Career Advice
Based on typical fourth quarter hiring activity, biopharma job seekers should apply for open roles sooner than later. Recruiting and career coaching experts offer advice on timing, networking, interviewing and casting a wider net than usual during Q4.
Leadership
In this episode of Denatured, you’ll hear from Max Bronstein, CEO of Aviva Strategies and Teresa Barnes, Chief Executive Warrior of PF Warriors. We dig into why U.S. patients are losing access to rare disease trials happening abroad and how the FAIR Act’s accelerated, harmonized reviews could help the U.S. keep pace while getting lifesaving studies to patients faster.
Career Pathing
Biopharma professionals are among those delaying retirement, with 52% expecting to leave the workforce later than originally planned, according to a BioSpace LinkedIn poll. A career coach and recruiter discuss why some are pushing out or moving up their exits.
Limited opportunities and burnout are just two reasons biopharma professionals stop looking for work, with some pivoting away from the industry or turning to consulting. Two career coaches discuss why ending a job hunt is harmful and what to do instead.
A missed promotion can feel like a verdict on your potential. But people and organizations do not always develop at the same pace. Executive coach Angela Justice breaks down what a missed promotion is actually telling you—and what it isn’t.
Best of Career Coach
Plus, tips on applying to multiple jobs at the same company, making new work friends, and how to ask for more time at the offer stage.
JOB SEARCH STRATEGY
Biotechs that announced series B financing this year and are expanding their workforces include one that raised $2.1 billion and has partnerships with Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis.
With U.S. data science jobs projected to grow 35% over the next decade, a recruiter and talent strategy director discuss the qualifications, technical skills and mindset needed to land these coveted positions.
Funding announcements can signal future hiring activity, giving biotech professionals a chance to build relationships before positions are posted. Industry experts share how to identify the funding events, milestones and company indicators most likely to lead to new jobs.
RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS
Two recruiting experts discuss the main areas where biopharma employers and candidates don’t match up, from how the hiring process runs to what companies can truly pay new employees.
AI tools can help job seekers write resumes and mass apply to open positions, but those aren’t the only, or best, ways to use them. A career coach shares how she advises clients to make the most of AI during the application and interview process.
It’s not unusual for it to take unemployed biopharma professionals awhile to land new jobs. Three experts discuss when employment gaps are an issue and how to explain them to prospective employers.
INTERVIEWS
While artificial intelligence can help biotech and pharma companies more quickly vet job applicants, it can also turn off the very people they want to employ. Two recruiting experts discuss AI’s role and limitations in the hiring process.
Business stage is just one factor in whether biopharmas want job candidates to have oncology experience for oncology roles. Two recruiters explain when oncology expertise matters most, the mistakes job seekers make and how to make a good impression.
Even something as simple as “Tell me about yourself” can trip up biopharma professionals during job interviews. Two recruiting experts discuss what candidates should and shouldn’t say when answering five specific questions.
An executive who is rarely short on ideas needs someone to pull their big ideas through to implementation. Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack explains why this person, who he calls the implementer, may be the most important hire in the building.
Working at a Big Pharma has its benefits, but there are limitations too. SERB Pharmaceuticals’ Thomas Kolaras discusses how moving to a midsize company creates new opportunities for sharpened thinking and leadership.
The choices that change a career often look like extra work at the time. Executive coach Angela Justice examines why the projects, questions, relationships and conversations people almost dismiss can become the ones they later recognize as turning points.
Controlling CEOs, manipulative middle managers and high-performing jerks can damage employees’ trust in employers and motivate them to hit the job market. Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack discusses the problematic behaviors executives must watch for in the workplace.
Rather than getting hung up on what to call DEI in the workplace, leaders should take three specific actions to help their employees embrace and engage with it. Companies and the patients they serve will benefit.
Three experts discuss whether biotech and pharma professionals should try to convince employers to adjust employment offers, mistakes people make during the process and tips for getting it right.
Join us in this discussion on how you can optimize your chances of landing a new role despite a highly competitive job market.
MORE ADVICE
The people most trusted to deliver are not always the ones invited to shape direction. Executive coach Angela Justice examines why the habits that build a career can eventually limit advancement.
Scientists who focus only on generating data risk missing their role in shaping strategy and driving innovation.
Panel interviews can play a major role in getting jobs. Two career coaches discuss what to do before and during the interview, including identifying how to differentiate yourself, engaging in true conversations and not overlooking a key panel member.
Over one-third of BioSpace LinkedIn poll respondents have done free work while interviewing for jobs. A recruiting expert and career coach discuss why employers make work requests and how biopharma professionals should evaluate and respond to them.
Finding the right people for critical open roles can be difficult even for biopharma leaders. In this column, Kaye/Bassman’s Michael Pietrack discusses four pitfalls executives face during the hiring process, starting with confusing scientific brilliance with leadership ability.
Some bosses stretch you. Others make work more bearable. Both can earn your loyalty. Only one is building your future. Leadership coach Angela Justice explains how to tell the difference.
As AI reshapes deeply specialized scientific work, R&D professionals must learn to navigate the shift to a skills-centered market. The key is knowing which skills to develop and how to leverage AI as scientific modalities evolve, technologies advance and regulatory complexity increases.
Recruiters can play a significant role in biopharma professionals getting hired, especially in an employer-driven job market. However, when working with them, candidates need to avoid making six key mistakes, from waiting too long to ask for help to prematurely contacting hiring companies.
While you should never rely solely on AI tools when applying for jobs, they can greatly benefit the application process. Recruiting expert Bryan Blair discusses how using large language models can set you apart from the competition and includes a prompt framework to get you started.