Considering Associate Position with Zimmer

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anonymous

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Hey everyone, im considering taking an associate position with Zimmer but want to know how long it takes to start earning commission since it’s 1099? Will I go 6 months with no pay? How much can I expect to make in my first year? Thanks!
 




anonymous said:
Hey everyone, im considering taking an associate position with Zimmer but want to know how long it takes to start earning commission since it’s 1099? Will I go 6 months with no pay? How much can I expect to make in my first year? Thanks!
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Depends on whose B you are. Most these days pay rookies crap, you didn’t sell, you didn’t convert, you are literally needed for case coverage. If you like money, you wouldn’t start here, more likely to make more money having your own territory working for arthrex or a smaller company who loves rookies.
 




The TM I’d be under has been there for over 15 years if that helps give more context. I only have around a year of medical sales experience(not in devices) so wanted to get on with Zimmer to learn mostly. But still have bills and need to know if I need 6 months savings to feel financially secure before I take this job.
 








anonymous said:
This is a bitching and moaning forum. I would ask elsewhere. Here we all hate the company (ex-employees, employees making no money, etc)

hows that for honesty?
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You forgot to add how management all hate eachother, how CEO has abandoned employees and only out to save himself now. Forgot to add How long term reps are leaving, how long term surgeons are switching, how distributors take advantage of reps ect ect. The list goes on and on. ZB in a world of hurt and management pretends, just like the White House that this is the best time ever in the history of the company. A jobs a job but you are nothing more then case coverage here, especially in an old territory. Not worth the Pennie’s on the dollar just to learn.
 




Don't listen to these idiots.

Just ask your TM and get clarity. Nobody is going to expect you to convert a total knee surgeon day one.

Ask what the pay will look like. If you get a guarantee for 6 months, start there, but get clarity on when it ends. If its 100% commission on new business, then move on. If it is a % on existing business, then ask for an average or even the numbers that the geography is handling. Your job, besides logistics and case coverage, will be to ask difficult questions - start now.

ZB isn't a bad place to work. Yes there are issues, but every company has them. Backorders, failed launch dates, bad managers are common in med device.

Good luck.
 




anonymous said:
Don't listen to these idiots.

Just ask your TM and get clarity. Nobody is going to expect you to convert a total knee surgeon day one.

Ask what the pay will look like. If you get a guarantee for 6 months, start there, but get clarity on when it ends. If its 100% commission on new business, then move on. If it is a % on existing business, then ask for an average or even the numbers that the geography is handling. Your job, besides logistics and case coverage, will be to ask difficult questions - start now.

ZB isn't a bad place to work. Yes there are issues, but every company has them. Backorders, failed launch dates, bad managers are common in med device.

Good luck.
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Thank you so much for this response. Definitely helpful information!
 








anonymous said:
Don't listen to these idiots.

Just ask your TM and get clarity. Nobody is going to expect you to convert a total knee surgeon day one.

Ask what the pay will look like. If you get a guarantee for 6 months, start there, but get clarity on when it ends. If its 100% commission on new business, then move on. If it is a % on existing business, then ask for an average or even the numbers that the geography is handling. Your job, besides logistics and case coverage, will be to ask difficult questions - start now.

ZB isn't a bad place to work. Yes there are issues, but every company has them. Backorders, failed launch dates, bad managers are common in med device.

Good luck.
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Spot on. Here is someone who knows ZB....and life outside of Magic Kingdom.
 




ZB has given up trying to grow the top line. Their only hope is to maintain the bottom line through cuts to costs and overhead. Find a company that wants to grow their business and you'll grow too.
 




Here is how it works.. Doesn't matter if you are Stryker, Depuy, S&N or Zimmer. When you start out as a associate/cover rep whatever you call it you earn shit. Your job is to literally cover cases, run trays and not fuck up. You will be ran around, cover bullshit cases all over the place, be shared with other territories when needed to bank favors for when your TM needs help. Longer hours than you are being told, less quality of life than you are being told and even less opportunity than you are being told. Most territories have well established grey beards that are making less and less money each year but holding on for dear life because outside of their space they have made themselves worthless.

My advice would go in with eyes open and get all the details you can. Use it as an opportunity to get 2 years of med device experience for your resume than get a cup cake med device job that pays a lot more and doesnt require you to live in the OR chasing cases.
 




In our territory new hires typically had a one year guarantee from the distributorship as a W2 with benefits. After the first year one of 4 things happened. 1) they were a valuable team member and the team absorbed the salary as a commission share and they became 1099. 2) they were left as a W2 for an additional year (second chance one might say). 3) they were let go if it wasn't going to be a productive salesperson 4) they didn't like the offer, despite only one year of experience with little if any sales, and left.

Simply put, to earn the big bucks, you need to do the selling and prove yourself. It's really quite fair when you think about it. To assume a big guarantee with no experience in this field is absurd.​
 




So they want you to work for free for 6
months? If so, that's abuse. Zimmer is a barely second rate crap-hole of a company. They aren't worth working for getting paid nothing. Your TM probably never sold a thing in his or her life - got handed a fellowship trained surgeon or two that came out of fellowship wanting to use zimmer and miracle of miracles he or she completed the glorious feat of not screwing it up. They now think so highly of their pitiful self that they feel entitled to your labor for free. You'll spend the rest of your life subsidizing their laziness while they golf, wake up late and blame you for things that go wrong, submarining your career. You need a paycheck, so bare minimum take a job with a company that pays your for your time day 1 and offers benefits. 1099 is abuse. No matter what lies they tell you make more as a W2 when you're in an entry level role.
 




1099 can be an amazing opportunity with the right employer. ZB continually has cut commissions and have a very vague pay explanation/sales breakdown each month.

I make a shitload more now as a W2 but miss writing off so much stuff.
 




anonymous said:
So they want you to work for free for 6
months? If so, that's abuse. Zimmer is a barely second rate crap-hole of a company. They aren't worth working for getting paid nothing. Your TM probably never sold a thing in his or her life - got handed a fellowship trained surgeon or two that came out of fellowship wanting to use zimmer and miracle of miracles he or she completed the glorious feat of not screwing it up. They now think so highly of their pitiful self that they feel entitled to your labor for free. You'll spend the rest of your life subsidizing their laziness while they golf, wake up late and blame you for things that go wrong, submarining your career. You need a paycheck, so bare minimum take a job with a company that pays your for your time day 1 and offers benefits. 1099 is abuse. No matter what lies they tell you make more as a W2 when you're in an entry level role.
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I could not agree more with you. They sell you on the “greatest opportunity anyone can ever have.” To answer the guys question you’ll most likely make anywhere between 45-62k a year. No commission. I worked for Zimmer for 6 years started off a a jr rep making 62K. I was a surgical tech before hence the higher pay compared to other jr Reps. I eventually became a full rep after 2 years because someone quit. The only way to move up assuming your working for
GPS distributor (glorified pyramid scheme) is if someone dies, retires, gets fires or retires. After that I worked for Retarda aka medacta for 2 years. Now I’m with STERIS.
Use zimmer as a stepping stone.
 




anonymous said:
I could not agree more with you. They sell you on the “greatest opportunity anyone can ever have.” To answer the guys question you’ll most likely make anywhere between 45-62k a year. No commission. I worked for Zimmer for 6 years started off a a jr rep making 62K. I was a surgical tech before hence the higher pay compared to other jr Reps. I eventually became a full rep after 2 years because someone quit. The only way to move up assuming your working for
GPS distributor (glorified pyramid scheme) is if someone dies, retires, gets fires or retires. After that I worked for Retarda aka medacta for 2 years. Now I’m with STERIS.
Use zimmer as a stepping stone.
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Steris? Wow you should be proud to work for that POS company. Yet you are still here talking about your former employer. Go sterilize a toilet bro
 
















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