Looking for Work in the Pharmaceutical Industry? Here are 6 Essential Skills You Need
Medicine and pharmaceuticals make up an incredibly lucrative and rewarding field to work in. At the same time, the medical industry is also notoriously challenging, and finding work in a pharmaceutical company takes a lot of experience and knowledge that goes beyond what even a detailed CV can cover.
We all know that basic skills like professionalism and communication are important, just as they are for any other job. But pharmaceutical companies are looking for professionals with a particular set of skills. All individuals, and especially those who aim to specialize in a subfield and apply for pharmaceutical industry positions, should choose an active learning approach.
What You Should Consider When Deciding to Start Your Career in Pharma
A career in the pharmaceutical industry can be incredibly rewarding, both professionally and from a compensation standpoint. However, with the pharma and biotech industry constantly evolving, it is critical to stay up to date with certification courses and develop the critical thinking skills that will help you advance in your career.
Here are a few important things to consider when it comes to starting your career in pharma:
- Understand Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations: The pharma industry is no stranger to regulation. Luckily, strict industry-wide standards have been created to ensure consistency across the industry regardless of region and location.
- The importance of working in a regulated industry: While business executives may complain about regulation — there’s no denying the important role it plays in ensuring high-quality standards, health and safety, and general consistency across the industry.
- Focus on GMP certification: Getting your GMP certification will help you stand out from the crowd because it demonstrates that you understand industry best practices.
Top Skills & Knowledge Required to Start Working in the Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Manufacturing Industry
1. Compliance Knowledge
The medical field is notorious for its stringent legal regulations, and the penalty for non-compliance is even more significant:
- A non-compliant organization has to pay on average $9.6 million
- Damaged reputation with the industry
- Loss of trust with patients
- Revoked licenses
- Business disruptions
Whether we’re talking about good manufacturing practices or cybersecurity measures, you will need to include regulatory knowledge in your formal education.
Medicine is a heavily disciplined work environment, so consider enrolling in
GMP certification or any other course that can build up your knowledge on the regulations that apply to your industry.
2. Management and Teamwork
If you want to prove that you can get the job done, you’ll need management skills to help you evaluate risks and make good decisions that will keep progress moving forward despite the setbacks. Adaptability and organizational skills are highlighted here.
Having said that, management isn’t just about giving orders. Being team-oriented is also a must, and it’s often a pitfall for new workers in the field. While you might have been able to get away with finishing schoolwork alone, the real work you do at
pharmaceutical industry jobs must be done as a team. The following skills are important to be able to work well with others and collaborate effectively.
- Interpersonal skills
- People skills
- Communication
- Diplomatic experience
- Conflict resolution
Communication and the ability to build relationships with your peers are especially necessary here, as sharing responsibilities is par for the course. You’ll also be crafting a reliable network that will bring you even more opportunities.
Conflict resolution is important because decision-making is hardly ever unanimous when working with others. Be able to respond to differing opinions with empathy and work out a solution in the end.
3. Problem Solving
Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a very dynamic sector and filled with difficult decisions and continuous pressures. Critical thinking and creativity are a must if you want to be successful here. If you can contribute great ideas on how to move forward when the going gets tough, you will be an important asset to your team.
4. Project Management
From drug research and development to medical device manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry moves forward one project at a time. To be a successful project manager requires strong planning skills, project management skills, as well as an understanding of how to manage and prioritize tasks.
For instance, you will have to allocate time, money, and general resources to the production of medicines, treatments, and devices. What specific pain points and issues that patients are facing should you focus your attention on? Project management is a vital skill to have if you’re looking for pharmacy manufacturing jobs.
5. Recordkeeping
Documentation is a large part of the pharmaceutical manufacturing and research process. Companies need someone to record findings and test results completely and accurately. Remember, writing production logs is part of the job of developing new products.
Recordkeeping also comes in handy during the auditing process, where you can prove that certain best practices were followed and check for and resolve potential discrepancies.
6. A Willingness To Learn
Science never sleeps. No matter what you’ve learned so far in your career, there are always new developments and discoveries that pharmaceutical specialists must stay up-to-date on.
Keep your company aligned with modern trends in the overall industry. Doing so will allow you to plan for future projects and take advantage of future business opportunities.
Pick Up Hard Industry Skills With CfPIE
Tying into a willingness to learn, keep in mind that there are professional courses taught by certified instructors that will keep your knowledge up-to-date on the pharmaceutical industry.
While the skills above will certainly give you a solid foundation to work from, hard knowledge is what will ultimately help you get your foot in the door of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.
For example, getting
GMP certified opens the door for positions in quality control, regulatory affairs, auditing, and various other compliance-focused roles.
Are you looking to advance your skills in the pharmaceutical industry? Register for our
Good Manufacturing Practices Training and receive a
GMP certification online that’ll help you stay compliant with FDA regulations once you’re out in the field.
CFPIE offers many flexible courses that’ll help you further develop your pharmaceutical industry skill set.
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