subject: Laid-Off Pharma Reps: Get a Reference Even Though the Managers at Schering, Merck, or Wyeth Say You Can't Have One [print this page] Laid-Off Pharma Reps: Get a Reference Even Though the Managers at Schering, Merck, or Wyeth Say You Can't Have One
It's rough out there: tens of thousands of pharma sales reps have gotten laid off in the last 2 years, and pharma layoffs areonly getting worse. With so many people laid off, there are thousands of pharma reps flooding the job market in medical, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sales, and many pharmaceutical companies are telling the former sales managers of these reps that they aren't allowed to give a referenceeven if it was a company-wide layoff and the rep was great. Company policy restricts them to name, rank, and serial number only: what the candidate did, how long he worked there, and why he exited the company. That's not a job-winning reference for any candidate.
References are a critical component of your job interview process. A great reference can push the hiring manager into hiring you, if he was on the fence, and a bad one can definitely keep you from getting the job. Whether it's company policy or not, the end result is you don't have a good reference that's going to help the hiring manager feel good about making you the offer.
A lot of candidates just accept this situation because, "Hey, it's company policywhat can you do?" But that's just not OK. If you've worked hard for someone and done a great job, they ought to give you a great reference, no matter what the company says.
And there is something you can do. If you know that it was a good working relationship, that you did a fantastic job, and that it would be a great reference for you, then it's worth trying one more time to get it.
How? Just ask. It won't always work, but it will work sometimes. Call your former manager, the one you've worked side-by-side with for however many years you were there, and play the personal card. Say, "Rocky, I'm one check-mark away from getting a job offer for the job of a lifetime. You and I both know that I was laid off, and you know that I was a player for you, and that I contributed to your organization, and you gave me "exceeds expectations" on all my reviews. You tried to help me not be laid off with everyone else, and I know you appreciated the work I did for you. I know that the company says you can't, but you need to consider that this is a fantastic opportunity for me. I put my heart and soul into working for you, and I want to do that for this company, but they need to hear you say what I did for you. And I know if you ever needed a reference, it wouldn't matter who said I couldn't do thatI would. So I need you to do that for me, Rocky. Will you?"
You know what? We're all people here. We're not the company. We worked for the company, and if you did a great job, you deserve a reference. If you run into a brick wall in getting one, it's worth asking one more time.
