Resignation from bad company/manager

Discussion in 'Pharma/Biotech Comp - Gen Discussion |Pharma Sales' started by anonymous, Jan 17, 2020 at 10:12 PM.

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  1. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I resigned from a small pharmaceutical company that didn't pay me bonuses as promised and gave me an offer (lower than verbally disclosed with no room for negotiation) with non existent benefits that were not disclosed. I got feedback from a hiring manager I interviewed with at XYZ big pharma company through a reference that my job history hurt me, when it was the items listed above that I spinned in a neutral manner. I told the truth in that interview without being negative, simply said I wasn't receiving xyz benefits at last company which is why I'm here because you are offering xyz and I am a top sales rep, etc...didn't get the job obviously so learned my lesson.

    Has anyone else resigned without another job lined up and secured an offer?
     

  2. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Understand you "wanting" to move up but the way you told your story would sound horrible to any hiring manager... So company made you an offer (the one you get in writing is what counts you know)..twisted your arm with the take or leave it approach.. You took it... oh and the benefits aren't so great - ok got that.. bonus wasn't there (welcome to pharma if you can figure out bonus structure) .....reality- this is what a hiring mgr. will hear when you repeat your tale.. whine, whine, moan.. blah blah, whine, wha, wha..I want more money....so hire me.

    Nothing you said in your tale makes or sounds like it will make a DMs life any easier..(what's in it for them)....practice a positive tale of why you want to change, why you want to leave , what you can do to make the hiring person look good...ps...be prepared if you do get an offer with a game plan on negotiating.. they still may say take it or leave it..
     
  3. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I really appreciate your honest, direct input. I didn't actually disclose that my last company was not financially healthy enough to pay out bonuses (my manager took them all because hiring me required a paycut on her salary apparently...) I simply said "paying for all my business expenses and waiting weeks for reimbursement costed more than I made because its a start up company and this is not the type of business model I was aware of or wanted to be a part of so recently out of college, i.e., I'm in my 20's I don't want to fund my business expenses!!). That's when my work reference told me the hiring manager said to him my work history hurt me. He advised me to explain my family obligation instead (dad having multiple surgeries and being there to drive him, etc outweighed the 1 week pto I was given). Start up companies have little to no resources for health benefits, time off, etc. and I'm single and need these things. I was told the pipeline would grow, health benefits would come soon and it didn't happen so I resigned. My manager didn't want me to sell the new product anyway so she could keep those bonuses for herself. Couldn't leave right after because it would look bad to job hop as my second job after graduation, so I stuck it out for about 3/4 of the year after realizing I had a pod mate that had the authority without the experience to call the shots, not a manager and I wasn't growing at the company.

    I try not to be a headache with my managers by figuring things out myself as an entry level rep and waiting for their feedback if something could be done better. (I had little to no supervision for 2 years, even taught my last manager how to sell clinically when she got stuck with a certain objection...ever since I entered this industry my companies have not had the resources to give top performers regular oversight just texting if you have questions). I know many reps do not like monthly ride a longs but I say in my interviews that I would welcome any feedback and am always trying to be a better rep, no matter how well my rankings are or how tenured I become. I tell them "my goal has always been to work at a large pharmaceutical company that values research, similar to the research I did and loved as an undergraduate and I knew I had to prove myself at xyz start up/small company...then I go into my prior experience. When they ask "why are you looking to leave if you are doing so well" I go back to my values and say I value research and want to work for a company that does as well and makes their own pipeline.

    I don't look at my past as a bad experience, just how I gained more skills to overcome obstacles and pharmacy issues larger companies don't deal with very often, but I can utilize those skills to help other representatives and myself with the percentage of prescriptions requiring the same level of detail to work with key pharmacy and office staff.