anonymous
Guest
anonymous
Guest
Thank you for your post. I am also a female in my 40's but am still in the industry, hating every minute of it. I took the job before I had kids over a decade ago, and even then, I knew that I should make a plan to get out. Fast forward years and kids later, and the benefits, free car, flexibility, and nice paycheck have kept me handcuffed to being a Pharma rep. In over 10 years, the stress of this job and the fact that you ultimately have zero value to the doctors, staff, your manager, you manager's manager, and the company leaves you empty inside. The reality is that you might think you have the best product, that you are changing lives of patients, that you are making a difference to a much needed problem in your disease state, BUT you are so disposable and dispensable that the job becomes automatic and you leave every day (that is, like you said, if you get out of your car) feeling worthless. A decade in and I cry almost on a daily basis over how this job makes me feel. I think over and over again about just walking away, even without something else to go to (because to be honest, this is what I am most qualified to do). Unless you have carried the bag, recently, and go through what we go through every day in this job, you just don't get it. Most reps I know that have been doing this for years are depressed, overweight, addicted to something, divorced, anxious all the time, or combinations of these things. For myself, I am trying to explore a side job that I can get going, that maybe someday will turn into a full-time job. When I think about my years in college and right after, and how confident I was in my abilities and passionate about certain areas of studies, and now I have no idea where that person is. It takes a certain person to do this job. I used to think it took a person like me, who is driven, smart, wanting to move up the career ladder, looking to make a difference. No, it takes a complacent person who is okay being a punching bag. It takes a "yes ma'am" kind of person who can put aside their logical independent thoughts when poor management and company decisions come down. It takes someone who is okay catering to doctors and their manager's ridiculous requests, often spur of the moment and demeaning. I know my ability to be that person is getting pushed to maximum capacity. I am struggling more than ever to fake smile and take the bullshit. I sometimes think that Pharma has taken away how strong I was when I first got into the industry, but, I hope that I do find some modicum of strength to be able to someday walk from this and never look back.
The job/money/perks didnt keep you handcuffed. You chose to live a certain lifestyle. You make your own bed you sleep in. Face it, you sold yourself out, and it was by choice. Now do what you say, walk out and dont look back. You love it. There are real people out there. This industry is full of fakes. If I were a doc, I'd be no see. Screw these fake people.