This industry is only for the naive and psychos.

That is my final evaluation after a decade of doing this. I took the job as a naive person in my early 20s, thinking that these products do good. They don't. And now that I put my time in, I have interacted with too many sociopaths and psychopaths in this industry to determine that there are only a handful of good people working in this cesspool of an industry. Good luck to all of you, and I hope you think more about what you are selling.

 

nice.
and so true.
thanks for the warning.

 

My sentiments exactly! I was in the industry for 16 years and left it 4 years ago. The only the thing I miss about the industry is the compensation - my salary is not as high in my current field, however I have adjusted and I am much happier and more secure (and working a side gig helps increase my earnings to close to what I made in my last Pharma job). The industry kept changing for the worst over the years, and now the negatives far outweigh the positives for me to recommend it to anyone currently. Job insecurity due to frequent layoffs, micromanagement (constant tracking), lack of access to customers, lack of respect for reps, poor public image (of Pharma industry), toxic company cultures, sociopathic management, and immature/superficial/conniving/materialist (soul-less) coworkers (many of your fellow teammates and reps) are some of the reasons I no longer miss working in the industry.

 

yes, yes, and yes.
thank you for your comment.
I know that I am not alone.
its drained me from the beginning. I got the job out of college and I knew within six months I was in a jam. I worked for Pfizer out of college and when it was considered the best corporate sales job in the industry. how wrong I was.
the thing is, I am good at selling. I work hard. I am smart. I am creative. I dress good. I have great energy. I am better than my peers....
and none of that mattered in this dreadful industry !

how sad.
I am still in medical sales, but doing something different from pharmaceuticals.

I still think this is a corporate issue. working for a corporation is just dreadful.

wish I knew this as a young man.

thank you again, and best to you !

 

If I was asked by younger folk about this career path, I would discourage it. That being said, I've been in this for 15 years, am in my upper 50s, and am counting the years(6) until I'm done with my 401H benefit.

Wearing the handcuffs for a few more years....

 

Smart move have your escape plan in place.

I knew when I hit about 40, I was done. I could no longer stomach the promotions of people in their late 20s and early 30s with little experience teaching me how to sell.

 

I can't imagine being a rep now a days , I had 10 years in, laid off - shocker, got back into industry from my prior pharma experience... I enjoyed the freedom, pay, great training, car but the corporate BS, no real satisfaction from job (delivering lunch and being a dressed up UPS man) , offices closing doors to reps and faking calls (playing the game) got old.. My old new career is way more interesting and rewarding.... good luck to the reps toughing it out

 

Most of the people in this industry are just trying to pay the bills and don't give much thought into how corrupt this industry truly is.

 

as a sociopath myself, I admit it.
the OP is correct.
my industry loves to hire losers.