If my job is a joke, does that make me a joke as well?

[Anonymous]

As Merck continues to descend into new depths of absurdity,
I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately...

I enjoyed pharma sales for many years, when it was an actual
real job...with goals and purpose and at least some shred of dignity.

Flash forward and managements's greed and dishonesty has rendered
the drug rep job a joke...a charade if you will...

In America, we are what we do...Especially if you are a guy...If my job
is a joke, I become am basically a joke...Embarrassed to tell people what
I do for a living...

I am still trying to figure out how something so good, could turn so bad,
yet the game goes on...

 

[Anonymous]

As Merck continues to descend into new depths of absurdity,
I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately...

I enjoyed pharma sales for many years, when it was an actual
real job...with goals and purpose and at least some shred of dignity.

Flash forward and managements's greed and dishonesty has rendered
the drug rep job a joke...a charade if you will...

In America, we are what we do...Especially if you are a guy...If my job
is a joke, I become am basically a joke...Embarrassed to tell people what
I do for a living...

I am still trying to figure out how something so good, could turn so bad,
yet the game goes on...

When you think your job is a joke, just look at state workers. That should make you feel better, because they practically do nothing all day.

 

[Anonymous]

If you stay and don't better yourself yes.

 

[Anonymous]

When you think your job is a joke, just look at state workers. That should make you feel better, because they practically do nothing all day.

you raise an excellent point here…State workers are bad, and federal ones are even worse…Hell, our President is shooting pool and drinking beer while the Middle East burns and the borders are more wide open than the Kardashian women's legs...

 

[Anonymous]

Yes the job is a joke. Paycheck is not a joke..it's the laughing all the way to the bank that keeps most of us here...sure more money, sexier jobs out there..go for it! brush up the resume and go for it...not a lot of security and easy money out there....find something to keep you busy outside of work (and you might also find a new career path)...this gig beats digging ditches.

 

[Anonymous]

You are right !

This job is no longer "Honorable" !

If you have young children and as they get older they ask....

What exactly does daddy or mommy do all day ?

If you do not lie to them and tell them the truth......that you drive around all day(or more likely part of the day) attempting to speak with doctors(who do not listen to you) and then grab them some food while you beg and/or wait for a signature(like FedEx or UPS) then you will quickly discover your own living nightmare and certainly it's not anything you would want anyone to know about as it is embarrassing; especially when trying to tell your own children that mommy or daddy basically skids by in life in order to make some big bucks. What kind of role model are you being, as the likelihood that your children could just coast into a job similar to this in the future is just not going to happen.

How about a big dose of hard work and self respect !

Years ago it was admirable, now we're all a joke !

Hardly doubt that any of us have gone to our children's school on "Career Day" !
(Good luck in trying to explain the above to the kiddos)

 

[Anonymous]

It is a joke, but milk it for as long as possible. Start another business on the side now. Be ready for the axe to fall. This is your chance to start another income stream while still on Merck's payroll. Don't miss this opportunity.

 

[Anonymous]

You are right !

This job is no longer "Honorable" !

If you have young children and as they get older they ask....

What exactly does daddy or mommy do all day ?

If you do not lie to them and tell them the truth......that you drive around all day(or more likely part of the day) attempting to speak with doctors(who do not listen to you) and then grab them some food while you beg and/or wait for a signature(like FedEx or UPS) then you will quickly discover your own living nightmare and certainly it's not anything you would want anyone to know about as it is embarrassing; especially when trying to tell your own children that mommy or daddy basically skids by in life in order to make some big bucks. What kind of role model are you being, as the likelihood that your children could just coast into a job similar to this in the future is just not going to happen.

How about a big dose of hard work and self respect !

Years ago it was admirable, now we're all a joke !

Hardly doubt that any of us have gone to our children's school on "Career Day" !
(Good luck in trying to explain the above to the kiddos)

very well said!! Money is important indeed, but not everything…Generally, people that stay at Merck have no integrity, no self awareness, and are lazy and fearful of having to actually work for a living…

this catches up with you as you get into your 40s and 50s…Trust me on this…I learned the hard way…

FU MERCK!

 

[Anonymous]

very well said!! Money is important indeed, but not everything…Generally, people that stay at Merck have no integrity, no self awareness, and are lazy and fearful of having to actually work for a living…

this catches up with you as you get into your 40s and 50s…Trust me on this…I learned the hard way…

FU MERCK!

by that time, you should have enough money to not worry about anything.

save up. buy nothing (not even a home, unless you can buy it with cash and it is about 1/3 or less of all your total liquid cash).

FU POSTER!

 

[Anonymous]

by that time, you should have enough money to not worry about anything.

save up. buy nothing (not even a home, unless you can buy it with cash and it is about 1/3 or less of all your total liquid cash).

FU POSTER!

Forget the home...you may not be able to get the equity out of it. Cash, cash, cash reserve.

 

[Anonymous]

It is a joke, but milk it for as long as possible. Start another business on the side now. Be ready for the axe to fall. This is your chance to start another income stream while still on Merck's payroll. Don't miss this opportunity.

This worked for me. When Merck axed me, I couldn't have cared any less. My fellow victims are all struggling and afraid. Not me.

 

[Anonymous]

Stood in sample closet with door half closed for about 40 minutes one morning this summer (the one with big note on door stating "Please No Detailing, Doctor's time is too limited"), doc finally popped in, gave him the "It's a great morning, going to be hot, Left you some ___," while he scribbled a sig and said thanks and bolted.

Walked 10 feet down hall to exit, that's when the doctor's 17 yr old high school kid, working in the office for the summer, approached and asked with a sincere look on her face "What is it that you reps do?" Boy, good question I thought to myself..being a professionally trained bs'er..I said something about educating during lunches, this was just a quick check call, that I'm just busy,busy, busy...getting tough to pull the wool over even on a that young lady.

 

[Anonymous]

You are right !

This job is no longer "Honorable" !

If you have young children and as they get older they ask....

What exactly does daddy or mommy do all day ?

If you do not lie to them and tell them the truth......that you drive around all day(or more likely part of the day) attempting to speak with doctors(who do not listen to you) and then grab them some food while you beg and/or wait for a signature(like FedEx or UPS) then you will quickly discover your own living nightmare and certainly it's not anything you would want anyone to know about as it is embarrassing; especially when trying to tell your own children that mommy or daddy basically skids by in life in order to make some big bucks. What kind of role model are you being, as the likelihood that your children could just coast into a job similar to this in the future is just not going to happen.

How about a big dose of hard work and self respect !

Years ago it was admirable, now we're all a joke !

Hardly doubt that any of us have gone to our children's school on "Career Day" !
(Good luck in trying to explain the above to the kiddos)

What a bunch of crap! If you feel this way, LEAVE! And stop denigrating everyone else trying to make a good living for a good (not great) company marketing good medicine to people that need it. I'm so sick of these posts. If your a rep who feels this way, then that's on you, and you should leave. If you're not, then you're a loser talking about someone else's job. What do you do all day? Type disparaging comments on an industry board about other people? Who needs to worry about what to tell their children? You tell everyone else to look in the mirror. Physician, heal thyself!

 

[Anonymous]

Advice:

If you are ever at a party with people you don't know and the subject of what you do comes up down play it. Don't start acting like a big shot using buzzwords and medical terms like some sort of pseudo-doctor. Even people in other industries know the truth abut Pharma and 100k isn't a big deal.

Don't be like the guy in Minnesota that I met at a party!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Hey, if the shoe fits? Then guess what.......

 

[Anonymous]

What a bunch of crap! If you feel this way, LEAVE! And stop denigrating everyone else trying to make a good living for a good (not great) company marketing good medicine to people that need it. I'm so sick of these posts. If your a rep who feels this way, then that's on you, and you should leave. If you're not, then you're a loser talking about someone else's job. What do you do all day? Type disparaging comments on an industry board about other people? Who needs to worry about what to tell their children? You tell everyone else to look in the mirror. Physician, heal thyself!

Every job is what you make of it. Has access seriously declined in the last 10 years? Yes. Is it going away within the next 10? Probably. You just try to do the most you can in every office. In the last few years I've observed a majority of reps unable to engage a provider more than 10 seconds even if given the opportunity. You have to stretch yourself to bring something of value. Most reps don't. They complain about just getting a sig. and spewing a " verbatim" and then turn around and do it all day long because that's easy and the path of least resistance. Also, Merck is now paying the price for firing all their experienced reps who had long term hard earned providers. I was one of those and now compete against Merck. I walk right past all the newbies in the waiting room and engage the provider in what I want to talk to them about. I earned that right. They don't see my name badge, they see me and wave me back in the office, as the herd in the waiting room pass their computers back hoping to just get a signature. I'm not not into getting signatures. I' m into moving the needle. This is what Merck got when it fired its most experienced. It fired, in its own arrogance, it's access. Docs don't really care anymore about what companies name is on the name badge anymore, they've seen so many reps come and go, they care about the person wearing the badge. Trust and relationships still matter. Merck never understood this. The "80-20" rule works everywhere. 20% of the writers, write, 20% of the reps move the writers! hell, drive by 4 guys digging a hole. One guy is digging and the other 3 are leaning on their shovels watching.

 

[Anonymous]

Every job is what you make of it. Has access seriously declined in the last 10 years? Yes. Is it going away within the next 10? Probably. You just try to do the most you can in every office. In the last few years I've observed a majority of reps unable to engage a provider more than 10 seconds even if given the opportunity. You have to stretch yourself to bring something of value. Most reps don't. They complain about just getting a sig. and spewing a " verbatim" and then turn around and do it all day long because that's easy and the path of least resistance. Also, Merck is now paying the price for firing all their experienced reps who had long term hard earned providers. I was one of those and now compete against Merck. I walk right past all the newbies in the waiting room and engage the provider in what I want to talk to them about. I earned that right. They don't see my name badge, they see me and wave me back in the office, as the herd in the waiting room pass their computers back hoping to just get a signature. I'm not not into getting signatures. I' m into moving the needle. This is what Merck got when it fired its most experienced. It fired, in its own arrogance, it's access. Docs don't really care anymore about what companies name is on the name badge anymore, they've seen so many reps come and go, they care about the person wearing the badge. Trust and relationships still matter. Merck never understood this. The "80-20" rule works everywhere. 20% of the writers, write, 20% of the reps move the writers! hell, drive by 4 guys digging a hole. One guy is digging and the other 3 are leaning on their shovels watching.

Wow…one drug rep job wasn't enough for you so you stayed in the industry?? You must be a glutton for punishment…Congrats on your awesome access cochise…You earned that right huh? Aren't you special? Glad you are so proud to be a drug rep…Now go get out there and move that needle…don't forget to stop at Starbucks first and then order your Olive Garden for noon.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow…one drug rep job wasn't enough for you so you stayed in the industry?? You must be a glutton for punishment…Congrats on your awesome access cochise…You earned that right huh? Aren't you special? Glad you are so proud to be a drug rep…Now go get out there and move that needle…don't forget to stop at Starbucks first and then order your Olive Garden for noon.

says the shovel leaner

 

[Anonymous]

Every job is what you make of it. Has access seriously declined in the last 10 years? Yes. Is it going away within the next 10? Probably. You just try to do the most you can in every office. In the last few years I've observed a majority of reps unable to engage a provider more than 10 seconds even if given the opportunity. You have to stretch yourself to bring something of value. Most reps don't. They complain about just getting a sig. and spewing a " verbatim" and then turn around and do it all day long because that's easy and the path of least resistance. Also, Merck is now paying the price for firing all their experienced reps who had long term hard earned providers. I was one of those and now compete against Merck. I walk right past all the newbies in the waiting room and engage the provider in what I want to talk to them about. I earned that right. They don't see my name badge, they see me and wave me back in the office, as the herd in the waiting room pass their computers back hoping to just get a signature. I'm not not into getting signatures. I' m into moving the needle. This is what Merck got when it fired its most experienced. It fired, in its own arrogance, it's access. Docs don't really care anymore about what companies name is on the name badge anymore, they've seen so many reps come and go, they care about the person wearing the badge. Trust and relationships still matter. Merck never understood this. The "80-20" rule works everywhere. 20% of the writers, write, 20% of the reps move the writers! hell, drive by 4 guys digging a hole. One guy is digging and the other 3 are leaning on their shovels watching.

Better check to be sure the 20% of reps who move the writers are the kind of people you really want in your company. Bad news reps can move a writer too...The Slick Willy's...policy violators....compliance breakers, backbiters, cheats are rarely wanted anywhere......moving products or not.

Never forget......the core and quality of the employee matters most.
That is what true trust and value is all about.

 

[Anonymous]

says the shovel leaner

More like the guy complaining that the shovel leaner is too obvious in his shovel leaning with lots of tips on how to make it look like he's moving the dirt while complaining how big the pile is the other guy is moving...