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Be ready to change careers

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Anonymous

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Here's the bad news: I've been out of work looking for a pharma job for the last 6 months. THERE ARE ALMOST NO PHARMA SALES JOBS AVAILABLE. I live in a high-medical-density part of the country, and I see at most three new pharma job postings a week. You can only get a pharma job if you are a multiple President's Club Winner or are young and inexpensive. I'm now planning to go back to school to get into a growth-field career.

Here's the good news: Accept that fact that you will need to change careers, and get going on your new path! The sooner you acknowledge the reality of the pharma job market, the better off you will be. Spend the next few weeks researching new careers instead of wasting your time sending out resumes. You'll find it totally liberating to do something new! There are many up-and-coming fields that you can train for. Go for it, and don't look back!
 








Anonymous said:
Here's the bad news: I've been out of work looking for a pharma job for the last 6 months. THERE ARE ALMOST NO PHARMA SALES JOBS AVAILABLE. I live in a high-medical-density part of the country, and I see at most three new pharma job postings a week. You can only get a pharma job if you are a multiple President's Club Winner or are young and inexpensive. I'm now planning to go back to school to get into a growth-field career.

Here's the good news: Accept that fact that you will need to change careers, and get going on your new path! The sooner you acknowledge the reality of the pharma job market, the better off you will be. Spend the next few weeks researching new careers instead of wasting your time sending out resumes. You'll find it totally liberating to do something new! There are many up-and-coming fields that you can train for. Go for it, and don't look back!
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I say do BOTH; acknowledge that getting another pharma job will be akin to hitting the lottery, but still try. But also, look into doing something else. You just have to be realistically. Whatever you do, dont listen to the people that will say that "there are tons of jobs available that pay better", this is simply not that case.
 








I have been transitioning for three years. My process includes completing my masters in another field (not a MBA, less than a year to go) and completing a certification course. In the meantime, I have managed to find two pharma jobs. I got laid off from one of the Big Threes and found work (4 months later) with a small startup. That position lasted a year and then I got laid off again. Next, I accepted a contract position and have been employed for almost a year. I believe it will take me another year to complete the transition. OP is right, start the transition process now!! From someone who has been laid off twice and found work in pharma twice (maybe I should play the lottery); I can say I wish I had started the transition process sooner (before the first layoff). Good luck to all of you!!!
 












Anonymous said:
I have been transitioning for three years. My process includes completing my masters in another field (not a MBA, less than a year to go) and completing a certification course. In the meantime, I have managed to find two pharma jobs. I got laid off from one of the Big Threes and found work (4 months later) with a small startup. That position lasted a year and then I got laid off again. Next, I accepted a contract position and have been employed for almost a year. I believe it will take me another year to complete the transition. OP is right, start the transition process now!! From someone who has been laid off twice and found work in pharma twice (maybe I should play the lottery); I can say I wish I had started the transition process sooner (before the first layoff). Good luck to all of you!!!
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Why so secretive? What is your Masters in?
 




The growth fields in my area are software engineering, IT, and biomedical engineering. Since I already have a B.A., I'll be able to complete a program at night in two years. I'm leaning toward software engineering. I'll do whatever kind of work I can get during the day to support myself during that time. It'll be hard, but when I graduate, there will be a lot of jobs for many years to come.

I researched X-ray tech, nuclear medicine tech, and radiation therapy. All will be good fields in the future but are impacted right now. So, it doesn't make sense to go do these two-year programs and graduate to no jobs.

Other growth fields are P.A. and nurse practitioner.
 




I have been doing this for about 10 years. I worked for 2 big pharma companies and then went contract because that's all that was available. It's still a pretty good gig with a base of 65k, but not much bonus. It is okay for now and it would be good to hang on to for another couple years, but I constantly think about getting OUT. The thing is, I'm 40, have active children and don't have time to go back to school... Nor do I want to spend the money to go back... Any college money I save is for my children, not me. SO, what else is there?! Most of us don't like this job anymore, but even with a mediocre salary, we have to admit it's a good gig. But I'm constantly thinking "what else can I do"?!
 




Your candor is sincere & much appreciated. This time tomorrow night, there will be many people who wish they were in your shoes. If ever there was a time to be humble, it's now. Keep your head up & your eyes on the prize. Your kids will love you for it.
 




Anonymous said:
Your candor is sincere & much appreciated. This time tomorrow night, there will be many people who wish they were in your shoes. If ever there was a time to be humble, it's now. Keep your head up & your eyes on the prize. Your kids will love you for it.
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THE PROBLEM IS IF YOUR OVER 50 IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR NEVER EVER GOING TO FIND A JOB IN ANY FIELD PERIOD.
 








Novartis has been a great company to work for over my 12 1/2 years here! If it's my time to move on, then so be it. I started updating my resume and interviewing skills the day they told us to back in January. I am prepared either way. I made great money here for my family and have had the opportunity of a lifetime. THANK YOU NOVARTIS! Looking forward to my next big thing! Good luck everyone! Remember to be proud of all the work you have done, and you have contributed to Novartis' successes. Recent years have not been kind to Novartis, but I think things will turn around for Novartis in the future...
 




Anonymous said:
I have been doing this for about 10 years. I worked for 2 big pharma companies and then went contract because that's all that was available. It's still a pretty good gig with a base of 65k, but not much bonus. It is okay for now and it would be good to hang on to for another couple years, but I constantly think about getting OUT. The thing is, I'm 40, have active children and don't have time to go back to school... Nor do I want to spend the money to go back... Any college money I save is for my children, not me. SO, what else is there?! Most of us don't like this job anymore, but even with a mediocre salary, we have to admit it's a good gig. But I'm constantly thinking "what else can I do"?!
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Better start 'doing' vs just 'thinking about getting out.'! I was just let go from another Biotech and I can tell you that the experience of Pharma sales does not carry much weight to other employers such as device/capital/B2B/equipment, etc. Going back to school will never be easy and there will never be a good time to do it. While it is not necessary to have an advanced degree, it doesn't hurt and you need something to diversify you on your resume experience. The industry is shrinking and is not likely to return to the way it was. Sure, some people on this board will be lucky and find new sales territories, but increasingly this will become less common. I, too, never wanted to admit this to myself. Now being on the outside, despite a good track record of sales success and awards, I am unlikely to find another high-pay territory and long-term job security.

"What else can you do?" Better figure it out while you are still young. In just 5 more years, in your mid-40s, it will be that much more difficult, and your expenses will only go up with the family.
 




Anonymous said:
Better start 'doing' vs just 'thinking about getting out.'! I was just let go from another Biotech and I can tell you that the experience of Pharma sales does not carry much weight to other employers such as device/capital/B2B/equipment, etc. Going back to school will never be easy and there will never be a good time to do it. While it is not necessary to have an advanced degree, it doesn't hurt and you need something to diversify you on your resume experience. The industry is shrinking and is not likely to return to the way it was. Sure, some people on this board will be lucky and find new sales territories, but increasingly this will become less common. I, too, never wanted to admit this to myself. Now being on the outside, despite a good track record of sales success and awards, I am unlikely to find another high-pay territory and long-term job security.

"What else can you do?" Better figure it out while you are still young. In just 5 more years, in your mid-40s, it will be that much more difficult, and your expenses will only go up with the family.
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The best response I received from a pharma rep (I'm a recruiter) when I asked him why he wanted to get into medical device, he said "in pharma we're all traveling down a dead-end road. The road will end eventually because of my age, they're paying me too much for delivering food, or my product will go generic. I want to get off the road before I hit the dead end".

Most pharma reps don't realize that in Canada for example, reps work on a contract for Pfizer, etc. That's now starting to happen in the US as well (Lilly and BI). If you're young, prepare for another career and realize that pharma doesn't really offer a lot of skills that translate to other industries. If you have over 10 years in this industry and you lose your job, start to prepare yourself for another field. Yes, there will be some people that land on their feet just fine. But there will be many more that will fall hard because they feel like someone should pay them six figures for very little work. There isn't another industry like pharma where multiple people sell the same products through PODS. And please don't ask if you can get a car upgrade during the interview process - yes, that really happens.
 




Really, Mr. Recruiter? Talk about biting the hand of the industry that feeds you. If there's anyone who works LESS than reps, it's recruiters. Give me a break. You don't return calls & many of your 'hot job leads' have already been filled by internal candidates. Give me a break.
 




Figures you would blame the recruiter. They are innundated with people just like yourself looking for the next territory job. Wake up - the other 2 posts are accurate. Lots of reps, very few positions.

Are you an award-winning rep? Great resume? Well guess what, if you don't match the experience they are looking for you will not get a call. If they want diabetes and you have everything but, you don't get a call. There are enough other reps that have it and will get the call. Don't blame the recruiter - they are paid by the company to find a very specific skillset. If you are not a perfect match, it isn't their fault for not calling. It just isn't what they are paid to do.

If you are trying to change careers with a recruiter, this won't work either. Same thing.
 








Anonymous said:
Really, Mr. Recruiter? Talk about biting the hand of the industry that feeds you. If there's anyone who works LESS than reps, it's recruiters. Give me a break. You don't return calls & many of your 'hot job leads' have already been filled by internal candidates. Give me a break.
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I've been in your shoes but you haven't been in mine. I'm ex-pharma and ex-Novartis so I know what you do everyday. I'm sorry that you're so full of anger and so quick to blame others for your problems. Your self-entitlement mentality and anger comes through strong!
 




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