Facing another layoff... where to look?

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anonymous

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So I've been through a layoff or two with different companies in pharma over the years, but I feel this next one is different and need to make a move ( have intel from a close friend at my company's HQ). In this virtual world, there is really just nothing for the primary care pharma rep to do anymore. The metrics and pressure from managers and executives has become intolerable, and my burnout and near depression has become somewhat worrisome this past year and need do do something and get out. Like many, I have gotten too comfortable in pharma, the salary, car, perks, bennies, schedule... but in my mid 40s I feel like if I don't make a move now it will be too late career-wise.

Have any been in the same situation and left for a happier place? We have been relatively smart financially except for retirement ( did 1099 for a number of years so 401k is not very big)- no debt, no car payments, no kids, small mortgage around 1500/mo. I would be fine taking a big pay cut, but don't think I could make it in a 8-5 Hospital system job after so many years in a field-type role. Additionally, all of my friends and even providers who work for those health systems are just miserable. ( Had no less than 3 mid-level providers and 2 pharmacists this past year ask me how to get jobs in pharma) . I do have b2b and ortho experience but really want to move away from pharma right now.

Any ideas would be most appreciated, thank you!
 


anonymous said:
So I've been through a layoff or two with different companies in pharma over the years, but I feel this next one is different and need to make a move ( have intel from a close friend at my company's HQ). In this virtual world, there is really just nothing for the primary care pharma rep to do anymore. The metrics and pressure from managers and executives has become intolerable, and my burnout and near depression has become somewhat worrisome this past year and need do do something and get out. Like many, I have gotten too comfortable in pharma, the salary, car, perks, bennies, schedule... but in my mid 40s I feel like if I don't make a move now it will be too late career-wise.

Have any been in the same situation and left for a happier place? We have been relatively smart financially except for retirement ( did 1099 for a number of years so 401k is not very big)- no debt, no car payments, no kids, small mortgage around 1500/mo. I would be fine taking a big pay cut, but don't think I could make it in a 8-5 Hospital system job after so many years in a field-type role. Additionally, all of my friends and even providers who work for those health systems are just miserable. ( Had no less than 3 mid-level providers and 2 pharmacists this past year ask me how to get jobs in pharma) . I do have b2b and ortho experience but really want to move away from pharma right now.

Any ideas would be most appreciated, thank you!
Click to expand...

They say pharma sales is a bit like Hotel California..."You can check out but you can never leave."
This "profession" traps you like no other...Back in the day, (in another galaxy) pharma reps from top
companies were so prized, transitioning into a new industry was fairly simple. The industry only hired
the best and the brightest, and that reputation really helped reps get out of any "situation" they wanted
to.

Obviously now, the job of pharma rep is considered a cocktail party joke, and a bad one at that.
There are some exceptions, but most ex reps end up in those bottom feeder type sales jobs that
are small salary, or straight commission. There are plenty of them out there, and they are plentiful
on Craigslist.

I have been in your exact position. Pharma started to take a toll on both my physical and mental health.
It is a complete phony, charade of a job, with huge pressures from management to keep the fakery
going.

They used to say "pharma sales is hard to get into and even harder to get out of."

Your only options are either to tough it out, risking your sanity along the way. Radically reduce your
lifestyle so dramatically, that you are less dependent on Corporate Serfdom. Or take a risk and buy
yourself a job in the form of a franchise.

You are in what I call the "debilitating" stage of pharma sales where the job starts to eat away at your
soul.
 


anonymous said:
They say pharma sales is a bit like Hotel California..."You can check out but you can never leave."
This "profession" traps you like no other...Back in the day, (in another galaxy) pharma reps from top
companies were so prized, transitioning into a new industry was fairly simple. The industry only hired
the best and the brightest, and that reputation really helped reps get out of any "situation" they wanted
to.

Obviously now, the job of pharma rep is considered a cocktail party joke, and a bad one at that.
There are some exceptions, but most ex reps end up in those bottom feeder type sales jobs that
are small salary, or straight commission. There are plenty of them out there, and they are plentiful
on Craigslist.

I have been in your exact position. Pharma started to take a toll on both my physical and mental health.
It is a complete phony, charade of a job, with huge pressures from management to keep the fakery
going.

They used to say "pharma sales is hard to get into and even harder to get out of."

Your only options are either to tough it out, risking your sanity along the way. Radically reduce your
lifestyle so dramatically, that you are less dependent on Corporate Serfdom. Or take a risk and buy
yourself a job in the form of a franchise.

You are in what I call the "debilitating" stage of pharma sales where the job starts to eat away at your
soul.
Click to expand...

so did you get out?
 


anonymous said:
so did you get out?
Click to expand...

yes, but was too old (50) to ever really recover and was forced into a retirement
where I basically went from $140,000 a year + car & benefits to around $15.00
an hour (tutoring) and selling most of what I owned...

having said that, I could not be happier being out of the industry and getting my
life (and soul) back!

the worst part of it all is the fear that precedes you leaving (lots of unknown which
is scary) and getting used to a lifestyle where you aren't heading off for European
vacations every year and eating at the best steak and seafood houses routinely.

Once you settle into your new groove, it ain't that bad...

And no more getting GI distress before every fucking field visit with the dumb DM!
 




Real life stuff, good discussion. Small 401k is offset by having no kids, money-wise. The 8-5 hospital system job you would obtain, I am guessing, is not as a pharmacist or midlevel provider so both the salary and the stress will be considerably lower. What is the value of having your time off work be truly your own time, and not consumed by concerns about fake metrics, faked reports, and real micromanaging by untethered higher ups?
Maybe your decision depends on wether you have high energy and desire to build up something new, with its concurrent risk profile. Or, maybe, you value more the interests you pursue in your free time and the job is just something you do to the best of your ability at the worksite. Lower stress.
Current primary care pharma is both soul-sucking and a dead end. It is a means to an end and will not get better. Since you have another decade or two of work ahead of you, getting out might as soon as you find an acceptable opportunity might preserve (or enhance) your mental and physical well being.
 


OP, I feel your pain as do so many others that are in Pharma right now. I am 55, on my 5th Pharma company in 6 years. Not happy, but feeling the golden handcuffs. Not a rationale and healthy choice and have thought about getting out. Always comes back to the money and benefits. I want to retire in 5 years and will be able to do so if I can ride out Pharma for a few more years.

I saw a career coach and took a few tests to determine my skills sets and interests. In the end, the prospect of starting a new career and/or going back for more schooling did not appeal to me, knowing I want to retire in five years. Have gone through the stress, anxiety, doubt and it is soul crushing.

I can tell you that leaving companies that I was miserable at was pretty liberating. I suspect that doing that to get out of Pharma would feel the same. Always a trade off, getting out of Pharma could mean less $$$$.

Wish you the best. I think you know what you need to do. Like others, it is a matter of reaching your breaking point and launching elsewhere.
 


anonymous said:
OP, I feel your pain as do so many others that are in Pharma right now. I am 55, on my 5th Pharma company in 6 years. Not happy, but feeling the golden handcuffs. Not a rationale and healthy choice and have thought about getting out. Always comes back to the money and benefits. I want to retire in 5 years and will be able to do so if I can ride out Pharma for a few more years.

I saw a career coach and took a few tests to determine my skills sets and interests. In the end, the prospect of starting a new career and/or going back for more schooling did not appeal to me, knowing I want to retire in five years. Have gone through the stress, anxiety, doubt and it is soul crushing.

I can tell you that leaving companies that I was miserable at was pretty liberating. I suspect that doing that to get out of Pharma would feel the same. Always a trade off, getting out of Pharma could mean less $$$$.

Wish you the best. I think you know what you need to do. Like others, it is a matter of reaching your breaking point and launching elsewhere.
Click to expand...

As a grizzled veteran of the pharma sales meatgrinder, my advice to someone in your position is to try
and stick it out since you are so close to the end. (Assuming you need the money and the job is not making
you physically and emotionally sick.)

Perhaps with the Scamdemic also, companies will be offering early buyouts and early retirements for
the more "mature" reps that they want to get off of the books...It all sort of depends on your manager and
if he is more afraid of you, than you of him...
 


anonymous said:
As a grizzled veteran of the pharma sales meatgrinder, my advice to someone in your position is to try
and stick it out since you are so close to the end. (Assuming you need the money and the job is not making
you physically and emotionally sick.)

Perhaps with the Scamdemic also, companies will be offering early buyouts and early retirements for
the more "mature" reps that they want to get off of the books...It all sort of depends on your manager and
if he is more afraid of you, than you of him...
Click to expand...
I agree, see what your manager thinks.
 


anonymous said:
So I've been through a layoff or two with different companies in pharma over the years, but I feel this next one is different and need to make a move ( have intel from a close friend at my company's HQ). In this virtual world, there is really just nothing for the primary care pharma rep to do anymore. The metrics and pressure from managers and executives has become intolerable, and my burnout and near depression has become somewhat worrisome this past year and need do do something and get out. Like many, I have gotten too comfortable in pharma, the salary, car, perks, bennies, schedule... but in my mid 40s I feel like if I don't make a move now it will be too late career-wise.

Have any been in the same situation and left for a happier place? We have been relatively smart financially except for retirement ( did 1099 for a number of years so 401k is not very big)- no debt, no car payments, no kids, small mortgage around 1500/mo. I would be fine taking a big pay cut, but don't think I could make it in a 8-5 Hospital system job after so many years in a field-type role. Additionally, all of my friends and even providers who work for those health systems are just miserable. ( Had no less than 3 mid-level providers and 2 pharmacists this past year ask me how to get jobs in pharma) . I do have b2b and ortho experience but really want to move away from pharma right now.

Any ideas would be most appreciated, thank you!
Click to expand...



You reap what you sow when you vote democrat. Good luck.
 


I had a career in health care prior to Pharma. I worked in Pharma for nearly two decades and, over the last 10 years in the industry, I endured several lay-offs, as well as a couple instances of being forced out due to management targeting. Periods of unemployment from these events ranged from one month to seven months. Challenging times! I always managed to get back in and continue the bumpy ride. But, over the past 10 years, the jobs never lasted, despite my often good performance. Finally, after enduring my longest period of unemployment, I returned to my former career in health care. It was quite an adjustment returning to that field! I did not have the autonomy, perks, and compensation that I was accustomed to in Pharma. In fact, my pay was about half what I typically made in Pharma, and I had to work a lot harder (more hours, heavier workload, and worked a side gig in that field to partially make up for the low salary in my full-time job). However, the intrinsic rewards were much better than Pharma - I felt better about what I was doing in my job. I was able to return to Pharma after about a year of being out of the industry and I gained more insight from the experience of returning. Though I was back to making better money again and enjoying the perks of Pharma, it was the same old grind, but seemed like the industry (and the job) was even worse than before I left. The job lasted less than a year before being laid off again. This time I had a back up plan because of having reconnected with my former career. So this time I did not have to endure a period of unemployment, instead was right back to full time work in my old career field. At this point, more than a year out, I have accepted that my Pharma career is finally over. I'm continuing to work in my former career field and looking for the opportunities there, as well as sales opportunities outside of Pharma that may present. Still have many years of work ahead of me and I'm optimistic. I have adjusted and structured my life to where I don't need to make a 6-figure salary to have my needs met and to be content. Getting rid of debt is key! If you don't have the debt, you can live comfortably with less earnings. I am grateful that I had a former professional career that is in demand to fall back on - many Pharma reps do not. Though my current job, and career field, does not pay well, I have the job security that I never had in Pharma and I genuinely feel better about what I do (my work is truly rewarding and provides real value to others). My message to reps new to the field: Don't get too comfortable in this unstable, declining industry. Maybe work in it for a few years and gain some experience, then move on. Tech sales, for example, is a much better career choice than Pharma, in my opinion. I wish everyone luck in either sticking it out in Pharma, or in their efforts to put Pharma behind them.
 




anonymous said:
You reap what you sow when you vote democrat. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Agreed. And it will only get tough for Patriots like us. This diversity crap being shoved down our throats will be the end of us. Those people want “equity” not equality. Imagine having to interview with a room full of them. I have never been so worried for our kids and grandkids future because of “payback”.
 


anonymous said:
Agreed. And it will only get tough for Patriots like us. This diversity crap being shoved down our throats will be the end of us. Those people want “equity” not equality. Imagine having to interview with a room full of them. I have never been so worried for our kids and grandkids future because of “payback”.
Click to expand...
Blue-dog Democrats might well agree with you
 


anonymous said:
Blue-dog Democrats might well agree with you
Click to expand...

Yes, they do. Manchin from West Virginia may be a Democrat and his people are suffering badly from Coal not ever returning because Companies including Big Oil are investing billions in “clean energy”. But, he knows that extra $400 in stimulus and paying $15 minimum wage is Socialism and Unamerican.
 


anonymous said:
Agreed. And it will only get tough for Patriots like us. This diversity crap being shoved down our throats will be the end of us. Those people want “equity” not equality. Imagine having to interview with a room full of them. I have never been so worried for our kids and grandkids future because of “payback”.
Click to expand...


Equity is another form of reparations. Enjoy paying for people’s college and housing. Everyone gets free stuff with the new administration. Hope you have a lot of savings.
 





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