I can expect my tool of a manager to be in
my knickers like Oliver Twist looking for more gruel.

Sometimes the doctors ask for food from a place that doesn't deliver and you have to schlep the food yourself...

thank all the wonderful women of Pharma, that turned this into a courtesy lunch job...

 

thank you for telling it like it is!! So true...well written and very true post...I finally quit pharma after 24 years...(no severance package, no health insurance, no retirement bridge, no nothing-just living off of savings for now)

I literally hit a wall and could not take another day of it...i was so embarrassed to do the job I would tell new people that I met that I did something else...could no longer look at myself in the mirror...the job is a joke...FU Pharma industry!!!

 

So.... I make 135K a year. I get a free car, free gas, incredible insurance & benefits for maybe a 20 hour week. I seriously think I can humble myself to haul in a lunch or two.

 

The embarrassing part is not ONLY luncheons. It's the WHOLE job itself. It's a mindless job for recent college grads, you're disrespected as hell, the things you do everyday/all day are useless and dumb, your own company treats you like you're five, you are gaining no useful job skills, you WILL be cut and will have a hell of a time finding a new job (b/c you have no real job skills). I could go on and on and on.
Some people can and will do just about anything for money though, or just can't get away from their golden handcuffs.