Do your best to get hired by a manufacturer. I have worked in this industry for 14 years and started out with a CSO and worked for both CSO's and manufacturers over the years. My jobs with manufacturers were always superior to my contract gigs. At this point in my career I'm an experienced specialty rep who can command a six-figure base, but I doubt if I would be making as much, or enjoying other perks of my position, had I remained in contract sales. Contract jobs are really best for the inexperienced or desperate (and at different points in my career I was in both positions!). They serve a purpose, but they should always be viewed as a Temp job because that's what they are. This whole industry is unstable, so no guarantee of job security with a manufacturer (reorgs and layoffs happen all the time), however generally you will enjoy better compensation, status, and stability with a manufacturer vs a CSO. You will also have more opportunities to advance with a manufacturer vs a CSO. And experience with a manufacturer looks better on your resume - sorry, but that's reality. And what will help advance your career, besides the obvious networking and who you know, is depth of experience, not breadth of experience. Get yourself into a specialty area and develop that experience. This is more valuable than promoting a me-too drug year after year to PCP's. That's just my advice after starting my Pharma sales career 14 years ago working for a CSO with a base of $42K to today where I am employed by a small Biotech with a base salary of well over $100K.
