"Experience is essential!"
Interview with Sylvain Larose of Probe Recrutement, a life sciences recruiting and networking firm

Jobs of the future in the pharmaceutical industry—desired skills

With a foot in both computers and biology, bioanalysts apply computer tools to the various areas of biology, e.g. genomics.Bioanalysts, or bioinformaticians, take part in basic and applied research in order to enhance knowledge about living organisms, manage natural resources and develop new practices and products in the fields of medicine and agriculture.

The chemist designation covers a lot of ground—from research and development, to sales representative, and including production and quality control.

Pharmacy technicians provide clerical and technical support to pharmacists in hospitals or retail pharmacies.

Community pharmacists (local pharmacies, chains) and hospital pharmacists fill prescriptions, give advice on the use of drugs and keep records of customer prescriptions. Industrial pharmacists participate in the research and development, testing and production of new drugs. They draft information documents regarding the use and therapeutic effects of particular drugs and evaluate drug labelling, packaging and advertising.

Medical lab technicians work in medical research labs in hospitals, clinics, research institutes and universities, as well as in government research labs.

Microbiology is a science that is divided into several branches: bacteriology, virology, parasitology and immunology.  The objective of microbiology is to build specific knowledge in an effort to counter the propagation of harmful microorganisms and to develop concrete applications from research findings (wastewater treatment, the transformation of toxic waste, industrial fermentation, fertilization, medicines).

The research pharmacist will work mainly on two axes of research: contributing to the development of medicines, and evaluating pharmaceutical care and services.  He/she may operate out of a pharmaceutical research company, university, hospital or other institution.

The pharmacologist is first and foremost a doctor, a chemist or a biologist specialized in medicine. He/she conducts experiments and analyses to better understand the effects of pharmaceutical substances and drugs on the human or animal organism.

The development of a pharmaceutical or biotechnological company requires the appropriate registering of its products and the periodic renewal of market authorizations. The mission of the Regulatory Affairs Specialist is to prepare and file demands for regulatory approval of the products of one’s company. 

For a given territory, a pharmaceutical sales representative is in charge of developing relationships with pharmacists and doctors to promote the products of the pharmaceutical company that employs him/her.

Research and development investment in pharmaceuticals is such that it is essential for pharmaceutical companies to aim for a substantial and quick return on investment, before the patent becomes part of the public domain.

While war, natural disasters, and North-South inequalities are increasingly prevalent on Earth, humanitarian missions are organizing themselves and becoming more professional. People with a calling are always welcome, but the trend is now to recruit humanitarian professionals, notably pharmacists, who play a key role in humanitarian projects.

Regardless of whether it is imposed on or freely chosen , temporary work has the wind in its sails, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry—which fully knows how to benefit from it. Although less "comfortable" than a permanent job, contract work can also be appealing and advantageous for workers.

Job hunting can be a real headache for any recent pharmacy graduate. After targeting a few companies, the thing to do is to prepare a CV and cover letter. It's a first step in the right direction to getting an interview, and possibly a job, in the pharmaceutical industry.

In 15 years, the global pharmaceutical industry has more than tripled its sales, which stood at $643 billion in 2006; Canada ranked 8th, with a 2.6% market share.

Clinical research technicians have an important role to play with respect to the investigator, who manages and controls the conduct of the study.