Interviewing here

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Training never ends. There is an initial two weeks at home office, followed by field training, then back to home office, then more field training. In all, I believe there are five training segments, each more worthless than the last. If you accept the position, you'll see.

My advice? If you already have a secure job, keep it and look elsewhere. The Astellas board is absolutely toxic, and while I would never publicly say some of the things these people do, there is more truth to the posts than you would believe. If you are in dire need of a job, take it, but be very, very careful. If a manager or director dislikes you for any reason, they will hound and threaten you until you leave. I've seen good, hardworking reps become physically ill with the stress and harassment.

Either way, good luck to you.
 












If a manager or director dislikes you for any reason, they will hound and threaten you until you leave.

And Compliance and HR will do absolutely nothing to help you.
 






I interviewed with Astellas and it was the most unprofessional interview I've ever had in my 10 years in the industry! There was a manager and a senior level rep. Both were taking sales numbers from my brag book, writing them on their scratch paper and trying to calculate them to see if they added up to what I had in my book. As I was going through my brag book, the manager asked me how I came up with those numbers.....duh, look at all of the months on the very official form from the company it was sent from and add them up. What a stupid question. I was so unimpressed that I would have had to been very hard up to take that job from that manager in Houston. Actually, I had just received another job offer....just felt compelled to go ahead and interview since it was already scheduled.
 






Anonymous said:
I interviewed with Astellas and it was the most unprofessional interview I've ever had in my 10 years in the industry! There was a manager and a senior level rep. Both were taking sales numbers from my brag book, writing them on their scratch paper and trying to calculate them to see if they added up to what I had in my book. As I was going through my brag book, the manager asked me how I came up with those numbers.....duh, look at all of the months on the very official form from the company it was sent from and add them up. What a stupid question. I was so unimpressed that I would have had to been very hard up to take that job from that manager in Houston. Actually, I had just received another job offer....just felt compelled to go ahead and interview since it was already scheduled.
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Geography? Terrible company, not surprised.
 


















To the original poster: When I was interviewing with Astellas about 7 years ago, I read all of these same awful and toxic reviews about the company on Cafe Pharma. I went with my gut, took the job with Astellas and have to say it was the best move I could have made! This is a great company that looks to promote high performers, has great benefits and pay, gives back to the community, and truly is looking to improve the lives of patients. Don't listen to these people who are so sour grapes.
 






Anonymous said:
To the original poster: When I was interviewing with Astellas about 7 years ago, I read all of these same awful and toxic reviews about the company on Cafe Pharma. I went with my gut, took the job with Astellas and have to say it was the best move I could have made! This is a great company that looks to promote high performers, has great benefits and pay, gives back to the community, and truly is looking to improve the lives of patients. Don't listen to these people who are so sour grapes.
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Your a complete scumbag spreading more missinformation and lies about a godawful dump of a company. I hope you have a nice eternity rotting in hell for living such a competely corrupt and bankrupt life. Got any real relationships in your life? I really doubt it. Being a useless F*ck that spreads lies is no way to live your life.

For most any human being on the planet earth, astellas will be the most horrible and corrupt profesional experience of their lives.
 
























I agree with another poster that there are better pharmaceutical companies that you can work at in Illinois. Astellas is usually not highly rated or highly thought of in the pharma industry. It is a very average company, and the benefits are so-so. If you really, really need the income and need a job badly, and it is offered to you -- grab it -- so you can get a taste of the company culture and its people. Once you get there you will know whether or not you wish to continue seeking "other" employment opportunities or stick it out at Astellas.

Some Information:
Someone that I know, left Baxter, and went to work at Astellas. She stated that the company "is a joke" and she cannot believe how management operates. She resigned after a short stint at Astellas. Another individual transferred to the pharmacovigilance group, and threw her hands up in the air and resigned. She did not have another job to go to, but said "leaving" was the best thing she ever did. The second individual was with the company for 18 years (even when it was known as Fujisawa).

Let me say that the people I currently know, who still work at Astellas, have been there for over four years, but less than 10 years. Astellas has been going through restructuring and/or reorganization since 2005 and 2007, and now, in 2011 they are calling it a "new business model." Call it whatever they want to call it -- they are still passing out pink slips. Their job board is not up-to-date, so don't rely on their company website job board to give you the latest job openings. In 2007, their entire pharmacovigilance (safety) group was outsourced to a major CRO in Wisconsin. The Vice President came from Abbott and he is still at Astellas. He cleaned house and kept a few individuals, but the department is a skeleton crew now and no one seems to know who does what.

In the last several months, several departments were given pink slips (Director level individuals and/or Associate Directors) Job Outplacement services. These were hard working individuals (very smart) who really contributed positively to the company. Suffice it to say that the company has never been the same since it became Astellas (formerly, it was known as Fujisawa). The professionals that I still have contact with at Astellas are senior-level individuals. They are smart and very hard working individuals who came from Abbott and/or Baxter. In the Spring of 2011, Astellas hired four new Vice Presidents who all came from Pfizer (the east coast). They are still cleaning house over there. These new Vice Presidents have made significant changes at Astellas, and have hired others from outside the company. Several high-level executives were shown the door. Thank you for your years of service -- now pack up -- Friday is your last day with us.

The dust has never really settled at Astellas since 2005. My former boss who was at Astellas for 7-1/2 years, recently lost his job there. He worked in the Q.A. group at Astellas. Their Human Resources people are "outsourced" and many do not even live in the State of IL. Also, the H.R. people will show up at a job fair representing Astellas, but are not very knowledgeable about the company that they represent (someone that I know attended a job fair in the Fall of 2011 -- where Astellas was being represented -- she spoke to the H.R. representative who admitted that she lives in Texas and "had no idea" what was really going on at Astellas). Go figure.
 






Anonymous said:
I agree with another poster that there are better pharmaceutical companies that you can work at in Illinois. Astellas is usually not highly rated or highly thought of in the pharma industry. It is a very average company, and the benefits are so-so. If you really, really need the income and need a job badly, and it is offered to you -- grab it -- so you can get a taste of the company culture and its people. Once you get there you will know whether or not you wish to continue seeking "other" employment opportunities or stick it out at Astellas.

Some Information:
Someone that I know, left Baxter, and went to work at Astellas. She stated that the company "is a joke" and she cannot believe how management operates. She resigned after a short stint at Astellas. Another individual transferred to the pharmacovigilance group, and threw her hands up in the air and resigned. She did not have another job to go to, but said "leaving" was the best thing she ever did. The second individual was with the company for 18 years (even when it was known as Fujisawa).

Let me say that the people I currently know, who still work at Astellas, have been there for over four years, but less than 10 years. Astellas has been going through restructuring and/or reorganization since 2005 and 2007, and now, in 2011 they are calling it a "new business model." Call it whatever they want to call it -- they are still passing out pink slips. Their job board is not up-to-date, so don't rely on their company website job board to give you the latest job openings. In 2007, their entire pharmacovigilance (safety) group was outsourced to a major CRO in Wisconsin. The Vice President came from Abbott and he is still at Astellas. He cleaned house and kept a few individuals, but the department is a skeleton crew now and no one seems to know who does what.

In the last several months, several departments were given pink slips (Director level individuals and/or Associate Directors) Job Outplacement services. These were hard working individuals (very smart) who really contributed positively to the company. Suffice it to say that the company has never been the same since it became Astellas (formerly, it was known as Fujisawa). The professionals that I still have contact with at Astellas are senior-level individuals. They are smart and very hard working individuals who came from Abbott and/or Baxter. In the Spring of 2011, Astellas hired four new Vice Presidents who all came from Pfizer (the east coast). They are still cleaning house over there. These new Vice Presidents have made significant changes at Astellas, and have hired others from outside the company. Several high-level executives were shown the door. Thank you for your years of service -- now pack up -- Friday is your last day with us.

The dust has never really settled at Astellas since 2005. My former boss who was at Astellas for 7-1/2 years, recently lost his job there. He worked in the Q.A. group at Astellas. Their Human Resources people are "outsourced" and many do not even live in the State of IL. Also, the H.R. people will show up at a job fair representing Astellas, but are not very knowledgeable about the company that they represent (someone that I know attended a job fair in the Fall of 2011 -- where Astellas was being represented -- she spoke to the H.R. representative who admitted that she lives in Texas and "had no idea" what was really going on at Astellas). Go figure.
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WOW! Thank you very much for confirming what many of us have suspected about the recent events at Astellas. You have spoken with professionalism and candor. The company will never do well if it continues to mutilate, intimidate and destroy the lives of others. The laws of nature do not bestow success on those who mistreat others!
 






Thank you for the compliment. I hope others who read this thread, and are also interviewing at Astellas in 2012 will take these "tips" into consideration and make an informed, wise decision regarding accepting a position at Astellas. It truly used to be a good company with a lot of talented and very smart individuals. I still know people who are working at Astellas, and are hanging on by their fingernails -- not knowing whether they will or will not have a job in 2012. There are tons of changes taking place at Astellas. Astellas used to be a very good company, but has changed considerably over the years (and, unfortunately, not for the better).
 






To the Original Poster of this thread:
If you have an opportunity to interview at another pharmaceutical company, other than Astellas, you may want to consider those "other" options and walk away from Astellas. Of course, if you really, really need a job, and you are made an offer, take it, and keep looking for other opportunities even while you are at Astellas. In the end, you will discover that it is not a top-rated pharmaceutical company and that having integrity and being ethical is not part of their company culture or mission statement. I wish you all the best of luck!
 






Anonymous said:
To the original poster: When I was interviewing with Astellas about 7 years ago, I read all of these same awful and toxic reviews about the company on Cafe Pharma. I went with my gut, took the job with Astellas and have to say it was the best move I could have made! This is a great company that looks to promote high performers, has great benefits and pay, gives back to the community, and truly is looking to improve the lives of patients. Don't listen to these people who are so sour grapes.
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Finally someone I agree with. I think Astellas is a great company. Not sure what others have to complain about.
 






Anonymous said:
Finally someone I agree with. I think Astellas is a great company. Not sure what others have to complain about.
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Not sure? Well you are either ignorant of what's happening or choose to ignore it. Some people are comfortable with a certain level of dishonesty.

Is APUS hell? No. But I've been here long enough to see a great culture ruined. APUS is not the worst but it's nowhere near what it was or should be. But hey, if you work for Abbott/Merck/Pfizer this place is great.
 






Anonymous said:
To the original poster: When I was interviewing with Astellas about 7 years ago, I read all of these same awful and toxic reviews about the company on Cafe Pharma. I went with my gut, took the job with Astellas and have to say it was the best move I could have made! This is a great company that looks to promote high performers, has great benefits and pay, gives back to the community, and truly is looking to improve the lives of patients. Don't listen to these people who are so sour grapes.
Click to expand...

You're kidding, right? Or you must be in management or HR...
You're DELUSIONAL!!!
 






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