Neuroscience Account Manager North Seattle

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anonymous said:
I work for a company that co-markets with Otsuka. I am not in the Seattle territory, but was a close friend with to the people that worked there. Notice I said WORKED...

There was turnover...careers were ruined...not only reps, but manager was affected as well... I can tell you that all of them did their best and they had plenty of experience. I really don't know what they could have done differently.

In the end, a new manager was "installed", a real jerk in my opinion, but that's what upper management apparently thought was needed.

Within a short period of time, almost all territories in the district showed a miraculous improvement...

In order to "prove" that the fault was with the Seattle reps and the old manager, the company gave a significant increase in sales quota to all the districts within the region, except our district. Well you can imagine what that did to the numbers! Within a few seconds and the help of computers at the home office, the new DM and his district looked great. Conclusion: Since the numbers now looked good, it must have been the new DM and his "management skills" that are responsible.

Funny how that works, isn't it??? It is one thing being a moron, it is a another thing being a moron and nasty, but it is a completely different game when you are a moron, nasty, and in a position of power! I just don't know how these people can look at themselves in the mirror every day and be proud of themselves.This has nothing to do with healthcare. It is all about money and power!!

I have lost all respect for our "ethical" pharmaceutical company. Besides the fact that we have virtually no drug pipeline, I am deeply disappointed at the leadership of our company. This industry seems to attract the worst people. When I tell my friends what is going on, they can't believe it. I have relatives and friends that work in Real Estate and Construction, and they tell me they could never work in such a toxic environment and feel so powerless. They would forego the high income and rather be happier somewhere else...
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anonymous said:
Yes, they were....thrown under the bus by the previous DM, then the regional director directed the bus, while M. Coyne drove the bus...mission accomplished, they thought!!

Hasn't accomplished a damn thing. Hope they are proud of themselves...
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Yep, and Lundbeck now has a Neuroscience position open in Seattle as well. To the best of my knowledge, Lundbeck has no representation in the Seattle market at this point. What a shit-show this has become...
 












Home office here... Well, consider this: The previous DM had a conversation with the RD about the selling skills of the previous Seattle reps. He felt because they were older, they did not have the skills necessary because they had been hired and trained decades ago. The reps were also not given specific tasks or assignments to learn based on what the DM felt the shortcomings were. Instead they were simply placed on a PIP. So now that the new reps have been in the territory they have not been performing either. But there has not been a discussion about the selling skills of the newbies...So you can decide for yourself whether or not there was age discrimination...I think the answer is fairly obvious.
 






Ron P in California and the morons at the corporate office got what they deserved!!! Hope this underperformance will continue for a long time! Next time think before you act!!!
 






anonymous said:
Home office here... Well, consider this: The previous DM had a conversation with the RD about the selling skills of the previous Seattle reps. He felt because they were older, they did not have the skills necessary because they had been hired and trained decades ago. The reps were also not given specific tasks or assignments to learn based on what the DM felt the shortcomings were. Instead they were simply placed on a PIP. So now that the new reps have been in the territory they have not been performing either. But there has not been a discussion about the selling skills of the newbies...So you can decide for yourself whether or not there was age discrimination...I think the answer is fairly obvious.
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Just a few things to consider when it comes to age discrimination: Fact is it goes on, it is blatant, and companies get away with it, whether it is illegal or not, and Big Pharma is NO exception.

1.) Remember, when you sue your old employer, it will be huge red flag for any future employer not to hire you.
2.) In the last few years, the bar to prove age discrimination has been raised.
3.) In the last few years, courts have increasingly ruled in favor of the defendant, (employer).

I can't give any legal advice, but personally, I would cut my losses short and move on. Try to get a job with a competitor and take away your old business from your previous employer is probably the best way to get even, if that's what you feel like doing. Even if you only take 10-15% with you that is huge and will piss off your old employer. Great office relations and friendships are key!

I know of a case in which a Northern European pharma company in the US wanted to get rid of a rep. You know what they did? They just stopped paying him! The rep had a family. Not only did he not get paid, his health insurance premiums were not paid, and he had a lawyer on top of it... The company just dragged everything on till the rep threw in the towel and quit because he needed money. Problem solved for the company. All of you know this company!

Here are two other scenarios "that took care of office workers":

In one case a manager came back from vacation. Upon his return, his computer was turned off by IT. All of his subordinates and his projects were assigned to other managers, nobody would talk to him..After a few hours, the manager simply left....Problem solved.

Another case I became aware of was the following: The company wanted to get rid of an older office worker: They moved his desk in a utility room (no windows) were he sat between a hot water heater and telephone equipment staring at the wall. He had no telephone, no computer, no paperwork, absolutely nothing to do and was only allowed to leave the room for bathroom breaks and lunch. Nobody else in the department would talk to him. He basically sat there all day staring at the wall!!! He was not even allowed to look at his i-phone. Take a guess how long he lasted before resigning...

I will not tell you where the last two incidences occurred, but my point is, if you are employed now, prepare for the future, so you are not a slave to your job!!! Start a side business, save, invest, cut down on expenses, get out of debt...anything...improve your financial situation now! Fact is: nobody cares about you! Companies act in their best interests, whatever that may be. And if you are not part of it, you are out. "O" is no exception!
 


















anonymous said:
Headhunter here...you are absolutely correct!!

To the original poster: You need to ask yourself what you are willing to do, or can do, that the previous rep(s) were not willing to do or could not do. If you can't answer that question, move on immediately.

If you believe you have an answer to that question and you are able to get an interview, the most important question is: "Why is this territory open?" This is the most important question you can ask. Now pay close attention to the manager: Does he look you straight in the eye? Is he evasive with his answer? Does it look like he is trying to make up an answer? Is he less than forthcoming? If you think the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, a huge red flag should go up! First of all there is a problem somewhere. Secondly, the manager is not honest. Do you really want to work in this territory with this manager???

I can tell you that most employers are NOT very truthful when you ask them: "Why is this territory open?"
There are exceptions, such as retirement, promotions, illness and relocations of a spouse. But mostly, reps leave for a reason. There is always a story behind the story. You need to get to the bottom of it. The last thing you want to do is step into a bad situation that could have been easily avoided by asking the right questions. Ask the manager for the names of 2 or 3 reps and speak with them. If the manager does not want to do give you the names, he has reason for that! It's another red flag!

I can't tell you how many candidates do not ask this question. As a result, they end up in the wrong job, with the wrong company. 2 years later, when the sales numbers are not there, they contact me with a less than stellar resume. The rep just wasted two years of his life and has difficulties marketing himself. For many, it's a career killer! Of course, now they compete with candidates that had an excellent performance. If I submit this candidate to my client, he is going to ask me: "Why are you presenting me this candidate?" What am I supposed to say? It makes me look like I don't know what I am doing!! So the resume goes in the trash!

Having a good manager is great, but if there are problems in the territory you can't overcome, it is meaningless. Your next employer only cares about your last set of numbers and your track record. Whether or not your manager was good or not is no interest to your future employer.

I probably would not pursue this job.

Whatever you do...Best of luck.
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I am looking for a headhunter. What are keywords I can search on linkedin to find you?
 






anonymous said:
Ron P in California and the morons at the corporate office got what they deserved!!! Hope this underperformance will continue for a long time! Next time think before you act!!!
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Looks like Otsuka's leadership and the henchmen that supported them are nothing but evil...

I retired from the pharmaceutical industry 3 years ago and was recently contacted by a headhunter for a pharmaceutical sales position in the upper Pacific Northwest.

When I asked the recruiter why would you call someone my age for this position, he said:

"We are having a real tough time finding qualified people in your area..."

Enough said!
 






Competitor here...One has to wonder how long companies will staff the North Seattle territory. Recently one office dissolved in Bothell, one in Mill Creek and two in Burlington. Pretty soon, a rep can just drive in circles all day to put some miles on the car before driving home.
 






Wow! While Otsuka may have good pay and benefits, after reading this entire thread, I will not apply for a Neuro position in Seattle North!!! Between the territory, the regional and national leadership it just appears to be a no-win situation. It was an interesting read and prevented me from making a fatal career decision...
 






I am in the California region...just got out of bed...It’s 10 am. You guys are working way too hard. There is just nothing left to do anymore...except watching Jerry Springer and collecting a pay check...Milking the cow for as long as she gives milk. Gotta enter some calls now.
 






Pharmaceutical reps need to go away. They don't contribute anything to healthcare except additional costs. The DMs are worse. And topping of the list of absolutely worthless and expensive leaches are the RSDs and VPs of sale. The last 3 have nothing else to do but make other people's lives miserable.

If your drug can't make it without promotion, it is not an innovative drug and has no place in the business. There are enough me-too generic drugs out there.

Now go and do something useful for society. Even a garbage man has more of a purpose than a drug rep and his superiors!!!

When Sanders will become president, your professional life as you know it today will come to an end. May be not right away, but I can tell you that big pharma's executives are planning ahead. The number of reps has already shrunk from about 110000 to about 60000. You can read many of the company boards here on CP, talk about layoffs everywhere...
 






I read this entire thread. It is pretty sad that hard working college-educated people get railroaded by nasty, clueless ego maniacs because of issues they have no control over. I guess it can happen to anyone who is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully the previous reps are at a better place now.

The more I read CP, the more I come to the conclusion you are better off working on your own than working for someone else. Who needs a whipping boy day in and day out? Go to trade school, learn a skill instead of being a bagel boy!
 






Seattle is a real hotbed of the corona virus...many people stay home now...restaurants are empty, schools closed...there are no rush hour issues anymore... my neighbor wanted to get tested for the virus and was told: “We don’t do that here”...and this was at a major clinic with 15 satellite offices! I went to Home Depot this morning, skipping work, and could see from one end of the store to the other end, without seeing a single person...
 






anonymous said:
I read this entire thread. It is pretty sad that hard working college-educated people get railroaded by nasty, clueless ego maniacs because of issues they have no control over. I guess it can happen to anyone who is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully the previous reps are at a better place now.

The more I read CP, the more I come to the conclusion you are better off working on your own than working for someone else. Who needs a whipping boy day in and day out? Go to trade school, learn a skill instead of being a bagel boy!
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Looks like the assholes responsible for this whole mess are still very active in this company... RP, the RD in California, Mike Coyne and of course Innes and Kim...
 






anonymous said:
Looks like the assholes responsible for this whole mess are still very active in this company... RP, the RD in California, Mike Coyne and of course Innes and Kim...
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You have to wonder why the Neuroscience Position North Seattle has been open for over a year now. I am sure potential applicants look at CP first to decide whether or not they should even bother to apply!!
 






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