I've only been with AZ for about a year. When I started I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world landing this gig. Now I hate this job....the micromanagement, the silly metrics, conference calls, feeding the cows, lack of respect from docs...it goes on and on. Instead of quitting to find new employment I love the money and benefits I made here. I'm 25 years old and I sold out. I hate myself for it but don't have the balls to do anything about it. Here it is Monday and almost 11:30AM and I am still at home. I hate the thought of this job. OK, I know I will get a lot of negative posts and be laughed at. Anybody got some advice I can use to clean up my worthless life?
Hate this job....love the money.
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I'm in my 50's. I would never be able to make what I'm making with AZ somewhere else. My hands are tied. I hate Mondays too. I hope to retire here but doubt that will happen. Don't be like me some old fart carry a bag. I know it's tough but get out now while you can..
You're miserable hate your work. Get out. No job is worth it. Next your health will suffer. In the long run you will be much happier. It won't be easy but will be worth it. You spend five years in pharma you won't be able to get out as no one will hire you.
I felt the exact same way you did at your age. Now here I am 22 years later still hating my job but loving the money. Don’t sell your soul like I did, get out while you’re still young
as long as you have a good manager to work with it will be OK. if you find yourself in a situation with a goofball manager, then look for another job. that is the only way you will last in this industry. don't be so hard on yourself. stack your chips and save up for that rainy pharma day that will come.
You are young, your hands are not tied and hopefully you don't have a family. Get out. You sound smart at least realizing what this job has become. It has been a worthless career for a long time now and it's only going to get worse. As a matter of fact the longer you stay here the more it's going to hurt on your resume, you will be labeled, No Sales dead beat Pharma Rep.
For the new Reps or Reps looking to get into the business just read this post and jump around to other companies they all read the same thing!! Save yourself a lot of heart ache and wasted valuable time.
Why is the OP a "worthless slug?" He is being very honest and has the opinion of so many of us in sales here at AZ. I think the only "worthless slug" is you....
News flash to the 25yo: Join the club, nearly everyone hates their job. Some are just more honest than others about it. We all work for two reasons: to have something to do and To Make Money! Your job happens to pay very well for someone without a doctorate or without having significant risk part of your career (like entrepreneur or real estate development). You would be wise to make the best of it and cash the checks while you can. And live within your means, saving as much as possible.
News Flash Call me And I’ll blow you Vagg 818-361-5021from political board
I am in my 50s. Stayed for the money and perks, but looking around now I barely make more money than I did 10 years ago when you subtract all the perks taken away, decreased benefits And increases in amount paid for other benefits and my friends are in overall better paying jobs with more stability.
If you hate it now create an exit strategy. Do not stay long. Your resume with suffer in the long term!
good luck!
If you hate it now create an exit strategy. Do not stay long. Your resume with suffer in the long term!
good luck!
A lot of people are in sales because they have money problems or contentment/gratitude problems. If you have money problems, listen to Dave Ramsey (or read some other guru) and figure out your financial situation ASAP. If you have a contentment issue, figure out what's missing from your life or if you are insecure, work on yourself. If you lack confidence (like most people do deep inside), hit the gym. Whatever you want, I guarantee there is another way of getting it besides money. These jobs suck, big time. They haven't changed much over the years, and will not change much when you are 35.
To play Devil's Advocate, where money works, nothing else will. There are things in life you simply need money to do. College funds for kids, retirement, buying a home the right way. Nobody that's employed has a better financial outlook than a top-notch salesman.
Are you kidding? He is a worthless slug because 90% of workers in America would kill to make six figures while driving around in a car that someone gives them with free gasoline and an opportunity to make nice bonus money every three months on top of it. He chooses to sit on his ass and feel sorry for himself because pharma is so hard and miserable and doctors offices don't make him feel comfy and welcome on every call? Are you kidding me? Life is what we make of it and if he thinks this sucks that is fine but man...it is a sad state of affairs when a young person doesn't see this opportunity as anything but awesome. Go sell cars 80 hours a week with no vacation and make 40 grand a year for a while if you think this sucks.
You can make 6 figure in plenty of jobs that have better stability and are much more rewarding than Pharma. Sounds like the only person w/ the self confidence issue is you. The 25 year old poster at least realizes that there is more to life than driving around in a fee car. He wants to build a rewarding life and career unlike you that think Pharma is the only job that pays 100K. Some people, well most want something satisfying and the ability to build a future unlike Pharma where the average tenure is about 5 years and where you drive around and do nothing and waste away daily. #getsomeselfconfidence
Here is the conversation you will have in 15-20 years if you stick w/ this business. If you are fine w/ this conversation just stay in Pharma. The conversations will be w/ your now 16-18 year old. They will ask you what / why / how you do everyday because maybe they are exploring a future career after college. So be careful how you answer since you are now effecting your child. You will have to tell them you worked for 2-4 different companies, (they will remember the lay-off periods of stress). You can tell them you drove around for 2-4 hours a day sitting in parking lots reading a book or texting friends since the MDs office wouldn't see you but you had to account for something each day. Please don't tell them you helped patients because that's a lie too since your only interaction was maybe w/ a few MA's, RN's and occasional MD throughout the day that lasted 20-30 seconds. These big companies tell you it's about the patient but it's really just their gimmick to make you think your're in medicine. Let's face it, you are not in medicine, You don't have any medical degree what's so ever and it's barely healthcare for a rep. You can tell them you asked 2-3 Mds for a sample signature a day and spoke to them for 15-20 seconds and left a few boxes behind. You can tell them you feed 25 office staff workers to hopefully have a 2 minute conversation w/ a MD that could careless about your drug. Your kid may ask you if you diagnose problems. You have NO ADVANCED degree in medicine so you are looked down on by MDs and RN's which have much more training and education than you. So as you think you are diagnosing when you get your 20 seconds w/ the MD all you do is repeat your drugs name 5X because that's all the company will allow you to say anyway. You can tell them that at least 1-2 days a month you get to work w/ a younger inexperienced manager that told you what you did wrong all day long. All in All... If you want your kid to do the same thing you did them by all means stay.
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You can also tell your 16-18 yr old child, "remember all those field trips/class parties/days off that mommy/daddy went to or stayed at home for," you can thank Pharma. It is the only gig I can think of that you can work bare minimum (albeit those hours are excruciating) and have flexibility to be a parent. You can also tell your now teenage child "you know the orthodontia, medical visits, broken arm/leg surgery, vision appointments, etc," that was because of mommy/daddy's Pharma job. I don't know about you but I didn't aspire to be a Pharma rep, but I did aspire to be involved in my children's lives, give them a nice home, and provide benefits that will take care of them in time of need. Oh, and future investments like 401K, stock options, RSU's, etc. aren't too shabby. Get over the fact that your work isn't in and of itself satisfying, but try to see that it, for some people, isn't about what you get out of the day to day work, but what it allows you to do outside of the job. Oh, and driving around in your Pharma funded vehicle while your kids drop goldfish and juice box straws down the seat cushions isn't a bad thing, either. Perspective, my friend.
I would agree w/ this if you are at the tail end of 20/25 years but the post was about endorsing Pharma in the future or if your new.
No disrespect, but this is the exact life we are trying to help the OP avoid. The worst move this guy can make in life is get trapped into this job because his family became accustomed to a lifestyle. C'mon, bro. Plenty of families can afford the basic medical care you outlined without being in medical sales/pharma. You're an apologist for this worthless career.
Do yourself a BIG favor and listen to my story. I understand that not everyone may be as ambitious or want to work as hard as me, but if your willing to put in the work, just keep reading.
I spent 2 years at AZ after college and was making $100K as a 24/25 year old. I got sick of the monotony and decided to claw my way into device and took a $50K pay cut to become an associate under a rep who sold capital for one of the big players. As you may already know, anything more than 2 years in pharma is considered a detriment to your candidacy in MedDev.
It was the best move I ever made. I put my nose to the ground, learned everything I could, identified mentors, and made a name for myself. 5 years later I’m 30 years old, selling one of the most disruptive capital technologies to every stakeholder at both the hospital and system levels. That’s from the surgeon to the C-Suite. I more than quadrupled the money I was making at AZ and will look back on this move for the rest of my life as the best thing I ever did for myself, my family, and for the greater good of not leaching on the waste of human potential that pharma perpetuates.
If you’re 25 you can still make something of yourself. If you stay, you will look back with nothing but regret.
I sincerely hope this helps and while I know people will tear this post apart for various reasons, just think about what it feels like to close a deal that you’ve been working on for 6 months that’s worth $3M. Now think about what it would feel like to make 8% on that. Now build your pipeline and close 4-5 of those annually. Suddenly, math is fun. Good luck OP.
I spent 2 years at AZ after college and was making $100K as a 24/25 year old. I got sick of the monotony and decided to claw my way into device and took a $50K pay cut to become an associate under a rep who sold capital for one of the big players. As you may already know, anything more than 2 years in pharma is considered a detriment to your candidacy in MedDev.
It was the best move I ever made. I put my nose to the ground, learned everything I could, identified mentors, and made a name for myself. 5 years later I’m 30 years old, selling one of the most disruptive capital technologies to every stakeholder at both the hospital and system levels. That’s from the surgeon to the C-Suite. I more than quadrupled the money I was making at AZ and will look back on this move for the rest of my life as the best thing I ever did for myself, my family, and for the greater good of not leaching on the waste of human potential that pharma perpetuates.
If you’re 25 you can still make something of yourself. If you stay, you will look back with nothing but regret.
I sincerely hope this helps and while I know people will tear this post apart for various reasons, just think about what it feels like to close a deal that you’ve been working on for 6 months that’s worth $3M. Now think about what it would feel like to make 8% on that. Now build your pipeline and close 4-5 of those annually. Suddenly, math is fun. Good luck OP.
so, you traded one form of corporate slavery for another, with probably more stress and a little more money.
good for you.
better move is to start an insurance/real estate business or another business that you can call your own.
just saying.