Pharmaceuticals Industry: Breaking In

What are employers in the pharmaceutical industry looking for in their graduate employees? Well, as well as a suitable field of expertise, business acumen, suitable experience and knowledge of good practice were the issues that came to fore when we spoke to those within the industry.

The pharmaceutical industry is growing globally owing to increase in medical facilities, rise in chronic diseases as well as the growing awareness of illnesses. According to one report, in 2011 alone the global pharmaceutical market is likely to touch US$880 billion amounting to an annual growth of 5-8%. By 2014, the sector is expected to grow to US$1.1 trillion.

However, the sector is also undergoing change in business and research and development models owing to the intense market pressures, regulatory timelines and costs, patent cliffs and costs of innovations, says Professor David G. Grainger, Presidential Endowed Chair of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah.

Moreover, the 'Pharmerging' markets (emerging pharmaceutical markets such as the BRIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China) are driving pharmaceutical companies to go global and leading to mergers of companies across the world.

Hence, aspirants need to be competent at a global level, on top of being able to ‘integrate well with a corporate and for-profit mindset’. “Borders mean little and internationalization is the key to success. Any candidate wishing to enter the sector must be willing to embrace such an environment,” says Prof Grainger.

Advantages of a PhD

Good qualifications are a must for anybody who wishes to shine in the pharmaceutical industry. “All candidates must meet the degree requirements or they will not be considered at all as a potential hire. The recruiters are looking for qualified candidates only,” says Dorothea Howard (formerly McGuire), President and CEO of McGuire Group LLC, a US company specializing in pharmaceutical and medical career fairs.

While recruiters favor a master’s degree holder over someone with just a bachelor’s degree, a master’s will still only get you entry-level positions and you may face a glass ceiling after a point of time, suggests Prof. Grainger.

Thus, he says, doing a PhD is a wise choice in the long-term. “With a PhD degree, advancement opportunities are good. After five years of experience, mobility across the sector is extremely lucrative.”

Alamelu Mahalingam, 26, can’t agree more and feels that her PhD (in using semisolid gels for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV) from the University of Utah was crucial in getting her the job at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts.

“A PhD gives you the experience to lead projects individually and think creatively which are necessary to succeed in this field. It also prepares you to take on newer challenges,” she says.

Developing industry contacts

However, many recruiters also demand prior experience in the sector. “Previous experience is a dominant attractive trait. Everyone wants to hire someone who knows the industry and is familiar with the industry culture. References from industry players are welcomed,” says Prof Grainger.

Thus, it is fairly common for prospective candidates to use social networking websites for connecting with established professionals within the industry.

Opportunities to develop contacts may also be available during your PhD - if you opt for a more collaborative project. Alamelu advises, “A PhD thesis is usually more of an individual project, whereas within an industry set up, you have to work with a team. Hence, it is better for PhD candidates to indulge in collaborative projects with pharmaceutical industries and non-profit organizations to learn as well as work within a team environment.”

This should help you gain those all-important industry contacts and may even land you your first job after the completion of the program, as in the case of Alamelu.

Additional requirements

Skills such as in-depth knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Quality Control (QC) operations, proficiency in technical writing, experience in managing scientific or operations personnel are much valued by the recruiters.

Aspirants who are self-starters, adaptive, collaborative, creative, focused and disciplined are much valued by recruiters. Proof of productivity and reliability are also key.

“Drug discovery is a high-demand area. New candidates have to push through the costly, timely development process in preclinical testing. Bringing a new drug to market approval requires about 10 years and a huge investment of $2 billion. Hence, having a reliable and productive candidate is critical,” says Prof Grainger.

In short, working in the pharmaceutical industry requires you to keep raising the bar with each passing day. For those who are highly motivated and innovative, working in this industry may be your chance to share a 'Eureka moment' with the world!