Life After Pharmaceutical Sales: Discover Your Calling

ign="center">themselves frustrated and discouraged after a
Thousands of ambitious young business men andfew years in the industry. Either they feel as
women withstand dozens of interviews andthough their talents are being wasted, or they
numerous rejections before finally, victoriouslydesire more personally fulfilling work. Others have
landing a highly coveted career in pharmaceuticalsurvived several rounds of layoffs but fear that
sales. Those same ambitious men and womennext time, they’ll be on the chopping
frequently become burned out and lose thatblock.
spark that landed them that position in the firstSo what are your options? You’ve spent
place within a few short years.several years in this career and you worry about
Is it the lure of having a financially rewardingfinding a comparable position in another industry.
career? Being able to support your family? TheYou need to support your family, but you want
thrill of beating out so many other candidates toto feel passionate about what you do.
land the position? There are many reasons toThink about what made you happy before you
believe it’s a great job to have. Sadly,entered pharmaceutical sales. What did you go to
there are few professionals who are still ascollege for? Did you ever really give that career a
passionate and enthusiastic about theirshot? Even if traditional careers for your
pharmaceutical sales career who have been at itbackground don’t pay well, you could
for five or more years.consider starting a business related to that area.
The pharmaceutical industry is volatile at best.Consider what you enjoy doing in your spare
Class action lawsuits have been brought againsttime. There might be ways those activities could
major pharmaceutical companies for promotingbe translated to a new career path. Maybe you
drugs that have caused serious adverse effects.have a newfound interest that would require
Drug companies have been forced to lay offfurthering your education. Consider options you
significant portions of their sales force at differentmight have for fulfilling that dream.
times due to changing forces in the industry. ThatMaybe you really want to stay in the industry.
safe and secure future you wanted to preserveThink about the reasons that made it so exciting
for your family could be gone in the blink of anfor you to break in to the industry. Do you enjoy
eye.learning detailed product information? Maybe you
True, the money that can be made inthrive on communicating complex information to
pharmaceutical sales is tempting. Whilephysicians. Think about ways that you could bring
it’s a feasible option for someonethat passion back into your daily routine.
desiring a flexible schedule, the day-to-daySometimes, taking on an outside hobby can fulfill
activities of a pharmaceutical sales rep can be lessyour desires enough that you can be happy once
than stimulating and less than glamorous. Manyagain to go to work each day.
days are spent sitting in physician waiting roomsDon’t restrict yourself to thinking only
for hours, waiting for a doctor’sabout what’s been done in the past. As
signature. Rarely do you get the opportunity toa person who managed to land a pharmaceutical
spend any quality time talking with a physiciansales position, you have proven that you have
about your products, and you could be subject tothe ability to differentiate yourself from your
less than kind treatment by the staff in acompetition. Dig those skills out of your closet and
physician’s office. Is that what youput them to use for yourself. You deserve to be
worked so hard in college for?happy and have fulfilling work, and you have the
For these reasons and others, manyability to create that situation for yourself.
pharmaceutical sales representatives find