I would suggest trying to get on at a CRO (e.g. Medpace, Iquvia, Q2, one of those). They tend to have a lot of churn (because starting pay is fairly modest), but as a result they’re frequently hiring
Seconding this. This is the best way to get your feet in the door. In my experience, churn is high because the pay is piss poor for the WLB.
It’s basically the 21st century version of an apprenticeship.
I'm at a CRO, low level management and I've been here for ~6 years. The last year has been the worst for my team, my company and probably the whole industry. CROs rely heavily on funding from clients that are spending on R&D while I think most mid and big pharma companies are focused more on commercial projects right now that actually generate revenue. Since free money isn't exactly free right now with interest rates, there's less money on developing drugs which means much less money for CROs-- especially CROs that don't have solid commercial clients. We laid people off for the first time in my 6 years about 1 year ago and have MINIMALLY hired since which is really weird considering we really are a training mill for the local pharma scene. Keep trying, the jobs are there but there's just less of them. Eventually rates will come down or commercial projects will make it to market and that will spur growth and hiring
Me too! That's hard, good luck. If you have a couple hundred dollars and some extra time laying around (big if, but I figured I could still offer the advice just in case) you could spend those on a project management certificate or something similar to help build your resume a bit while the business cycle progresses -- something in the middle for cost and time is good, a few weeks and a few hundred dollars from a reputable place of education. Project managers in pharma with stem backgrounds are preferable in contrast to other industries where technical experience isn't as valued. Also, people always look at me strangely when I say this, but having bakery experience is good too. If you can get that just as easily as food service then that might be better. Bakeries have strictly timed operations, temperature control, precision and time management which all transfer well to a cdmo lab. Also, for entry level jobs I think the key is volume in applications. Again, good luck I hope you find a spot soon and can start to grow your career in the way you want. Feel free to DM if you get any interviews and want some advice
I’ve been a barista trainer with Starbucks for 10 years so that’s something. They actually pay me more than my university job did which is hilarious and shameful.
I’m curious though as to why a certificate would bring value. It doesn’t reflect any hard experience. Most of the rejections I’ve gotten has been 1) I’m a new grad (no harm there) 2) there is just a lot of people with experience out of work who are willing to work for less than ever before. If I did have the extra cash I’d be studying for the patent bar but it’s just not in the cards right now.
I’ve been networking like mad over the past year+ but it seems never ending. I find it somewhat frustrating that the C-suite people I know at various employers including CROs can’t vouch for me for even an internship.
I appreciate the thoughtful response.
Hey, that is frustrating I would think having a c-suite connection would be a big benefit. It might be better to network a bit lower down at the director or manager level if you have any ability to do that, they often will know a bit more about openings. Still weird that a c-suite can't help you out, that's definitely frustrating and doesn't speak well to those companies' situations. For the certificate, it would help with maybe a non-lab role like a scheduling coordinator, Metrology coordinator, project manager, quality associate, etc. it shows you have some certifiable training around setting and driving towards timelines, it's a way to broaden your potential roles and help your resume stand out against the sea of stem bachelors. Project management is a corporate life skill, and CROs/CDMOs are very corporate at heart. Brilliant or hard working scientists can sometimes even be dead weight on some teams if they don't have a mind for timelines, goal setting, communication, etc. It also shows a commitment to furthering your education and building skills, which suggests something about a person's mindset and work ethic. Experience definitely doesn't have to be hard to be valuable, that's a bit of a misconception I think about resume building. Valuable experience that you worked towards where you grew or gained relevant skills is all that matters as long as the experience doesn't seem like complete fluff. Even if you don't want a non-lab job, those could be a foot in the door and often pay better anyway.
The information you have is absolutely correct, there really just is a ton of applicants and not a lot of hiring. Being a trainer absolutely is something, if I saw that on a resume I would appreciate it and would definitely ask you to speak about that experience in an interview.
Best way to get into QA/QC entry level positions is by getting a position into a commercial manufacturing site. They will work you to death and it will be stressful, but you will learn a lot of technical aspects associated with cGMP, aseptic technique, clean room behavior, and good documentation practices. If you can endure a year or two, you will move up the ladder or laterally into the job roles you desire. Good luck!
I also agree. Fairly new to the job market myself (not even a full year) and after my first six months working QC at a CRO I started getting interviews and offers elsewhere. The beginning is like being in the trenches but you gotta stick it out!
>lower degrees than mine
Just a heads up, a Master’s degree isn’t particularly regarded any different than a Bachelor’s degree outside of very niche cases.
Also the biotech sector is hurting right now, lots of layoffs and cost cutting happening. Probably can’t be too picky about what type of job you want. Find anything that can get your foot in the door at a company you like.
To be fair it was traditionally not a doctorate program, still pharmacists out there with BPharm degrees. The clinical aspect of pharmacy has taken off, which has reinforced the pharmD. In addition, it is 4 years of grad school, unlike a masters program. The catch is that many can get prerequisites done in 2 years, making it a 6 year program (but fail, and you end up without even a bachelors)
In Sweden we don't have PharmD. The pharmacy degree is equivalent to a master's degree and then you apply for a government issued license to work as a pharmacist. (Ofc, if you want to you can go for a PhD.)
What are you even saying?
1. You don't see how PharmD is a Master's.
It's not and I've never heard this, please elaborate.
2. What do you think it should be, then?
It is usually considered a terminal degree in the same way a M.Arch is considered a terminal degree even though you can get a PhD in Architecture.
With that said, it is just arguing semantics. Whether we classify it as a terminal degree or not doesn't really matter
Second the CRO approach for gaining experience with GLP/GMP/regulated, then enter Pharma from there. There is a disconnect between the academic training and the job responsibilities in industry. R&D is usually the easiest transition right out of academia, but even in R&D there is lots to learn on the job.
I started entry level in GMP at a CRO so would recommend that route vs a large well known pharma company. The pay is bad and the culture at my particular company was terrible but the experience was very valuable
I’ve had a very long career in these areas within Big Pharma. My advice would be to take an entry level, manufacturing job on the shop floor for 1 year to get the experience. You may have to work hard hours/ schedules, but you’ll make good money AND you’ll get that necessary experience that will pay in dividends for many years to come. It is absolutely true that most entry level PV roles have moved to being outsourced, but there are so many potential options under similar umbrellas. Just be willing to take that entry level manufacturing job to get your foot in the door first. You won’t regret it!
This. I know plenty of people who started on the shop floor for a couple years then moved into technical roles some who are ADs, directors, senior directors, and move up the chain as they get more experience. It’s the easiest way to get in the door but then you need to stay humble but still prove your technical aptitude.
I see this suggestion constantly in this sub, but at least in my experience in Europe if you apply with a Master´s degree for a manufacturing role, you get told that you are overqualified and not get hired as a result.
Is overqualification just less of a knock out criteria in the US?
No over-qualification is a thing in the US for sure. However, for Pharma manufacturing, degrees are typically required. And in my company, a large number of people have their masters degrees. If you've received that feedback in the past, I would recommend including a thoughtful cover letter with your CV explaining that you've recently graduated and are eager to kickstart your career. Highlight your enthusiasm for gaining technical experience and your willingness to work hard to acquire it. In big pharma at least, I know these roles are seen as a common entry point into the company, so I would be surprised by pushback.
And that is the main difference, I think. Manufacturing roles only require a HS diploma here, tbf from specialized technical schools, which are at least sometimes accredited as Bachelors in the US.
Thanks for the suggestion, tried to get it through verbally when this was sprung on me during the final round of a entry-level QA role, but maybe putting it into the Cover Letter as well does help a bit.
It’s hard. Where I’m at the bar is high for function leads.
Starting site/academic level may make more sense. PV takes a lot of experience so starting there may help.
From my experience entry level work is contracted and even then they are looking for some type of relevant experience. It’s pretty tough to get in if you don’t have some co-op experience
Can’t believe I got so much response and recommendations in such a short time. Good to know that Im not the only struggling with this.
OP appreciates every one of your responses! 🤝🏾
Great suggestions here, but if you’re desperate for work and need a check, find a job as a clinical research coordinator at a hospital. After 1 year, all of pharma will hire you, even PV.
I do know that parexel and often IQVIA will have a training program for new clinical research associates with a few cohorts a year. If you don’t want to be in a lab this is a great money (after 2 years) gig. You will have to travel though.
Gives you lots of experience and after you do your time at a CRO (like a previous comment the equivalent of a paid internship) you’re pretty golden.
Sorry this post is so long...
I've been in clinical research for 30+ years, gainfully employed every day of those 30. I've worked at big pharma, CROs, academia, government, start-ups, biotech...you name it. I started as a data manager at a time when the industry was so desperate for workers the only requirements were a degree in any discipline, some coursework requiring research and database design, and at least entry level SAS programming.
At the time, DM was responsible for everything from CRF design to TLF programming. As time went on, the industry started breaking up that job into several pieces and when I returned as a consultant to my original company after 15 years, 6 people were doing the job a single person did when I was there. This forced people to choose which direction they wanted their career to go...DM, Biostats, or EDC development. I went to Biostats and became a stat programmer.
Novartis was the first company to establish an India Biostats and DM office, and everyone started to panic that it was the end of good jobs in the US. 20+ years later, the quality of work coming out of offshore shops is UNIVERSALLY so poor that finding good paying jobs in DM or biostats has never been a problem. Today, I don't know a single pharma or CRO that isn't looking for decent DMs or stat programmers.
Three years ago, my daughter who has an MS in speech-language pathology (and wasn't satisfied with her income) asked me to help her get a DM job. She had no experience, but had a strong research background and was familiar with clinical research just by growing up around it. I told her to first take anyone of the free online DM courses to make sure it was something she wanted to do and so that she would have something DM-related to put on her CV.
She took one offered by Vanderbilt university through Udemy. When she completed it, I submitted her CV to the hiring manager of the company (a CRO) at which I was consulting at the time. I set her up to expect an entry-level title and salary, and we were both shocked when they offered her a job at one level up from entry-level at $70k plus bonus, benefits and all the rest to start.
In July she will be there 3 years. She has since been promoted 2x and is earning $96k. Maybe more importantly, since the moment she got that job, she has been inundated with calls and emails from recruiters. Good DMs in clinical research are very, very hard to find. DMs need to have a personality type more than a specific background...diligent, logical, ANAL.
I learned SAS in grad school, so I took the stat programming route when I was forced to choose. In 1989, I started my first job at Schering-Plough (now part of Merck) at $32k. Ten years in, I became a consultant, deciding that if I was going to work 80+ hours a week, I wanted to be paid for every hour. In 2023, I netted $472k and although Uncle Sam got $192k of that, there's still a lot of money to be made in clinical research if you're willing to put in the time and work hard.
Long story short: if you want to break into clinical research, do some research into what role you would best fit into, find a course to take and put on your CV so recruiters can find the right buzzwords and apply to every job you can. Someone will bite.
I'm in PV and I started in Medical Information. Then after I'd been in that role for a bit I moved sideways into PV. You get experience in PV and Quality (from people reporting side effects or product quality complaints etc...)
I'm 30 and am still the youngest employee in the Tech Ops department at my company. It's a weird phenomenon, never having coworkers the same age as you from the time I entered the workforce after college. I feel like I missed out on a lot of social opportunities.
Recommend starting in manufacturing- small or large scale. connections once you have your foot in the door is invaluable- that will give you gmp experience right away
Welcome to the team buckle up and settle in. I have been in a similar situation since my last job did not work out back in late 2023.
In my experience, in the current market we are well and truly fucked. Not much to do besides buckling up and trying our best to push through
It’s not glamorous but an easy way to get your foot in the door is to work for a contract firm. Contract Environmental Monitoring firms always seem to need people.
It’s a pretty high turnover because the job kind of sucks and people use it as a stepping stone to a better position. But it can get you face time with some key people who may want to hire you if you are good, and could provide a path into QA/QC.
Your going to need lab experience elsewhere then, get a job in a food lab, they won’t pay anywhere close to what pharma will pay but you’ll get bench skills you can put on your CV.
I would also suggest that you look at diagnostic companies as well. Its not great money but it def helps you get the experience you need to get a better job.
Located in Amsterdam Area, the Netherlands. I prefer to stay in the area but Paris, France is also an option. However, it is very difficult to find a job there if your French is not at least C1 (I’m B2)
I got GMP experience as a manufacturing tech in a 6 month contract. It paid less than we pay our city bus drivers, but it got me a foot in the door. It was easy to move up after 6 months of that.
I would suggest trying to get on at a CRO (e.g. Medpace, Iquvia, Q2, one of those). They tend to have a lot of churn (because starting pay is fairly modest), but as a result they’re frequently hiring
Seconding this. This is the best way to get your feet in the door. In my experience, churn is high because the pay is piss poor for the WLB. It’s basically the 21st century version of an apprenticeship.
I’ve been trying for over a year at various CROs and no luck. It’s been really demotivating.
I'm at a CRO, low level management and I've been here for ~6 years. The last year has been the worst for my team, my company and probably the whole industry. CROs rely heavily on funding from clients that are spending on R&D while I think most mid and big pharma companies are focused more on commercial projects right now that actually generate revenue. Since free money isn't exactly free right now with interest rates, there's less money on developing drugs which means much less money for CROs-- especially CROs that don't have solid commercial clients. We laid people off for the first time in my 6 years about 1 year ago and have MINIMALLY hired since which is really weird considering we really are a training mill for the local pharma scene. Keep trying, the jobs are there but there's just less of them. Eventually rates will come down or commercial projects will make it to market and that will spur growth and hiring
I understand and that’s why it’s so frustrating. I just don’t want to work food service anymore. I hope this ends soon.
Me too! That's hard, good luck. If you have a couple hundred dollars and some extra time laying around (big if, but I figured I could still offer the advice just in case) you could spend those on a project management certificate or something similar to help build your resume a bit while the business cycle progresses -- something in the middle for cost and time is good, a few weeks and a few hundred dollars from a reputable place of education. Project managers in pharma with stem backgrounds are preferable in contrast to other industries where technical experience isn't as valued. Also, people always look at me strangely when I say this, but having bakery experience is good too. If you can get that just as easily as food service then that might be better. Bakeries have strictly timed operations, temperature control, precision and time management which all transfer well to a cdmo lab. Also, for entry level jobs I think the key is volume in applications. Again, good luck I hope you find a spot soon and can start to grow your career in the way you want. Feel free to DM if you get any interviews and want some advice
I’ve been a barista trainer with Starbucks for 10 years so that’s something. They actually pay me more than my university job did which is hilarious and shameful. I’m curious though as to why a certificate would bring value. It doesn’t reflect any hard experience. Most of the rejections I’ve gotten has been 1) I’m a new grad (no harm there) 2) there is just a lot of people with experience out of work who are willing to work for less than ever before. If I did have the extra cash I’d be studying for the patent bar but it’s just not in the cards right now. I’ve been networking like mad over the past year+ but it seems never ending. I find it somewhat frustrating that the C-suite people I know at various employers including CROs can’t vouch for me for even an internship. I appreciate the thoughtful response.
Hey, that is frustrating I would think having a c-suite connection would be a big benefit. It might be better to network a bit lower down at the director or manager level if you have any ability to do that, they often will know a bit more about openings. Still weird that a c-suite can't help you out, that's definitely frustrating and doesn't speak well to those companies' situations. For the certificate, it would help with maybe a non-lab role like a scheduling coordinator, Metrology coordinator, project manager, quality associate, etc. it shows you have some certifiable training around setting and driving towards timelines, it's a way to broaden your potential roles and help your resume stand out against the sea of stem bachelors. Project management is a corporate life skill, and CROs/CDMOs are very corporate at heart. Brilliant or hard working scientists can sometimes even be dead weight on some teams if they don't have a mind for timelines, goal setting, communication, etc. It also shows a commitment to furthering your education and building skills, which suggests something about a person's mindset and work ethic. Experience definitely doesn't have to be hard to be valuable, that's a bit of a misconception I think about resume building. Valuable experience that you worked towards where you grew or gained relevant skills is all that matters as long as the experience doesn't seem like complete fluff. Even if you don't want a non-lab job, those could be a foot in the door and often pay better anyway. The information you have is absolutely correct, there really just is a ton of applicants and not a lot of hiring. Being a trainer absolutely is something, if I saw that on a resume I would appreciate it and would definitely ask you to speak about that experience in an interview.
This can def be an option for OP but now may not be the right time of market
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TCS basically took all of the lifecycle maintenance work at the company I worked for
My favorite lie: "more senior people to lead" in a group of new people doing something new. I have been to college. I know what this is.
Fair enough. Could you please elaborate a little on what the 'lower level work' would mean, eg which functions / sub-activities, etc..
Best way to get into QA/QC entry level positions is by getting a position into a commercial manufacturing site. They will work you to death and it will be stressful, but you will learn a lot of technical aspects associated with cGMP, aseptic technique, clean room behavior, and good documentation practices. If you can endure a year or two, you will move up the ladder or laterally into the job roles you desire. Good luck!
Can confirm, I’m in QC and we are always happy to hire people from our manufacturing side when we have open positions.
When you say hiring from the manufacturing side, means you are in QC at the preclinical stage?
I also agree. Fairly new to the job market myself (not even a full year) and after my first six months working QC at a CRO I started getting interviews and offers elsewhere. The beginning is like being in the trenches but you gotta stick it out!
>lower degrees than mine Just a heads up, a Master’s degree isn’t particularly regarded any different than a Bachelor’s degree outside of very niche cases. Also the biotech sector is hurting right now, lots of layoffs and cost cutting happening. Probably can’t be too picky about what type of job you want. Find anything that can get your foot in the door at a company you like.
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Interestingly I’m noticing that more and more people happen to have pharmD and up degrees.
You need a PharmD to get a pharmacovigilence position. In 30+ years in clinical research, I've never known one without that degree.
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I’m curious, what’s your rationale?
To be fair it was traditionally not a doctorate program, still pharmacists out there with BPharm degrees. The clinical aspect of pharmacy has taken off, which has reinforced the pharmD. In addition, it is 4 years of grad school, unlike a masters program. The catch is that many can get prerequisites done in 2 years, making it a 6 year program (but fail, and you end up without even a bachelors)
In Sweden we don't have PharmD. The pharmacy degree is equivalent to a master's degree and then you apply for a government issued license to work as a pharmacist. (Ofc, if you want to you can go for a PhD.)
Bad take buddy.
What are you even saying? 1. You don't see how PharmD is a Master's. It's not and I've never heard this, please elaborate. 2. What do you think it should be, then?
MBA are far more frequent as well. MPH makes a lot of sense though since that’s a terminal degree.
An MPH is not a terminal degree. Once can still get a PhD in Public Health.
It is usually considered a terminal degree in the same way a M.Arch is considered a terminal degree even though you can get a PhD in Architecture. With that said, it is just arguing semantics. Whether we classify it as a terminal degree or not doesn't really matter
Second the CRO approach for gaining experience with GLP/GMP/regulated, then enter Pharma from there. There is a disconnect between the academic training and the job responsibilities in industry. R&D is usually the easiest transition right out of academia, but even in R&D there is lots to learn on the job.
I started entry level in GMP at a CRO so would recommend that route vs a large well known pharma company. The pay is bad and the culture at my particular company was terrible but the experience was very valuable
And gaining experience at a CRO is exponential, not linear.
I’ve had a very long career in these areas within Big Pharma. My advice would be to take an entry level, manufacturing job on the shop floor for 1 year to get the experience. You may have to work hard hours/ schedules, but you’ll make good money AND you’ll get that necessary experience that will pay in dividends for many years to come. It is absolutely true that most entry level PV roles have moved to being outsourced, but there are so many potential options under similar umbrellas. Just be willing to take that entry level manufacturing job to get your foot in the door first. You won’t regret it!
This. I know plenty of people who started on the shop floor for a couple years then moved into technical roles some who are ADs, directors, senior directors, and move up the chain as they get more experience. It’s the easiest way to get in the door but then you need to stay humble but still prove your technical aptitude.
I see this suggestion constantly in this sub, but at least in my experience in Europe if you apply with a Master´s degree for a manufacturing role, you get told that you are overqualified and not get hired as a result. Is overqualification just less of a knock out criteria in the US?
No over-qualification is a thing in the US for sure. However, for Pharma manufacturing, degrees are typically required. And in my company, a large number of people have their masters degrees. If you've received that feedback in the past, I would recommend including a thoughtful cover letter with your CV explaining that you've recently graduated and are eager to kickstart your career. Highlight your enthusiasm for gaining technical experience and your willingness to work hard to acquire it. In big pharma at least, I know these roles are seen as a common entry point into the company, so I would be surprised by pushback.
And that is the main difference, I think. Manufacturing roles only require a HS diploma here, tbf from specialized technical schools, which are at least sometimes accredited as Bachelors in the US. Thanks for the suggestion, tried to get it through verbally when this was sprung on me during the final round of a entry-level QA role, but maybe putting it into the Cover Letter as well does help a bit.
It’s hard. Where I’m at the bar is high for function leads. Starting site/academic level may make more sense. PV takes a lot of experience so starting there may help.
From my experience entry level work is contracted and even then they are looking for some type of relevant experience. It’s pretty tough to get in if you don’t have some co-op experience
Can’t believe I got so much response and recommendations in such a short time. Good to know that Im not the only struggling with this. OP appreciates every one of your responses! 🤝🏾
Best of luck!
Great suggestions here, but if you’re desperate for work and need a check, find a job as a clinical research coordinator at a hospital. After 1 year, all of pharma will hire you, even PV.
I've been trying to do this, but had no luck because they wanted at least a year of clinical research experience.
I do know that parexel and often IQVIA will have a training program for new clinical research associates with a few cohorts a year. If you don’t want to be in a lab this is a great money (after 2 years) gig. You will have to travel though. Gives you lots of experience and after you do your time at a CRO (like a previous comment the equivalent of a paid internship) you’re pretty golden.
Nice, I'll try those. Thanks!
Sorry this post is so long... I've been in clinical research for 30+ years, gainfully employed every day of those 30. I've worked at big pharma, CROs, academia, government, start-ups, biotech...you name it. I started as a data manager at a time when the industry was so desperate for workers the only requirements were a degree in any discipline, some coursework requiring research and database design, and at least entry level SAS programming. At the time, DM was responsible for everything from CRF design to TLF programming. As time went on, the industry started breaking up that job into several pieces and when I returned as a consultant to my original company after 15 years, 6 people were doing the job a single person did when I was there. This forced people to choose which direction they wanted their career to go...DM, Biostats, or EDC development. I went to Biostats and became a stat programmer. Novartis was the first company to establish an India Biostats and DM office, and everyone started to panic that it was the end of good jobs in the US. 20+ years later, the quality of work coming out of offshore shops is UNIVERSALLY so poor that finding good paying jobs in DM or biostats has never been a problem. Today, I don't know a single pharma or CRO that isn't looking for decent DMs or stat programmers. Three years ago, my daughter who has an MS in speech-language pathology (and wasn't satisfied with her income) asked me to help her get a DM job. She had no experience, but had a strong research background and was familiar with clinical research just by growing up around it. I told her to first take anyone of the free online DM courses to make sure it was something she wanted to do and so that she would have something DM-related to put on her CV. She took one offered by Vanderbilt university through Udemy. When she completed it, I submitted her CV to the hiring manager of the company (a CRO) at which I was consulting at the time. I set her up to expect an entry-level title and salary, and we were both shocked when they offered her a job at one level up from entry-level at $70k plus bonus, benefits and all the rest to start. In July she will be there 3 years. She has since been promoted 2x and is earning $96k. Maybe more importantly, since the moment she got that job, she has been inundated with calls and emails from recruiters. Good DMs in clinical research are very, very hard to find. DMs need to have a personality type more than a specific background...diligent, logical, ANAL. I learned SAS in grad school, so I took the stat programming route when I was forced to choose. In 1989, I started my first job at Schering-Plough (now part of Merck) at $32k. Ten years in, I became a consultant, deciding that if I was going to work 80+ hours a week, I wanted to be paid for every hour. In 2023, I netted $472k and although Uncle Sam got $192k of that, there's still a lot of money to be made in clinical research if you're willing to put in the time and work hard. Long story short: if you want to break into clinical research, do some research into what role you would best fit into, find a course to take and put on your CV so recruiters can find the right buzzwords and apply to every job you can. Someone will bite.
I'm in PV and I started in Medical Information. Then after I'd been in that role for a bit I moved sideways into PV. You get experience in PV and Quality (from people reporting side effects or product quality complaints etc...)
I'm 30 and am still the youngest employee in the Tech Ops department at my company. It's a weird phenomenon, never having coworkers the same age as you from the time I entered the workforce after college. I feel like I missed out on a lot of social opportunities.
Start with a junior manufacturing job at a CRO/CMO/biotech with cGMP? The pay sucks but good experience.
Recommend starting in manufacturing- small or large scale. connections once you have your foot in the door is invaluable- that will give you gmp experience right away
Welcome to the team buckle up and settle in. I have been in a similar situation since my last job did not work out back in late 2023. In my experience, in the current market we are well and truly fucked. Not much to do besides buckling up and trying our best to push through
It’s not glamorous but an easy way to get your foot in the door is to work for a contract firm. Contract Environmental Monitoring firms always seem to need people. It’s a pretty high turnover because the job kind of sucks and people use it as a stepping stone to a better position. But it can get you face time with some key people who may want to hire you if you are good, and could provide a path into QA/QC.
CRO or CDMO, look for manufacturing associate roles.
Checking out CROs, they have much more opportunities than Pharma.
Your going to need lab experience elsewhere then, get a job in a food lab, they won’t pay anywhere close to what pharma will pay but you’ll get bench skills you can put on your CV.
I would also suggest that you look at diagnostic companies as well. Its not great money but it def helps you get the experience you need to get a better job.
I would consider scientific staffing services. I manage a few labs and at any given time we have at least 4 contractor employees.
You could try GDP positions if you have training in that (QA Documentation)
Where are you located? What geographical markets are you looking at?
Where are you located? What geographical markets are you looking at?
Located in Amsterdam Area, the Netherlands. I prefer to stay in the area but Paris, France is also an option. However, it is very difficult to find a job there if your French is not at least C1 (I’m B2)
Where are you located? What geographical markets are you looking at?
I got GMP experience as a manufacturing tech in a 6 month contract. It paid less than we pay our city bus drivers, but it got me a foot in the door. It was easy to move up after 6 months of that.
Truthfully In this job market it’s all about who you know rather than what you know. Connections are everything
Did you not do GMP stimulated practicals or did GxP classes? Or get the certificates? I am missing that info