So, You've been out of Pharma for 5+ yrs. How's it going?

Started in pharma in Tampa when I was 28. I was in Paper Towel sales before for 7 yrs. It was fun but did not pay the bills. I got on with Marion Labs. It was hard to me to learn all the medical but I did, and I had fun doing it. Mr. Kauffman who started Marion also owned the KC Royals. He was by far the best man I ever met in pharma. In training the new reps went over to his house for shrimp and cocktails. Wow, it was great, and he told me to save and work hard. He died in 1993 and Marion is Sanofi now. I went to work for Parke-Davis and it to was a great co. with good people, I launched Lipitor and it was fun to sell. Made some big bonus. Then Pfizer Pfun bought us out and I got a job at AZ. It was fun but it was more paperwork type company. Plus they had their share of reps who were not very good. I retired in 2010. I doing ok and have not had a house payment in almost 20 years, and never had a car payment. I'm not rich but I'm doing good. Most docs I called on did the BEST the could. It was fun. Now today with MC guiding whats on formulary it's more of a pain.
But I would do it all over again. Thanks Mr. K

 

I enjoy these stories about “survivors”...very well done...it’s not easy to navigate these waters for so many years. My first company was the same as yours ( HMR at the time )...left when it became Aventis but before Sanofi (-Aventis ) . I’m currently in year 23 and on my 3rd company. I hope to last as you did. Thanks for sharing.

 

Going on year 28 with my 2nd company. The first (and longest) is a shell of its former self but I am grateful for the nest egg it allowed me to build. Company 2 is more intense but will also allow me to have terrific benefits and I will either finish my time (seeing if I can last 7 more years) where I am now or bounce around to likely contract sales until then. I predict this career will be drastically reduced in the coming years and am glad I was along for some amazing times but sadly I have also seen some pretty bad changes that are likely permanent in pharma.

 

Pharma sales as a good job basically died the year the industry adopted the lap top computer as mandatory for all reps to work from...

 

also,
it died when the access went down, mostly from cheerleader reps and pod selling model that destroyed the professionalism of the industry.

 

Agreed...

 

I've been in pharma for 25 years and I'm on my 3rd company. This job is pretty mindless. I've been able to work another part time job outside of pharma for the last 5 years also. This has afforded me lots of extra cash. If you cant do a pharma job and work another part time job on top of that you're lazy!. I've also found time to attend night school once a week to learn a foreign language. Thanks to the great pharma pay and the three pensions I'll have coming in, my savings( 3 million, yes I made some great investments) , my 401k's , social security i should be ok. I'll travel and utilize my new foreign language I'm learning while driving around in my fleet car.

 

This type of douchey, self-congratulatory post is why pharma reps are disliked by and large. Easy patting yourself on the back there, fruit cup.

 

I’ve been out less than 2 years. I won’t BS like a lot of people on here. I am in Hospice sales. The money is great, but I still feel like a failure. Why? Before I was a prostitute for drugs and now I’m a prostitute for death. Making money off of people who are dying. I feel sick to my stomach and want to get out of healthcare. I think I may become a barista at Starbucks.

 

It sounds like you have a soul...and are full awake...Pharma is a toxic sham...And hospice at least provides some peace for the families at the end...Still, healthcare in the West is just awful...I wish I had never set foot anywhere near the healthcare industry....Retired now, but have some regrets about my poor career choice.

 

a careers in sales is cornball, for sure.
a career in sales management, more cornball.
and when you look at health sales, now you are talking toxic fucking nightmare.
add corporation selling, you are a robot, asshole, for the most part, taking orders from certified r*****s.

If I had to do it all over, I would have just became a plumber. You make good money. You always have a job. And when you fix the dam problem, you are loved greatly.

We got conned into this game because we didn't know better.

The people that are scary are the ones that actually think they are making a difference. And the worst are the vaccine or oncology reps that bring products that do absolutely nothing, but make big money for their companies without helping patients at all (facts show that people don't live longer with these products).

at least if you are selling products that help respiratory issues or diabetes, you are doing something positive, as these products do make a difference in quality of life. shit, even some pain medications do good.

 

great points and 100% true...Looking back on all my years in pharma sales, I realize I could never make
myself drink the KooolAid and be as retarded as the managers were in those big pharma companies...They
truly are like caricatures of foolish, vulgar and clueless reptilians...Not an awake soul in the whole bunch...

 

You would think they would out grow the immaturity of it all too, but nope. They are the same r*****s they were when they started years ago.

That is why nobody should ever tolerate the BS of a manager that disrespects them or a company that treats them like garbage.

Get life in perspective better, and you will see that you don't need a ton of money to get by in this world. A job paying 50 K with little stress is much better than a high stress 100-150 K job. If you don't get that simple fact, then you have much work to do with yourself or you are being controlled to much by external factors.

 

Well, I took a job as a hooker, and got my integrity back after 5 years in pharma.

 

Can't imagine the excitement you feel over your upcoming felony. Also glad that at least one person
believes being hooker is a job. congrats for becoming the next "drug" and a product to be sold, used, consumed & discarded. You make us all proud! Go You!

 

Likely was a joke...so go easy off that high horse. You’re likely a religious zealot who is more of a deviant than most. So you go you, Mr. J. Smith!

 

Mrs no Mr here! Mine was a sarcastic joke in response to the joke that was placed in inappropriate spot...
There was a rather genuine conversation throughout this thread and I get a little sarcastic when someone vomits all over it.
Cafepharma playground would be a better place to chime in with jokes like yours. Just saying...

 

hooker here.
Yes, I was a high end escort.
although, I did spit, not swallow, and most clients like swallowing for safety concerns.

 

never trust a chick that does not swallow.

 

Male, please do not assume someone's gender!