Age Discrimination In Pharma Sales

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So I left pharmacy in 2002 due to having a family. Now looking to return to work. Have had misc small jobs but nothing substantial. Any advice for getting back into workforce? Will anyone in medical sales even consider?
 






Yes, when you approach 50, your opportunities do change. It seems more elite people are just going through the motions. I am very successful in outside b2b sales, a constant 120 to 130 percent over achiever. Like has been said, your best bet would be to look out for small companies, contract med work or maybe managed pharmacy. I can't tell you how many interviews I have had where I make more than the person interviewing me.

Sorry you are having trouble getting back in but someone out there will hire you and give you another chance. You just have to find them.
 






I've been in the business for 38 years. I still feel like working, enjoy it and am excellent at what I do. I recently interviewed with a new manager, probably in her mid to late 30's and she asked where I see myself in 5 years. I laughed and said on my boat fishing. Of course I knew it was the wrong answer, but it was truthful. Of course, I was not moved along and the feedback was she was concerned with how hard I would work in my "final years". This after winning Presidents club 2 of the last 3 years. I had another offer in the bank, pending approval of the drug by the FDA. 2 weeks later, the drug was approved and I promptly shot an email to her suggesting her questions violated ADEA and I was contemplating action (I never would have). Within 10 minutes she replied and wanted to see me again. I turned her down, told her it was a teachable moment and hoped she learned from it. Age discrimination still happens, some employers are so blind to questions being asked by interviewers, and if you get one as clueless as the one I had, will even admit their "reasoning " to not moving you on. Do what I did...call them on it. If I wanted/needed that job, I'm pretty sure I put myself in position to get it by acting on what I knew.
 






100% yes on age and more than 50% will discriminate against older white men with the woke inclusion garbage. You’ll need to find an older white guy to hire you. The protected classes look down on you.
 






Just like the original poster, I started at 37. I was even worried then that I was getting too old because I was in a city that was extremely focused on youth and looks. I had several good years and was extremely successful; top five rep in the nation, multiple presidents club and regional awards. Essentially, every award to be earned I won with my company. When we had a quota of 20 patients a month I was selling 200. My last month there I sold for 800 patients when our quota was 200. I was in device sales, technically an injectable with a few years of general pharma first.

Around the time this was posted, the person who managed my storage, many years after I left pharma and medical sales said that there were so many lawsuits that women especially that used to have closed up shop and closed their storage because they were getting fired were coming back because so many big companies had major lawsuits. He looked up the age of one of the people, without giving out any other information, and stated she was about 5 years older than me so she was probably about 50 at the time.

When I was in my '30s, I had a friend in diagnostic sales for a major lab company and she was in her 50s, all of the women again, definitely more aimed towards women were being let go for a numerous nonsensical reasons. They all were highly stressed and went on stress leave, and they all stayed out until they got attorneys and they all got their jobs back.

I was thinking of going back to a sales position part-time remotely, and I was just putting my feelers out to see if there's any pharmaceutical remote positions.

I must say that I'm sad to see that the industry is still so incredibly ageist because I thought some of the lawsuits might have covered this.

What I was there, women were expected not just to be young but to be very thin and yet the guys were much older and in their third trimester.

Any 2023 advice on how the industry is post-pandemic as far as ageism? Have more remote positions opened up and are they more relaxed with their horrible age requirements?
 






It’s the same in the home office. I was replaced by a kid who was boasting about his 6 years of experience but with a higher degree. I’ve been an analyst for 25 years when offshore consultants didn’t replace us because they’re willing to work for 20k a year with no benefits.
 






If you are over 40...

1. Stop applying to all big pharma. They are going to waste your time.

2. Consider smaller, privately held companies or public companies with smaller market caps, as these places actually need good sales people to move their usually "bad" products.

3. Don't panic. There are good sales jobs out there in many industries. Pharma doesn't pay well anymore, either. Its a job for the "weaker" sales reps, that are mostly good at corporate politics. A great, confident sales leader is never going to let the market dictate their worth.

Lastly the best salesperson I ever knew sold payroll for 20 years until they pissed her off, and she moved on. She went into real estate, and dominated that as well. She would destroy any pharma or medical sales rep in her sleep. She picked real estate because she valued herself and her time more than making others money in a corporation that doesn't appreciate you. If real estate is not your thing, then I would look into sales training or considering a career in teaching, especially if you are young.

Sales is about communication and leading, and this translates well into teaching. Also, if you are young (20s-30s), I would strongly consider a career in teaching because you have a better work-life balance, get an incredible pension, and will have fun within your community, mentoring children. This is something you will no longer achieve working in an industry that doesn't appreciate its employees, and don't provide any job stability.
 






I left pharma after 20 years. I was a little past mid 50's in 2016. I was still getting offers from big pharma, but opted to work contract. I didn't like over night travel. I couldn't handle the memorization of algorithms and checking my personality at the door. Micro managing had gotten to the point where you had to use exact words and follow the order of the detail brochure. I had solid relationships with the same specialist for 15-20 years. I always had immediate results and sold at the top of my salesforce. I chose to work contract my last night years. I worked on two fabulous contracts in my career, one was for 5 years another for 4+ years. I worked directly with two big pharma. The last three years were 6 contracts. That is 6 initial trainings, 6 organizing territories, 6 different managers, six different cars and learning 13 drugs. It was August in Texas 113 degrees in my car, very large heavy samples and a manager that yelled at me as if I were a 5 year old. I was done! In 20 years I had 13 managers, three bad ones, a few great ones. I wanted to keep working in to my 60's. I didn't have it in me. The game had changed. I could no longer follow scripts or play nice with a disrespectful manager or coworkers. I had a neuralgia that developed from my 18 calls per day and being in my car from 7 am to 6 pm. I started conducting audits of pharma reps in 2018-2021. I loved it. The hourly was good, but not a full time job. I wasn't ready for my pharma story to end in 2016, but the story had changed. I believe there is discrimination, but I also believe a seasoned rep is best in highly specialized medical sales. Otherwise, you are wasting you talent.
 






anonymous said:
I left pharma after 20 years. I was a little past mid 50's in 2016. I was still getting offers from big pharma, but opted to work contract. I didn't like over night travel. I couldn't handle the memorization of algorithms and checking my personality at the door. Micro managing had gotten to the point where you had to use exact words and follow the order of the detail brochure. I had solid relationships with the same specialist for 15-20 years. I always had immediate results and sold at the top of my salesforce. I chose to work contract my last night years. I worked on two fabulous contracts in my career, one was for 5 years another for 4+ years. I worked directly with two big pharma. The last three years were 6 contracts. That is 6 initial trainings, 6 organizing territories, 6 different managers, six different cars and learning 13 drugs. It was August in Texas 113 degrees in my car, very large heavy samples and a manager that yelled at me as if I were a 5 year old. I was done! In 20 years I had 13 managers, three bad ones, a few great ones. I wanted to keep working in to my 60's. I didn't have it in me. The game had changed. I could no longer follow scripts or play nice with a disrespectful manager or coworkers. I had a neuralgia that developed from my 18 calls per day and being in my car from 7 am to 6 pm. I started conducting audits of pharma reps in 2018-2021. I loved it. The hourly was good, but not a full time job. I wasn't ready for my pharma story to end in 2016, but the story had changed. I believe there is discrimination, but I also believe a seasoned rep is best in highly specialized medical sales. Otherwise, you are wasting you talent.
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Very well said. I attempted to return in my 50’s. Age discrimination is real. I contacted an attorney that told me it happens all of the time but it’s almost impossible to prove. I am now doing remote government work that is so much better than the nonsense that comes with pharmaceutical sales. Good riddance micromanagers.
 






anonymous said:
100% yes on age and more than 50% will discriminate against older white men with the woke inclusion garbage. You’ll need to find an older white guy to hire you. The protected classes look down on you.
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I just lost out on a position I interviewed for for three months. Told I was the lead candidate the entire time. Went through rounds of interviews. Every time the goal post got moved back. After the third interview it was “final will be a zoom with the VP and it’s a formality.” Then it became, “you need to fly to HQ to meet with me and the VP in person.” Three days before that trip, I get an email from HR with a link to apply for the job and upload a power point for the “panel interview.” Panel interview? Yup. Now there are five directors and the VP and I am required to pull together a full scale presentation on the six month launch plan for their new agent. OK. I build the presentation and fly to the HQ city. Do the overnight, practice the hell out of my presentation. Don’t sleep a wink. I go to the HQ and minutes before they walk me in, I’m told there will be three execs from the parent company in the meeting. Long story short, I nail the presentation, they tell me that day to expect a call from HR with an offer by the end of the week. After many stalled and missed deadlines, two weeks later I’m told they can’t hire me because….wait for it….I’m male and white. They need a female on an otherwise all male team. I don’t know if I should be happy they didn’t hire me or sue for discrimination. I’m gainfully employed and making a fantastic living with a small company. This was an interesting opportunity which is why I even picked up the phone in the first place. But the entire process was frustrating and the reason the elected not to bring me on board was just disgusting. The cherry on top is the woman they hired is now trying to recruit my reps. Unethical does not begin to describe it.
 












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