Advice for graduates obtaining their first role in the pharmaceutical and medical industry.

1. Entry into the Pharmaceutical and
Medical Devices Industry
Dr Glenn Carter
Healthcare Professionals Group

2. Improving your chances of getting your first position
within the pharmaceutical and medical industry
 The role of Recruitment agencies
 CV preparation
 Interviewing Skills
 Enhancing your industry knowledge

3. The Role Of Recruitment Agencies
Clients know we have a large candidate database and this means that they don’t have to advertise.
Using agencies saves the client time, so that they can focus on their core business.
We have strong knowledge of the pharmaceutical and medical industry allowing us to work closely
with our clients and pro-actively suggest candidates for future roles.

4. What can you expect from a recruitment agency?
 Networks with lots of clients so that you have different roles to choose from.
 Advice on CV preparation.
 Interviewing skills coaching.
 Career guidance - skills to enhance, job rotation ideas.
 Access to specific pharmaceutical and medical industry knowledge.

5. Choosing a Recruitment Consultant
Choose a recruitment consultant that you feel comfortable working with.
Ask them:
 How long have you been doing recruitment?
 How long has your company been operating within the pharmaceutical and medical sector?
 How well do you know the company that you are representing me to?
 How many other candidates have you placed at that company?

6. Recruitment Process
CV Preparation and preliminary industry research
Initial interview with the Recruitment Consultant
Interview with Human Resources
Interview with the Hiring Manager
Job Offer

7. CV Preparation - First Impressions are vital
Format and Layout - simple emailed Word document with basic format and layout
Content
Name
Contact details
Education
Current Position
Past Positions: Company, Dates, Title, Achievements and Responsibilities

8. CV Preparation - Highlight relevant responsibilities
 Hospital pharmacy – dispensing for clinical trials
 Hospital or retail pharmacy – reporting adverse events
 Hospital or retail pharmacy – handling medical information queries
 Pathology lab - responsible for entering clinical data.
 Medical centre - responsible for records management.
 Freelance writer for a scientific publication.
 Retail experience in a place that provided extensive customer service training.
 Providing medical information at a Poisons Centre.
 Experience gained from a thesis project (especially if commercially relevant e.g. patient
behaviour)

9. Interviewing with the Recruitment Consultant
Pre-interview preparation to demonstrate enthusiasm:
Learn about the clinical trial process, regulatory requirements, reimbursement, sales and marketing,
therapeutic areas, products, different pharmaceutical and medical companies.
First Impressions are important - be prepared, on-time, well-dressed and professional.
Be completely honest - a trusting relationship with a professional recruiter can move your career
along

10. Interviewing with Human Resources
The Human Resources interview:
 objective to screen candidates and provide recommendations on cultural fit.
See HR as an ally, not an impediment
Be interested, positive and likeable.
You need to persuade HR that:
 you are qualified to do the job
 you want to do it
 if given the job, you will fit in.

11. Interpersonal skills are important within the corporate
environment
 listening skills
 questioning skills
 presentation skills
 writing skills
 working in teams
 negotiation
 conflict resolution
 management

12. Interviewing with the Hiring Manager
Behaviourally based interviewing
 past behaviour and performance is the best indicator of future performance. Therefore describe
specific examples from job related experiences that are relevant to the role.
To uncover the true nature of the candidate’s knowledge, motivations and values interviewers want
to find out
 how the candidates have handled various situations
 what action they took in situations
 the results of those actions

13. Overview of entry level positions for graduates
Clinical Research
Regulatory/Scientific Affairs/Drug Safety
Medical Information
Data Management
Sales

14. Clinical Research
Management of designated clinical trials including investigator selection, analysis of potential patient
recruitment, preparation of trial related documentation (protocols, Case report forms, investigators
brochures, consent documents, letters of agreement, confidentiality agreements), organising Ethics
committee submissions with follow through to ensure successful outcome.
Monitoring the assigned clinical trials following company SOPs and in accordance with GCP. Being
the point of first contact when investigators/site personnel enquire about patient inclusion/exclusion
criteria for ongoing trials.

15. Clinical Research
Development and implementation of recruitment strategies to increase patient randomisation into
the trial (eg investigator and research nurse meetings, update newsletters, advertising, and letters to
GPs).
Maintain project files including: ethics committee approvals; curricula vitae of investigators and
study personnel; clinical investigators brochure; protocols; case report forms instructions; consent
documents; clinical trial material shipping orders; start-up meeting attendance documentation;
letters of agreement; lab reference ranges; all investigator and site correspondence; and schedules
of payment.

16. Regulatory Affairs
Assist with the preparation of regulatory documentation including regulatory submissions to TGA,
drafting Product information, consumer information, literature searches to support submissions,
TGAL product analysis, changes in manufacturing, pack sizes, CMI and PI development, packaging
changes, MIMS notification and other regulatory activities.
Ensure that all other adverse event data (trial, literature and spontaneously reported) is entered into
regulatory databases within the timeframes specified and that the appropriate regulatory authorities
are notified.

17. Medical Information
To provide balanced, evaluated information and advice on the clinical use of medicines to both
external customers (pharmacists, GPs, specialists, nurses, patients and consumer groups) and
internal customers (sales and marketing, health economics, corporate affairs).
Constantly review published literature and company data to keep up to date with current product
issues.
Review advertising and promotional material to ensure Code of Conduct compliance.

18. Data Management
Responsible for collecting, coding, processing, validating and analysing patient data from the clinical
trials.
Developing Case Report Forms (CRFs) and data collection tools
Developing data validation and analysis plans.
Managing data entry and coding of clinical data

19. Sales
Responsibility for developing the sales of the company’s products in the assigned territory through
full coverage of all contacts and by becoming a value-added partner to the health care
professionals. These will include pharmacies, wholesalers, hospitals, specialists and General
Practitioners.
Deliver superior sales presentations to customers by fully planning each call with specific objectives;
maintaining the customer’s interest; overcoming objections positively; reframing product features
into customer benefits and the competent use of relevant literature.

20. If at first you do not succeed….

21. Seek a position that will give you relevant
experience for future roles
 Hospital/Retail Pharmacy
 Clinical Trials Centre
 Health department
 Therapeutic Goods Administration
 Medical Education company
 Poisons Centre
 Pathology lab
 Non-pharmaceutical healthcare company
 A commercially relevant thesis project

22. Enhance your industry knowledge
 develop a working knowledge of all areas (e.g. clinical research, regulatory, medical information,
sales and marketing)
 join industry associations (ARCS, specialist groups)
 attend conferences
 consider part-time study (Masters of Drug Development, Certificate in Health Economics, ARCS
courses)

23. Health & Aged Care Professionals
Recruiting all clinical care, management and operational positions with Public and Private Hospitals; Medical Practices;
Imaging Service Providers; Health Insurance Funds; and Aged Care providers, residential facilities and affiliated service
providers
www.hacpconnect.com
Pharmaceutical & Medical Professionals
Recruiting all positions, at all levels, into biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceutical and scientific companies
www.pmpconnect.com
Rural & Remote Healthcare Professionals
Recruiting doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and healthcare administrators into rural and remote hospitals and
medical practices
www.rrhpconnect.com