Careers after pharma... real success stories please!

[Anonymous]

Congrats on your new role! The $64,000 question is - how did you land that role? Readers would like to know. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I am a different poster but I got out of pharma by advertising the hell out of myself...Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, medreps.com, etc. I spend at least 3 hours EVERY day doing, this...yes during pharma "calls" as well.
I made phone calls to companies, talked to friends in medial device (which is where I landed) and after 6 months I got a dream call...the recruiter said "88 grand base, 70 in commission, realistically...100 in commission if you work it hard." I choked. No pharma! yes!

I interviewed, did well in the interview and got the job.

I was selling pharma for a very specific specialty, which this device company also sells to. I also went from a company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide to a company with a few hundred worldwide.

The bottomline is, my hardcore advertising myself EVENTUALLY got me lucky. The recruiter saw my credentials and called me out of blue..So luck had a lot do with it.

Sales is a numbers game. Finding a good job is no different.

 

[Anonymous]

Congrats on your new role! The $64,000 question is - how did you land that role? Readers would like to know. Thanks.

I am a different poster but I got out of pharma by advertising the hell out of myself...Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, medreps.com, etc. I spend at least 3 hours EVERY day doing, this...yes during pharma "calls" as well.
I made phone calls to companies, talked to friends in medial device (which is where I landed) and after 6 months I got a dream call...the recruiter said "88 grand base, 70 in commission, realistically...100 in commission if you work it hard." I choked. No pharma! yes!

I interviewed, did well in the interview and got the job.

I was selling pharma for a very specific specialty, which this device company also sells to. I also went from a company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide to a company with a few hundred worldwide.

The bottomline is, my hardcore advertising myself EVENTUALLY got me lucky. The recruiter saw my credentials and called me out of blue..So luck had a lot do with it.

Sales is a numbers game. Finding a good job is no different.[/QUOTE]

I disagree with the numbers game crap.

Its all about knowing the right person, in the right spot.

Why go out and throw shit up against the wall? The best strategy is to understand what your goals are, and the type of job you want, and work towards that...

people that just throw crap against the wall, and cross their fingers playing the numbers game, are usually clueless to what they want out of life.

 

[Anonymous]

I am a different poster but I got out of pharma by advertising the hell out of myself...Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, medreps.com, etc. I spend at least 3 hours EVERY day doing, this...yes during pharma "calls" as well.
I made phone calls to companies, talked to friends in medial device (which is where I landed) and after 6 months I got a dream call...the recruiter said "88 grand base, 70 in commission, realistically...100 in commission if you work it hard." I choked. No pharma! yes!

I interviewed, did well in the interview and got the job.

I was selling pharma for a very specific specialty, which this device company also sells to. I also went from a company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide to a company with a few hundred worldwide.

The bottomline is, my hardcore advertising myself EVENTUALLY got me lucky. The recruiter saw my credentials and called me out of blue..So luck had a lot do with it.

Sales is a numbers game. Finding a good job is no different.

I disagree with the numbers game crap.

Its all about knowing the right person, in the right spot.

Why go out and throw shit up against the wall? The best strategy is to understand what your goals are, and the type of job you want, and work towards that...

people that just throw crap against the wall, and cross their fingers playing the numbers game, are usually clueless to what they want out of life.[/QUOTE]


You responded to me. I can't disagree with you more. I didn't know anyone and landed a great job. I had the skill set they wanted and interviewed well.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a numbers game, who you know and a lot of luck. I went after companies that didn't advertise a job opening. Looked on line found the sales manager and went straight to them. Found a job in small device at half the salary I was making before, with commission I am making over twice what I did with my old job in pharma.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a numbers game, who you know and a lot of luck. I went after companies that didn't advertise a job opening. Looked on line found the sales manager and went straight to them. Found a job in small device at half the salary I was making before, with commission I am making over twice what I did with my old job in pharma.

It will likely come down to who you know, but it is so easy to send out resumes to recruiters and to apply on-line that you might as well be doing it to.

 

[MedReps.com]

Last week I was meeting with one of the largest medical sales recruiting firms in the U.S. about an upcoming webinar around the job search in the medical sales industry. A couple key points they identified as being essential was a great "Elevator Pitch" and "Branding" yourself effectively. Part of that is directly aligning key successes with some of the top requirements of the job you are applying for.

 

[Anonymous]

I was desperate to find another job. My pharma company laid off folks year after year. In 2009 it was a blood bath and 1000 people were laid off. I was transfered to a territory over 100 miles away from my home. I was always honest (as honest as I could be for a pharma rep) and still got screwed. It was at that point that I knew I needed to leave. Unfortunately, it's a full time job trying to find a job. What did I do? I knew it would be a matter of time before the company downsized again. I used my pharma time to find a new job. I (shamefully) changed the clock on my computer for time stanped signatures. Collected them all in 2 hours and spent the rest of the time searching for a job. I contacted all my old docs that I had long term relationships with. I contacted medical personel and friends.
Luck finally came my way. A friend had a buddy that was a manager for a Medical Device Company. I had the most grueling interview. The pharma background was a real negative. I sold the heck out of myself and the manager took a chance on me.

My base salary was $10,000 more than my pharma salary and commision was double that of pharma. Although I'm not making $200k a year I'm more than happy with my $125k-$130K career.
Quality of life is great! I work a full day. a late night every once in a while and have office days that I just sit home to take care of contracts and paperwork.

What is most satisfying is that my docs respect me. They call me for assistance and questions. I find that I am more of a help than hinderence. I'm a problem solver. I make myself availalbe to patients, nurses, physicians, purchasing/materials management.

Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning round and round and find it hard to keep up.....BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

If I was laid off from this job and was offered a job in pharma I wouldn't take it. I would have more dignity working in a supermaket or flipping hamburgers before I would ever do the pharma thing again.

I hope I"m not sounding arrogant, that is not my intent. I just didn't realize how ridiculous the pharma job was until I got out of it. Now when I'm with a doctor and I see the poor Pharma rep coming in I feel so horrible that the doc doesn't want to talk to him/her...just signs the pad and that's it. It was a horrible feeling.

ALl I can say is.....NETWORK the heck out of yourself. If you can't find a manager find a device rep that you can buddy up with. It's not always what you know BUT who you know.

The more contacts that you make the greater the chance of landing another job.
I've had strangers try to meet and connect with me on LinkedIn and I've spoken with all of them! I would hope that someone would do the same for me if I were in that situation.

Good luck...keep the faith...and I PROMISE you better things are ahead of you once you leave the world of pharma. It just might not feel that way now... BUT I PROMOSE YOU....you will never be happier once you land your new gig!

 

[Anonymous]

I was a national accounts manager for a large pharma company for 8 years.

I quit and gave BJ's to donkeys at the clubs in Tijuana for a couple years afterwards to help rebuild my self-esteem.

Today I manage a house of ill repute in Vegas and feel much better about myself.

Thanks! Thats the kind of story that can motivate people! It's a good message because so many of us are used to linear careers, rep to DM to RBD etc., or at least equivalent lateral moves so when the bottom falls out it's a little disconcerting, to say the least! Thanks for posting a 'real'response. I'm sure you've given a few people today a new way to think about the job search.

 

[Anonymous]

I was desperate to find another job. My pharma company laid off folks year after year. In 2009 it was a blood bath and 1000 people were laid off. I was transfered to a territory over 100 miles away from my home. I was always honest (as honest as I could be for a pharma rep) and still got screwed. It was at that point that I knew I needed to leave. Unfortunately, it's a full time job trying to find a job. What did I do? I knew it would be a matter of time before the company downsized again. I used my pharma time to find a new job. I (shamefully) changed the clock on my computer for time stanped signatures. Collected them all in 2 hours and spent the rest of the time searching for a job. I contacted all my old docs that I had long term relationships with. I contacted medical personel and friends.
Luck finally came my way. A friend had a buddy that was a manager for a Medical Device Company. I had the most grueling interview. The pharma background was a real negative. I sold the heck out of myself and the manager took a chance on me.

My base salary was $10,000 more than my pharma salary and commision was double that of pharma. Although I'm not making $200k a year I'm more than happy with my $125k-$130K career.
Quality of life is great! I work a full day. a late night every once in a while and have office days that I just sit home to take care of contracts and paperwork.

What is most satisfying is that my docs respect me. They call me for assistance and questions. I find that I am more of a help than hinderence. I'm a problem solver. I make myself availalbe to patients, nurses, physicians, purchasing/materials management.

Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning round and round and find it hard to keep up.....BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

If I was laid off from this job and was offered a job in pharma I wouldn't take it. I would have more dignity working in a supermaket or flipping hamburgers before I would ever do the pharma thing again.

I hope I"m not sounding arrogant, that is not my intent. I just didn't realize how ridiculous the pharma job was until I got out of it. Now when I'm with a doctor and I see the poor Pharma rep coming in I feel so horrible that the doc doesn't want to talk to him/her...just signs the pad and that's it. It was a horrible feeling.

ALl I can say is.....NETWORK the heck out of yourself. If you can't find a manager find a device rep that you can buddy up with. It's not always what you know BUT who you know.

The more contacts that you make the greater the chance of landing another job.
I've had strangers try to meet and connect with me on LinkedIn and I've spoken with all of them! I would hope that someone would do the same for me if I were in that situation.

Good luck...keep the faith...and I PROMISE you better things are ahead of you once you leave the world of pharma. It just might not feel that way now... BUT I PROMOSE YOU....you will never be happier once you land your new gig!

OP - We may have worked at the same pharma from your descr. ! I'm sure this will open a whole can of pithy responses (can't wait to see the bottled up creativity of CP readers) but in all sincerity (damn - just opened mysefl up again) would it be possible to connect live/trade some em off of the CP radar and how to do it ?

 

[Anonymous]

I worked for big pharma as a specialty rep and was laid off. I then went to work as a contract rep and at the end of that contract, I knew that I was done with Pharma. It was really tough to give up the company car and insurance and gas money to scramble to buy a used car b4 the contract ended. I cast my net far and wide and landed a dream job in education sales. Small company, everyone knows everyone, Sales Meeting once a year and that was the only time I saw anybody from the company. My manager rode with me once and left me alone after that. You make a sale, you get a PO or a check, no guesswork involved. My starting salary was about the same, maybe 2K less, but bonuses were paid monthly and 10% of everything I sold and once I made my period goal, I was paid 25%, plus kickers. I was able to make over a 6 figure salary consistently for over 4 years now. Great benefits, virtual happy hours on Fridays after 3 (we all sit at home, get our favorite drink and get on a conference call to catch up with all reps nationwide) Folks have a sense of humor and respect you and your contribution. And the best part of it all is NO SAMPLES, no regulations, 1 monthly report (we did have to record our calls) And I was only expected to make 8 - 10 calls per month!!! Believe me, I was devastated when I lost my pharma jobs, but keep the faith, dig deep and believe me you will find something. When I was looking, I did get a call from an Assisted Living Home needing a toMarketing Assistant, I would have taken that, but I wanted something different. I was also contacted by University of Phoenix to recruit for them. Sales has many faces, just look around at various industries, I guarantee there's a sales position in out there somewhere for you!

 

[Anonymous]

I worked for big pharma as a specialty rep and was laid off. I then went to work as a contract rep and at the end of that contract, I knew that I was done with Pharma. It was really tough to give up the company car and insurance and gas money to scramble to buy a used car b4 the contract ended. I cast my net far and wide and landed a dream job in education sales. Small company, everyone knows everyone, Sales Meeting once a year and that was the only time I saw anybody from the company. My manager rode with me once and left me alone after that. You make a sale, you get a PO or a check, no guesswork involved. My starting salary was about the same, maybe 2K less, but bonuses were paid monthly and 10% of everything I sold and once I made my period goal, I was paid 25%, plus kickers. I was able to make over a 6 figure salary consistently for over 4 years now. Great benefits, virtual happy hours on Fridays after 3 (we all sit at home, get our favorite drink and get on a conference call to catch up with all reps nationwide) Folks have a sense of humor and respect you and your contribution. And the best part of it all is NO SAMPLES, no regulations, 1 monthly report (we did have to record our calls) And I was only expected to make 8 - 10 calls per month!!! Believe me, I was devastated when I lost my pharma jobs, but keep the faith, dig deep and believe me you will find something. When I was looking, I did get a call from an Assisted Living Home needing a toMarketing Assistant, I would have taken that, but I wanted something different. I was also contacted by University of Phoenix to recruit for them. Sales has many faces, just look around at various industries, I guarantee there's a sales position in out there somewhere for you!

You are 100 percent correct.

I bet that going to a small company helped too, right?

 

[Anonymous]

start off by not using "words" like "cus"...

you seem stupid when you do that.

Look, you have three options imo:

1. Stay in sales, and sell. So, if pharma doesn't hire you, then just look for another outside sales position. Sure, you will work your ass off, but you will ALWAYS make good money in an outside sales position. Just look for something that can compete in the market. In other words, look to sell good products with good companies and don't waste your time looking for work selling crap.

2 Go back to school and find something that the market demands. Do your research and find out who is hiring. The obvious choice is nursing. However, I would only do it if you want to do it, especially with something like nursing. Keep searching and you will find something. And be pessimistic going into this, especially if you are going to have to spend lots of money moving into a career change.

3. Work at Wal-Mart.

Good luck.

There are many other avenues a pharma sales person or DM can take. Here is one....

I was a sales rep for 5 years DM for 4. Left my DM role for a training mgr role at a Healthcare company that included a pharma division and a device division. It was definitely a lateral move but it got me out of pharma and into device/capital equipment area where now I am a Director of Education for all training for the pharma division and the device division as well as manage a group of nurses across the country.

I can't tell you how valuable it's been spending a few years working at a corporate office and gaining additional skills and networking with individuals in other parts of the healthcare business and a lot of different levels and departments. I feel I am significantly more prepared to go into an interview for many other positions than I was when I only had Pharma sales and DM exp. Getting out of pharma and taking a lateral move by title (increase in overall pay) was the best thing I ever did. It was a bit risky since I had to move and sell my house (they reloed me) but I definitely have much more overall job security as I feel I am much more marketable, attractive and valuable in the workforce. Good Luck.

 

[Anonymous]

I was a national accounts manager for a large pharma company for 8 years.

I quit and gave BJ's to donkeys at the clubs in Tijuana for a couple years afterwards to help rebuild my self-esteem.

Today I manage a house of ill repute in Vegas and feel much better about myself.

It's not often that I get to read a real feel good success story on CP. I know that you must be extremely proud and you can now hold your head high for once. You have really inspired me to get out of this business and find my own way. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Anonymous]

In 2008, after surviving the massive layoffs at my company, I saw the writing on the wall and started going to graduate school at night to get a degree in a specific and in-demand discipline. It was hard on me and my family, but I knew it was time to get out. By January 2011, I completed school, and started networking like mad. In March 2011 I landed a job in my new field and quit my pharma job. Great bennies, slightly less money, infinitely more job satisfaction. It was strange to actually work 8-5 in an office, but apart from that I could not be happier. My entire family is happier, too. My constant stress and time away had been hard on my family for all those years, and they are very happy to have me home more.

Good luck to everyone out there. There is indeed life after pharma, and it is sweet!

 

[Anonymous]

I know a former rep who took a position as a director of sales and marketing for an upscale retirement community. Probably about 80-90k. Put her in an "office" setting, but nice people, enjoys it, and it's "real"; unlike pharma. No bs like pharma.

 

[Anonymous]

There is life after pharma! After 14 years in the industry (last six in specialty), my company decided to layoff a large number of reps without regard to performance or longevity. It's one year later and I'm so very thankful I was one of those severed. I'm now selling for a small specialty pharmacy, making more with more independence and couldn't be happier. While I do travel a bit more and there's a fair amount of "putting out fires", I have my self-respect back. I've only worked with my boss once this year and it's because I needed his help at a large account. Keep the faith and look for sales/service jobs outside the traditional pharma manufacturer rep positions. Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

I got into management consulting after pharma sales. I now work on consulting projects that have to do with managed markets. It's interesting and fun. I think any drug rep can do it if they are willing to work in an office. Many of these management consulting companies hire recent college grads. It pays pretty well but I miss my company car

What are some of the firm names? That sounds interesting to me. Thanks in advance.