Is a contract company a good way to start?

[Anonymous]

I am looking into the pharma business, so I am new to this. I am a fairly recent grad, I have a MS in Anatomy, and I'm basically a glorifed secretary right now. I have an upcoming interview here for a contract company. I have no sales experience, so I'm trying to break into it, and get started this way. I believe I have no other chance besides getting into a contract, am I right? Any other suggestions besides "Don't do it?" TIA

 

[Anonymous]

I am looking into the pharma business, so I am new to this. I am a fairly recent grad, I have a MS in Anatomy, and I'm basically a glorifed secretary right now. I have an upcoming interview here for a contract company. I have no sales experience, so I'm trying to break into it, and get started this way. I believe I have no other chance besides getting into a contract, am I right? Any other suggestions besides "Don't do it?" TIA

Hold out for a real pharma job. If you start out in contract you will always be labeled a rent-a-rep. Check out Indeed.com and other job boards. Contract companies are definitely NOT the way to start a pharma career. The real question you need to ask yourself is why you want to get in this totally unstable business?

 

[Anonymous]

Hold out for a real pharma job. If you start out in contract you will always be labeled a rent-a-rep. Check out Indeed.com and other job boards. Contract companies are definitely NOT the way to start a pharma career. The real question you need to ask yourself is why you want to get in this totally unstable business?

I understand that label, but what about the fact that I'm constantly being turned down due to lack of sales experience? I am signed up for all the major job boards, and apply to every job out there. The reason for getting into this, is that my current degree is unstable as well. They aren't hiring MS degree instructors as much, and only want PhDs. And they have such a limited salary, there is little room to move up. I feel like my hard work ethic and motivation should go towards somewhere that allows me to move up based on my hard work. I currently make 30k, if that. I'll take anything that makes more than that.

 

[Anonymous]

no guarantee with contract. could be a year contract or more but then you are unemployed. better to go with a permanent position which in these days is not saying much either. ive been thru 3 layoffs in twelve years and out of work for six months. you are better off going into another sales industry.

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely go for it! Contract is a great way to get experience, and regular companies will hire when you get some experience. There is no other way in other than copier sales etc. Many companies are turning to contract, and many reps who have been laid off by their direct hire companies are working contract as well. Your other option might be to look at medical device sales. They sometimes take people with little sales experience. Use indeed.com for your searches, and look for the ads that say entry level, or recent grad. Good luck with your interview, and don't pay any attention to people who tell you what a horrible idea it is. Remember there is no perfect situation in the world.

 

[Anonymous]

If you can't get the teaching job you want, go back to school. With your background it would not take very long to become a PA or physical therapist. There are jobs in those fields and you would be doing something respectable. Pharma sales is a dead end.

 

[Anonymous]

You can also check into jobs as a "Clinical Research Associate". It typically requires 2 years of experience, which is a conundrum. How do u get experience if you have no experience? You can start as a "Clinical Research Coordinator". Just watch out for all the educational "outfits" on the internet. U pay to get their training, and then receive hundreds of emails about jobs, all to no avail. Check thru some of your University contacts into research, if you're interested.

Do not go into pharma. sales. It's seriously a dying industry. Great short-term, but long-term, u get no usable skills for later in your career. Stay away!

 

[Anonymous]

Pharma is dying. If it is truly what you want to do go for it. I think you are going to have a really hard time breaking in. There are so many good reps out of work it makes it hard for companies to take a chance on someone new. To be honest most the job I have seen require at least 1 year of pharma sale and most require 3 year. The last contract I was on the average experience was 9 years of pharma. Good Luck

 

[Anonymous]

I am looking into the pharma business, so I am new to this. I am a fairly recent grad, I have a MS in Anatomy, and I'm basically a glorifed secretary right now. I have an upcoming interview here for a contract company. I have no sales experience, so I'm trying to break into it, and get started this way. I believe I have no other chance besides getting into a contract, am I right? Any other suggestions besides "Don't do it?" TIA

Sorry but I have to say don't do it. You will ruin your career before it even begins. Contracts are not for begining pharma reps. It is for lazy reps who got laid off from numerous companies for low numbers or in the last years of their career. We will be looking for a job every 6mos to a year. Look at the tread on Nexium contract thread. It's a bunch of foul mouth idiots who choose to blame others for the situation they are in. If you are serious about pharma get a year or two sales experience in any industry. Most pharma reps have only BAs. With a MS degree why don't you look in biotech or just keep looking with companies that will value your education. There will be a company that is right for you but DO NOT I repeat DO NOT go contract.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry but I have to say don't do it. You will ruin your career before it even begins. Contracts are not for begining pharma reps. It is for lazy reps who got laid off from numerous companies for low numbers or in the last years of their career. We will be looking for a job every 6mos to a year. Look at the tread on Nexium contract thread. It's a bunch of foul mouth idiots who choose to blame others for the situation they are in. If you are serious about pharma get a year or two sales experience in any industry. Most pharma reps have only BAs. With a MS degree why don't you look in biotech or just keep looking with companies that will value your education. There will be a company that is right for you but DO NOT I repeat DO NOT go contract.

AGREED!

 

[Anonymous]

Contract pharma sales is the lowest of the low. The contracting pharma companies low ball everything. The contract has a high probability of ending way before it's scheduled to. You will always be searching for employment. Loyalty is 0 all the way around. It's a miserable life.

 

[Anonymous]

The last poster is correct- I've been living it. Contract is not a career- 90% of the time the contract ends prematurely and your life is in turmoil over and over again. Also true that contract salaries are continuing to decline- they know they can do it because there are so many desperate reps out of work. You get no respect and the time you put in gets you no further ahead. It is such a dead end. You are capable of so much more. Do what you can to get something else.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm a Contract Rep for over 10 years. I've had a good run. My feeling is get a job the deals with people like Enterprise Car Rental. Get a resume and apply to every big pharma company.
DON'T APPLY TO CONTRACT SALES COMPANIES!!!! IT WILL TAKE TIME BUT YOU WILL GET HIRED.

When you think about a Contract Sales Company read the Posts on Cafepharma its all true the managers the customer the BS. Do a report get it to me by Friday. Its all BS.

So Stay away.

 

[Anonymous]

Contract Sales is awesome! I started 8 years ago & love it. I am lucky enough to have never been laid off & been rolled over twice. For a working Mom it's lower pressure.

 

[Anonymous]

Contract Sales is awesome! I started 8 years ago & love it. I am lucky enough to have never been laid off & been rolled over twice. For a working Mom it's lower pressure.

Sounds like the typical fired from Wyeth single mom DM who does sh*t all day and makes sure she sucks up (emphasis on suck) to her RDM.

 

[Anonymous]

My time with P4/Pfizer was GREAT. Was regularly pfucked when it came to call lists, product mix, sales numbers, general info...the simple solution was...to just get another job while I was "working" for Publicis/Pfizer here in Michigan. Took vacation to go to my other job's week-long conference (made $4,000). Took sick leave to go on vacation.

It was deliciously refreshing to pfuck Pfizer and Publicis they way they did me...thanks for the free money, A-holes.