New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma

New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma

October 26, 2011 — 6:24am ET | By Maureen Martino

Since 2001, 300,000 pharma employees have lost their jobs, primarily in R&D and sales. That's according to Clifford Mintz, the founder of BioInsights, which develops and offers bioscience education and training. Mintz spoke at a session on new job opportunities in biotech and pharma at the annual AAPS meeting in Washington, D.C. While the losses have been steep, they're balanced by emerging, in-demand careers in the industry.

The industry's struggles are well-known: Many companies are facing loss of exclusivity on their biggest sellers but have little in the pipeline to pick up the slack. Productivity is dropping as the cost of bringing a new drug to market soars. Government and payors want more effective drugs for less money. The list goes on.

Developers are looking to new markets and new technologies to address these issues. But how do these trends play out for the pharma job seeker? Many people, particularly Ph.D.s, may have to consider getting additional training if they want to land their dream job. "Companies used to be willing to just hire smart people. But with the economic downturn and global competition, companies can no longer afford to invest in people who have promise. They need to see proven skills," Mintz explained. With the right blend of skills and experience, however, there still some pharma jobs that are in demand.

Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs

"Clinical research is the lifeblood of the industry," Mintz said. As developers expand in emerging markets, there's a particular demand for people to manage and organize overseas clinical trials. "There's a huge need for clinical research professionals worldwide," he said, noting that most Phase I and II trials are conducted outside of the U.S.

Another one of the industry's perennial needs is regulatory affairs professionals. "Regulatory affairs experience is a skill that all companies large and small would die to get their hands on," explained Mintz. The increasingly complex and uncertain world of FDA regulation--particularly when it comes to new technology and science--means that companies are always on the prowl for individuals with solid regulatory knowledge and ability to interact with the FDA. You can read more about the demand for clinical research and regulatory affairs jobs here.

Biomanufacturing

The pharma industry's interest in biologics remains strong--just look at Sanofi's buyout of Genzyme, or Roche's purchase of Genentech. They're lured by disease-altering biologics that are less likely to face generic competition than traditional drugs. As a result, there's been increased demand for professionals who can navigate the complex world of biomanufacturing. Those with a background in upstream and downstream processes, large-scale protein purification, fermentation technology and bioengineering can make the transition to biomanufacturing.

Healthcare Information Technology

The rise of bioinformatics and genomics coupled with the push for electronic medical records has created jobs in healthcare information technology. Health informatics--the intersection of healthcare and IT--is ideal for people with expertise in genomics, bioinformatics or software that understand how to work with and manipulate large data sets and databases. The Obama administration has made EHRs a priority, and there's a need for software engineers and biologists who are comfortable working with medical information.

Medical Devices

"The medical devices industry has been experiencing explosive growth for the past decade," Mintz said. Regulatory hurdles in the medical device industry are much lower than they are for biologics or small molecules, making the industry a more stable alternative to biotech and pharma. The demand for devices, which address problems that can't be treated with medicine, will continue to grow as the population ages. Job seekers with strong backgrounds in bioinformatics, genomics, engineering and translational medicine are best suited to this field.

Medical Communications

Medical communications--which includes medical writing, editing, graphic design and science journalism--continues to boom. The demand for these jobs has risen because companies need a slew of communication materials to send to patients, physicians, researchers, investigators and the general public about their products and business.

Patent Law and Technology Transfer

Recent changes to U.S. patent laws have increased the demand for patent agents and patent attorneys in the life sciences field. Pharma's growing reliance on basic research from learning institutions means that there's a need for technology transfer experts. These experts manage the patent estate and intellectual property of universities and colleges that may engage in licensing deals with the industry. A law degree is a must to compete in this field.

Read more: New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma - FiercePharma http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/new-job-opportunities-emerging-big-pharma/2011-10-26?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss#ixzz1gLZgZWQO
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Resume No-No #102

Resume No-No #2.

Keep it simple! Bullet points are the way to go. Here's a nice resume template--simple and straight forward. http://appleassocglobal.com/resources_resumes.html

Resume No-No #101

When updating or changing your resume make sure you check your font style AND font size. We see a ton of resumes that have little additions here and there that were changed using either a different font altogether and/or a different font size. Even a one point difference in font size shows up, especially when that resume is printed. This seemingly little error translates to a lack of attention to detail and can be a red flag to hiring managers who will question your commitment to perfection.

How much can you squeeze out of your new company?

You've been recruited by a great company. The location is good, cost of living much lower than where you are now. Career growth opportunity abounds. The comp package works well too. Now comes the whole relocation thing. Most new hires can expect to have their household goods moved, including cars. Don't expect them to move your beloved horse or your ski boat. They will put you into temporary housing, usually for 2-6 months, depending on your employment level. You can expect an apartment situation, don't expect them to move you into a single family home for six months. Don't expect them to BUY your house outright. That can happen, but almost always involves an existing employee and an internal transfer. Most top pharmaceutical and medical device companies will cover closing costs and realtor fees for selling your existing home and the purchase of your new one. This does add up! Some companies offer lump sums to cover incidental moving expenses. Some companies will offer a nice signing bonus as well. When negotiating your new deal, don't get greedy. If this new company really wants you, they will offer most everything up front when presenting the offer. Work through your recruiter to iron out any rough spots. A lot of back and forth and asking for too much is a bad way to start a new job.

So you want to take time off...

You've got a great career going. Excellent job progression and track record of accomplishments. Bam! You get laid off. It's nothing to do with your skills--just a money thing. But all is not lost. Your company is going to come through with a GREAT severance package. So, finally. Time to travel, time to do something for just you. Sounds, great, doesn't it?

In reality, you should take a hard look at hitting the beach for any extended length of time. The longer you are out of work, the harder it will be to re-enter. In recruiting for pharmaceutical and medical device industries we know hiring managers are a suspicious bunch. Nothing against them, it's their job to find the best, so suspicion is naturally a part of the hiring process. Take a couple of weeks, not a couple of months. Regroup. Reach out to anyone and everyone who thinks highly of you. Work industry related networking websites. Connect with a couple of top recruiters specific to your field. Your new job is to FIND a job.

Interesting article that applies to doing a video job interview

How Not to Do a TV Interview

Posted by Marsha Friedman

4 “Don’ts” to Keep In Mind to Ensure You Don’t Blow It

Sometimes I feel bad for on-air TV personalities, because if you’re on television regularly for any length of time, you’re going to screw up. It’s inevitable. It’s the law of averages, and when you do, YouTube will be sure to archive it for future generations.

The Internet is stockpiled with videos of show hosts forgetting the camera was on, dropping four-letter words and losing it when heckled by onlookers off camera. The same is true with public relations, because we’re not immune to gaffs, and neither are our clients. One of my staff likes to tell the story of a New York politician who was caught not paying taxes in the middle of a re-election campaign, and so his PR rep wanted to shield him from too many questions. To combat that, he scheduled an outdoor press conference in the dead of the afternoon on the hottest day of the year, hoping the heat would shorten the length of the press conference and thin the crowd of reporters because they didn’t want to be outside. The press conference went off as planned in the sweltering afternoon sun, and 10 minutes into it, his candidate passed out from heat stroke.

So, when you’re thinking of doing TV interviews, here are some basic, and not so basic dos and don’ts to help you through the rough patches:

1. Don’t look at the monitor – If you’ve never done TV before, the first thing you’ll notice in a guest segment is that when you sit down at the set, there are tons of distractions – monitors showing all the camera angles, cameramen rolling the cameras to different positions, and producers who like to move around the set. Forget them. Look at the person interviewing you, as if you were just having a cup of coffee with them at the local Starbucks.
2. Don’t Let a Stumble Stop the Interview – Most interviews are either live, or what they call “live to tape,” meaning they are taped segments, but they are not edited. That means whatever happens during the segment, mistakes and all, is what they run. So, if you stumble over your words or cough or accidentally spit out the gum in your mouth (that you should have spit out before the interview), you just have to keep going. No matter what, in most cases you’ll have one take, and whatever happens, well, happens. Don’t stop and say “Cut, can we do this again please?” because that is what will air.
3. Don’t Do Your “Elevator Pitch” – When being interviewed, you should answer the host’s questions directly, and not go into your stock company pitch right off the bat. That will only annoy the host, and make them ask the question again (which will make you look foolish). If you are concerned, try to talk to the producer in advance about what questions you’ll be asked. If the producer is vague, or doesn’t give you the exact questions, then simply be ready for whatever they throw at you.
4. Don’t Move in a Distracting Way – A news segment is not “Dancing with the Stars,” so don’t move too much when you’re being interviewed. If you naturally gesture when you talk, then gesture, but don’t go overboard. Sweeping hand gestures are distracting. If you’re standing during the interview, try to stand still. Place your feet at shoulder width to maintain balance, and don’t bounce around. Bobbing, weaving, pacing or any other kind of nervous movement will be distracting. Moreover, if you are sitting, don’t do the nervous knee bounce that many people are used to doing under the table in the board room. There is no table, and the camera will pick it up. Remember, being stationary and relaxed will help you exude confidence on camera.

“Let Go” is WAAAYYY Different than “Laid Off”

When you have left a company, you need to carefully present the reasons you left your last job. “Let go” implies you were fired. If you were in fact, “let go” you need to be careful about how you present that information. Don’t lie, but offer solid reasons, backed up by references inside the company who you can count on to support you. Given the current economic times, “laid off” is much more acceptable. Did you take a buy out package offered to reduce your company’s headcount? That’s ok, but don’t spend too much time on the beach. The longer you are out of work,, the harder it will be to convince hiring managers to consider you.