We aren't in Kansas anymore. Wakeup! Pharma has changed. Many years ago in the US contract jobs were for people to cut their teeth, so that they could move on to BIG PHARMA. Many ineffective reps got by with dropping samples and gathering signatures. That is so far from the reality of today. Every BIG PHARMA or contract opening gets hundreds, if not thousands of responses and many applicants are over qualified. I started as a contract rep at the beginning of my career and moved on to BIG PHARMA after much thought (I had been a top performing contract rep for 4 years). I did't notice that my coworkers in BIG PHARMA were any better, smarter or more professional than my former contract coworkers. I spent many years in the biggest of BIG PHARMA and worked my way up the ladder. Every year there were layoffs, reorganizations and while I kept my job, I landed in a different territory or division, selling different products, with new managers and different group of coworkers or worse new podmates. Not to mention, having to go home and face my computer for hours after 5pm. I have be on a performing contract now for three years and it is wonderful. I do work as hard during the day as I did for prior companies. I have had the same products and worked for the with the same division. Not to mention, the last group that they hired were highly experienced top performing, specialty and hospital reps from BIG PHARMA, just like me. Also, the company contracting us laid off their own reps to hire contractors to replace them. The starting pay was competitive, the morale building and appreciation level is great. No one here feels like a number.
No one, especially BIG PHARMA can feel totally secure in this economy. Get off your throne, before someone knocks you off. True success, comes from being able to survive and thrive no matter what kind of economy exist.