Help! I’m an AE with about 3 YOE. I currently work on a pharma brand/agency and I’m trying to get out. The last time I tried looking for jobs, the majority of places that expressed interest were other pharma agencies. I’m worried that if I want to make a transition, I’ll either have to accept a lower job title or a decreased salary. Any advice on how to get out of pharma?

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Have you considered going to a performance agency? Many times they do not mind which vertical(s) you focused on, but rather your thought process and ability to serve your clients effectively/meet KPIs. You might also have a shot at leveling up, as long as your references and work samples back up. Food for thought!

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Good luck! Here’s a few to get you started - these are mostly hybrid or remote and have some pretty fun accounts: Hawke Media, Right Side Up, Bliss Point, Tatari, Havas Edge (not that I’m biased!), Veritone One, Rain, Performics, Ocean Media, Ad Results, Oxford Road, Headlight

Depending on whether your general skills are transferable to another sector (which I typically assume is a yes), you might not have to take a lower role unless it was very specialized, but you should definitely expect a cut in pay/less pay over time than pharma. You may also find it's more competitive and harder to land a job not because you've been pigeonholed, but because more people prefer to work on sexier brands/don't want the hassle of a heavily regulated industry.

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I’ve been in a similar situation with healthcare in general. I fell into healthcare early on in my career and even though it wasn’t my intended path or passion, agencies latched on to that experience. I moved to a larger agency and endeared a bit more healthcare work for a couple years but was very vocal and transparent with my manager about the industries I wanted to explore and grow in so I got get those opportunities. It took some time and patience but I’m now working in sustainability on essentially one of my dream clients.

I try to look at how my next experience will be a step in getting me closer to where I want to be/what I want to get out of - I wasn’t interested in pharma or medical devices but working on hospital systems and consumer education was manageable. Now, I actually still work on some public health clients because the work is more mission-driven which is something I really enjoy. Perspective is important and I often tell new junior colleagues to look at the different aspects about client work. The first pharma client I worked on, I took the opportunity to really focus on building that client relationship and even though I disliked the business and the work, that was my favorite client contact.

All that to say, maybe look at healthcare or wellness positions more broadly? People will want to leverage your experience but be transparent about what you’re looking for. Happy to chat more.

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