Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences Careers.

Overview

Searching for a job in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences Industry can be challenging but not impossible. It requires a combination of education, skills, experience, and patience as finding the right role will take time. The industry is diverse, and there are various roles, from early development to manufacturing, research to distribution, and regulatory affairs to post market research. Tailor your job search to your interests and strengths within the Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences domain. We also recommend that you have an alternate plan as these positions can be quite competitive. Be open to entry-level positions as they can serve as a pathway to more advanced roles within the industry, however, they may be hard to find.

Consider Clinical/Contract Research Organizations (CRO’s) as a place of employment for your first job as the skills are directly transferable to the positions in the industry. This will help you land a role in this field later in your career.

Common Job Titles for Students Interested in Positions in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences Industry

  • Biostatistician, Data Management, SAS Programmer
  • Clinical Trial Coordinator/Associate/Manager
  • Consulting (Analyst, Associate, Consultant)
  • Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) Specialist
  • Pharmacoepidemiologist & Drug Safety
  • Medical Writer
  • Quality Assurance & Quality Control Auditors
  • Health and Safety Specialist
  • Regulatory Affairs Auditor/Specialist
  • Supply Chain Analyst
  • Program or Project Management
  • Patient Support

Where These Positions Can Be Found

  • Visit the career webpage for the companies you are interested in to see what they have posted. Some examples include:: 
    • Brigham and Women’s Hospital Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics Home
    • Parexel
    • Vertex
    • Pfizer
    • Astrazeneca
    • Medtronic
  • BioSpace Jobs
  • Mass Biotechnology Careers
  • Many consulting firms work with Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences clients and can be a good way to get your foot in the door

Core Competencies & Skills Needed

Be sure to read job postings to learn more. Competencies and skills will vary by sector​.

  • Tendency to think logically and analytically
  • Interest in solving challenging research problems
  • Ability to work both individually and collaboratively
  • Desire to continue learning about new topics and new techniques
  • Strong background in math and statistics
  • Knowledge of how to use statistics programs and databases
  • Interest/experience analyzing large data sets
  • Tools: SAS, R, Excel (sometimes) and CITI certifications

Salary Expectation

Resume & Cover Letter Samples

  • If you’re looking for clinical research within the Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Life Sciences — follow the Epi/Bio & Research resume template and cover letter templates
  • If you’re looking for roles in the administrative or operations side — follow the HCM resume templates
  • Be sure to follow the instructions from the job posting itself and only include relatable skills and responsibilities listed on the job description under the experience section

Specific Considerations for Applications within the Pharma/Biotech/Med. Device Companies​

Be mindful that these jobs are very competitive and often use automated systems to review resumes. This means:

    • It is very important to apply early
    • Cater your resume to the specific needs of the employer and your goals are aligned with their requirements
    • Use exact keywords and numbers if possible. For example, “4 years of experience” is not the same to an automated system as, “3+ years of experience”
  • Certain research positions can also fulfill the experience needed for the job posting

Associations & Organizations