Chickens Come Home to Roost

Discussion in 'Eli Lilly' started by anonymous, Nov 29, 2016 at 5:23 PM.

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  1. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    So the chickens finally came home to roost, huh? Sorry but zero sympathy from me. I left years ago when the ship started sinking, all the DHs were being crammed down our throats, watching my teammates throw each other under a bus to save their own job. It was a shi* sho* that no normal person with a conscious could tolerate.

    This industry has been going away for 7 years. That was plenty of time to find a job outside of the industry. Oh, but then you would have to actually WORK for a living. SELL something. No pharma rep wants to do that. Problem is that getting a job outside of pharma is hard because most employers don't consider pharma sales at all. The reputation of a pharma rep isn't good. They are known for not working hard and not selling anything. Lying about calls is normal in pharma. That is the battle that you will be facing. Along with a sluggish economy.

    Sad thing is that the divisions that are "safe" won't be for long. The new drugs actually getting approved are few and far between. There will continue to be layoffs until there is one small force selling everything (along wtih some contract companies helping out). Those left will continue to live with the stress of the next layoff, continue to torpedo their teammates. What a way to live. Too bad you didn't get out before this hit. You all had plenty of warning.
     

  2. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    The "chosen" reps and managers finally got theirs! Where did all that butt kissing and knocking off your coworkers get you? In the unemployment line like those before you. At least when I got laid off the economy was still good and I landed a great job out of pharmaceuticals. It's dog eat dog out there now. I suggest that the "protected" populations at Eli Lilly prepare themselves to be unprotected in the real world. I had never seen anything like that before and defininetly have never seen anything like it since I left. That was an Eli Lilly thing. I bet you thought you had it made there for life. There are a few reps and managers I feel bad for, but not many. Agree with OP that anyone with any sense or motivation would have left over the last few years. The company has been tanking hard the last 3-4. It's much easier to find a job when you still have one.
     
  3. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

     
  4. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I heard the same thing as other poster. That 2 divisions are merging in 6-9 months with more layoffs. No such thing as safe here.
     
  5. anonymous

    anonymous Guest


    So where do you work now? Are you in sales? If so, how did you prove you could "sell"?

    What was the transition like? Is your pay and benefit package comparable?

    What skills, if any, were transferable?


    Everyone knows the pharma industry is constantly changing and those changes are having a negative financial impact on many families. As a person who has transitioned out, can you offer anything positive or helpful?
     
  6. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I can offer some advice. My husband got transferred last year and I quit and got a job out of pharma. It took a lot of interviews but I now have a job I love. It's in sales in the software industry. It's competitive, but without all the pharma stress and backstabbing. I trained for 2 months and have been in the field for over a year.

    I interviewed for 8-10 jobs I really wanted and didn't get for various reasons. Not having actual hard sales numbers was a big factor. I was competing wtih sales reps who had solo results and their customers gave them reference letters backing up their sales and agreeing to move their business to that company if they hired the rep.

    Several companies had a bad taste in their mouths from other pharma reps they had interviewed or hired. Face it, many pharma reps are lazy and don't even attempt to sell.

    My advice would be start early. It takes awhile just to hear back about an nterview. Then you might have 2 more before you are hired or rejected. That process can be 1 month. Apply for as many jobs as possible. You can send your resume to a recruiter but I had no luck with them. They have so many resumes and many of them had been unimpressed with pharma reps.

    Network with as many people as you can. Having someone refer you is still the best way to get a job. I actually got my interview through our realtor. She knew the hiring manager.

    My salary is quite a bit less but my comission is higher so as long as I work hard I make similar money (about 10,000 less than pharma). Don't get me wrong, in the real sales world you have to work hard. There is no hanging at the house or gym half the day. If you don't sell you don't make money and they will replace you. Better to work hard and not have to start the job hunt over again. But I love my job so don't consider it working harder.

    Benefits are about the same. Car allowance (I don't have a company car) covers almost all my out of pocket car expenses.

    The great thing is I am so much happier. I didn't realize how unhappy and stressed out I was in pharma until I left.

    So you might end up with a career that you really love. I just don't see staying in pharma. It is like this at all the companies. That's why I got out. But that's just me.
     
  7. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

     
  8. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    I still have my job but my husband worked at Lilly as well and was laid off several years ago. He went to another pharma company (took 3 months) and got laid off 5 months later. Be prepared for how brutal Lilly is to those laid off. You are dead to them. They see you as a nuisance. After a certain date you can't even call them anymore. He had to call the displaced worker hotline to talk about benefits etc. It was very humiliating and demoralizing. He found a job out of the industry but it took 8 months. He makes 2/3 of what he did but is happier. Just be prepared that it takes a lot longer than you think and you have to be willing to take less money. Looking for a job will be 24/7 until you find one. That's just a fact. But you will all make it through this.
     
  9. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    OP: you seem to know an awful lot about how to 'not work' as a sales rep. no wonder your teammates threw you under the bus?
    not sure what new career you have, but it appears you're still not working very hard (given the time you have to start new threads on your previous employer's cafe pharma board, coincidentally timed with their layoff announcement)
    your condescending and unnecessary words will, inevitably, be read by both lazy employees, as well as employees who do work hard, care about their job, have mortgages to pay, and families to take care of.
    you reference "morals," in your message. knowing that these people found out today, that they may not have a job after the holidays, and taking that as your opportunity to make generalizations and kick people while they're already down, doesn't sound like something that a person with "morals" would do.
    you're obviously still disgruntled about something that happened when you were here (and you may, very well, have every right to be), but i can't think of a worse way to vent that frustration. you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
     
  10. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Don't blame the OP for stating facts. I voluntarily left 2 years ago for the very same reasons. I heard about the layoff and came on here to see if it was true. I had worked for Lilly for 5 years and could not believe what a hostile work environment it was, at least in my district. I am one of the ones who really did work hard. That's why I left. I was embarrased about how little I really did for a living. Glorified UPS driver. That and the fact that there wasn't one person on my team that I would associate with outside of work (including my manager). Was shocked at the quality of people who were hired (from retail, Starbucks). Not the image I had in my head when I took the job.

    I also can't believe that all of you didn't see this coming. I am surprised that those divisions have been around this long. After watching the last couple of layoffs how can you be surprised? It took me about 6 months to find something out of pharma (and yes I took at pay cut for these first 2 years) but love my job and would NEVER consider going back into pharma.

    There is light at the end of the tunnel for those of you who work. You just have to spend all day, everyday job hunting. Not going to say it's easy, but in the end might be the best thing you ever did.

    Those of you who don't work will be weeded out in a new career. No hiding and not having to sell in other sales jobs.
     
  11. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    OP posted at 5:23 pm. Most pharma reps had been home for 5 hours.

    Didn't see anything refering to "morals" in the post.

    I have been actively looking for 5 months. Made it through this layoff, but not stupid enough to think there won't be another one in the next year. We are running out of drugs to sell with almost nothing coming out.

    I have one of the new drugs so knew I would be safe this go round. How were people in those two divisions not already actively looking? Why were they still here to be laid off? Not trying to kick people when they are down, but come on. The writing has been on the wall. Lilly always says that it looks like drugs are going to fly through clinical trials. You believe them? Do you not see how much they lie to their employees? I have been around a long time and JL and DR have destroyed this company.

    Anyone that survived and get's cut in the next one is truly an idiot. The condensing of divisions is going to continue until a couple sell everything. Like we started.
     
  12. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Any person still working in pharma for more than mad money is crazy. This industry has been going down the toilet for 6+ years. If you have a wealthy spouse and don't really care if you get laid off then it's a fine job. Nobody who needs a job to pay the mortgage, daycare etc... should ever be in this industry. That's just reality. Shame on you for not getting out of the industry over the last 6+ years. It gets a lot harder to find a job out of the industry the longer you stay. Plus when you are laid off you are not nearly as desirable as a person who still has a job. Employers question why they couldn't find a place for you. Again, reality.
     
  13. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Home to roost, indeed.
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  14. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Not to mention now Trump is promising everyday to go after pharma. Promises the prices are going to come way down and we won't be raping people anymore. Pharma has done this to itself. 700% increase in insulin? The new women's Viagra is $800 per month. This party is over people. This is one of the ways that Trump is reaching out to the Democrats. They are teamming up on pharma together. Sorry DBU and all the other divisions that think they are "safe". Let me know how that works out for you. Look at what is happening to pharma stocks. Like Trump or hate him. The man does exactly what he says he is going to do.
     
  15. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Not to mention now Trump is promising everyday to go after pharma. Promises the prices are going to come way down and we won't be raping people anymore. Pharma has done this to itself. 700% increase in insulin? The new women's Viagra is $800 per month. This party is over people. This is one of the ways that Trump is reaching out to the Democrats. They are teamming up on pharma together. Sorry DBU and all the other divisions that think they are "safe". Let me know how that works out for you. Look at what is happening to pharma stocks. Like Trump or hate him. The man does exactly what he says he is going to do.
     
  16. anonymous

    anonymous Guest

    Innovation. In price gouging.