Help! Advice needed about joining AAH...Why are there so many openings?

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Anonymous

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A recruiter at a national job fair for MBA graduates spoke wiht me me today about possibly joining Abbott's Animal Health division. So I looked at the Abbott website and was shocked to see so many openings for a sales rep in Detroit Michigan, Albany New York, 2 in California, 2 in England. I thought that the recruiter had said that there were about 50 territories nationwide, so that many opneings seemed like a lot, unless there is some expansions implemented for 2010.

Has there been a lot of turn overs within Abbott Animal Health? Were there terminations or resignations? Any insight would be useful and I would be very grateful.

What is a VPC any how? The recruiter said the openings were for a sales position, but the job description sounds like it is for a territory person who manages distributors? What's that all about?

Sounds like Abbott would be willing to relocate me if I wanted to commit to three years in the territory.

If you had a choice between the New York, Michigan or the two different California ones, which would you pick and why? (how are the managers in those areas?)

Thanks from a very confused "potential" candidate.
 






Please think very carefully before joining this company.

There was an expansion but it occurred a year ago. The reason for all the vacancies is quite simply that AAH has a huge problem with rep turnover. The average length of service of a US field rep (VPC) is under a year. This is due to several factors including excessive micromanagement, bullying managerial tactics, and the sheer demands of the job. Theere have been both terminations and resignations, but I do not know what the ratio is between them. Many new reps quit befoe they even finish the initial training class when the true culture of AAH becomes apparent.

A VPC (Veterinary Practice Consultant) is what AAH calls their sales reps. The job is divided between direct sales to vet practices, working with distributor reps to try to induce them to support Abbott's products and administrative tasks.

It doesn't really matter which position you choose (but who the hell would want to work in Detroit?) the shit will pile up faster than you can deal with it. Do yourself a favor and look for a job somewhere else.
 






In defense of Abbott Animal Health- (AAH) - not that I am a 'company man'- I recognize the shortcomings of this small organization- but it is part of a much larger, and very successful multinational company (72,000 employees world wide- 200 in AAH) and the benefits are very good (health, profit shring, matching 401k, etc) that there is more to the equation than just what a moron or micro-manager your individual field manager might be.

Also, as a field rep (VPC) you have a great deal of autonomy- do what you want on a daily basis, etc- as long as you are driven to create results (get sales) you can have a lot of fun and enjoy your job- sure alot more opportunity and a better future (I think) in the vet market than in Human Pharma with all the handcuffs that are being placed on that side of the industry by regulators (HIPPA, managed care, nat'l health care, etc)
 






Lets get down to brass tacks here. If you want to work hard everyday and not really have some of the freedoms of being an outside sales rep you will be fine here. Everyone forgets they get a paid company car, a paid cell phone, good benefits, excellent retirement (if you stick around that long), and profit sharing that actually pays out. Now with that being said there is a lot of demand on you. 8 calls sucks some days, the expectations can be on the unrealistic side, and there is pressure to close something every week. Are there jobs out there that you can get all of the above with less stress and smaller amounts of micro management......maybe not in animal health though. When you look at those jobs though take a look at all of the pharma companies that have been laying off recently. With the unknown of the current healthcare bill and how that will affect pharma companies its a big risk. Even Abbott has laid off quite a few pharma reps. This is not a job for everyone especially someone coming from the "milk route" type of pharma jobs. There is no perfect job, there are very few companies that dont micro manage especially right now AAH just does it more and some times a lot more. That does really depend on the manager though others have a much more negative experience than other because of different managers. I think with the senior management changes (Jill out of here) and how things are seeming to starts out I gasp when I say it on a positive note and with new products coming out in 2011 this could be a great opportunity for someone that can stick it out for the next year. Its not easy at all, same products for another year with high expectations of sales that may or may not be realistic. If you can make it through this year and if the products come out how they are suppose to there is a lot of money that could be made.
 






I agree a lot with the above post. Be careful of what people say on this site. There are a lot of people that put BS info on here and to nothing but bitch. Its a tough place to work no doubt but if you manage your day properly you will be okay. The managers are not calling you everyday asking what you closed. Many people make it seem much worse than what it is. Anyone who does not work here anymore will say all of the negative things and none of the positive. The way I look at it I make good money and if you want to make good money you will have to work at it. The days of pharma making big bucks with no work are gone. The one things that gives me the most job satisfaction is my relationships with the Vets. You don't develop those types of relationships with pharma I do not care what anyone says and i have been in pharma. Everyone on here that got fired or whatever it is never there fault always Abbott sticking it to them. Give me a break I have heard so many stories from past employees that turned out to be totally untrue. So take everything you here on this site with a grain of salt.
 






Anonymous said:
So I looked at the Abbott website and was shocked to see so many openings for a sales rep in Detroit Michigan, Albany New York, 2 in California, 2 in England.
Click to expand...

And please don't overlook the VPC opening in Maryland. That territory is a peach - The rep there was selected VPC of the Quarter (right before she got canned).
 






Here is the good and bad and no one can dispute this:

Good
Abbott Labs is a great company
Abbott Stock is doing well
We have a Top CEO Named in Forbes
Good Benefits and retirement plan

BAD
Abbott Animal Health Division is poorly run
8 unrealistic calls a day; they want quanitity over quality if you do a training day in the clinic or a lunch and learn you are still expected to make your 8 calls so there is no incentive for you to do them.
No Admin days ever. Not even one a month! so no time to plan, do expenses, field reports
Highest rate of car accidents because reps are trying to call accounts for appts btw calls
Performance plan threats if you do not make sales than you either get pushed out or fired
Loads of other admin work that you end up doing on the weekends because during the week you have zero time to do it.

So many people have resigned because they know it is going no where. Some were fired because they tried to express their ideals and discuss with HR some of the management threats. So yeah take some of the posts with a grain of salt, but if you keep seeing the same things come up than you have to think to yourself (there must be something bad if so many people are posting comments about it).

Good luck!
 






Check out any sales position at Summit Vet Pharm. You get paid a salary more than what the Abbott Reps get paid & you don't even need to know how to sell!!! Just tag along with your Abbott Rep or distributor & when either of them sell something, you get the credit! It's so easy!!! Plus we only have to make 5 calls a day compared to their 8. It is such a cake job!!!
 






Abbot Animal Health, is a great place to work. I have been in sales for 5 years and I have learned from really good sales people from within AAH who have left because of some Regional Manager's unethical tactics. This Regional Manager who thinks they know everything about Abbott because they have been part of Abbott for so many years in other divisions is unrealistic. There is one manager in particular who feels they know all and this person is not even respected by the other regional managers within AAH team. In fact they are constantly making fun of this person, along with others.
 




































Lay offs are with in the next few weeks. The word out there is that some of the managers have become very distant to their reps. Never returning phone calls and very short with them. Their whole attitude has changed. They obviously know more about what's going on than we do.
 


















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