Hello. I work for mid-size pharma with 16 years of experience and interested in the NA Capabilities Lead Director role. AZ CIO in news all the time, can you share some perspective from inside? Thanks
Pluses for working in AZ IT: Pay and benefits are incredible. You will do no actual work. Minuses for working in AZ IT: Every one of your customers hates your guts and will do anything in their power never to work with you, giving all their IT work to their outside agency, every IT leader cares only about moving up the chain and insulating themselves from the latest IT failure, which means you get thrown under the bus, and you will be reorged every 12-18 months and let go within 2 years.
You forgot that during that 12-18 months between reorgs you will be regularly worrying about whether or not your job will continue and for how long. Don't underestimate that job insecurity anxiety.
Anybody who takes gives up a sales job to take a position in Wilmington home office is making the mistake of a lifetime. You will land in shark infested waters where people spend more time trying to destroy you than doing their job. And eventually you will have a supervisor who will find you threatening enough that they will find a way to move you out. You will find yourself without a job and living in a cesspool like Wilmington. Don't do it.
Just ask all the trainers. They all wish they moved to Gaithersburg. Job in Ops? cutting back? Job in marketing? For what SXR? Crestor? Movantik? Brilinta? All cutting back and all are eating each others young. No room for a talented trainer trying to break in - they actually make trainers do all the leg work and then take the credit. Do not move to Wilmington. Look around at what is not here - no Rollins bldg - no C & D bldges - pharm dev labs all gone - the place is a bare ball field with a handful of shitty trees bent to the winds. Open offices and cubes all along the promenade - but Medi? Still no success - not with RSV, not with Flumist not with iressa and now not with tagrisso - but they are still hiring like sailors on shore leave with a bonus check. Amazing what has become of DE so do not move here for anything.
I love it when we get a newbie just promoted to what they believe is a developmental position in HQ. They think they have been selected for something special because they are supposed to be the future leaders of this company. Then check them out two years later, used, abused, and eventually rejected. They find themselves away from home, lost, and with no prospects. Wilmington needs fresh meat to make their hamburger and these poor naive souls fill the bill.
AZ CIO is the biggest bag of bullshit out there. He spins lies to the media. All IT going to India or Mexico. The irony is that AZ can't even keep people in those countries. Smoley says all wonderful in his world but IT is in very bad shape. Don't do it.
