.png?v=fb8b372394a0fd31a1f56ec5bd26b0b3)
How working in the medical industry can improve your health
An overview of work-life balance at IQVIA
In today’s increasingly competitive industry, it can be easy to fall into an endless cycle of work and sleep, especially if you have a heavy workload. While some people enjoy a work-intensive lifestyle, it’s equally important to take control of the time you dedicate to your job: research has shown that employees with a good work-life balance experience higher levels of satisfaction, and employers offering it will attract more new hires and reduce staff turnover.
IQVIA’s Therapy Area Specialist Alice Brooks tells us why IQVIA, one of FORTUNE 2017’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’, is the perfect place to be when it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Can you give me a basic overview of what your job entails? How busy is it?
Every day as a Therapy Area Specialist is a busy day. However, the good news is that when you work in primary care, our days mirror our customers’; there’s no need to work weekend or evening shifts, as there are no surgeries open.
My job is to meet with doctors, nurses and pharmacists to talk to them about my product: I explain the clinical benefit of the product for their patients to them. The role requires you to have good navigational skills and the ability to prioritise and keep time well. Every day is different: but they’re all busy, but you’re never short of things to do.
What attracted you to work at IQVIA?
When you work at IQVIA there are great opportunities for career development. The company is passionate about its employees: they don’t just want them to do well, they want to help them be the best they can be. IQVIA has so many exciting opportunities to get involved with and has been at the front of so many incredible projects in the pharmaceutical industry.
What advice would you have for people wanting to go into medical sales?
It’s the best opportunity you will ever have to use your love of science and to help people. Being a medical sales representative is hard work but it’s very rewarding in many aspects. This is a challenging career because you travel but you get to meet and work with so many amazing people and feel empowered by helping patients.
How does having a good work-life balance influence your job?
I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t have a good work-life balance. Work is important to me but so is keeping fit and healthy and being with my family and friends. Without a work-life balance, I wouldn’t be able to fit it all in.
As a Therapy Account Specialist, I can book appointments with customers at any time of the day, be it an early morning appointment or an evening meeting. The day’s planning is left up to me which means I have a lot of autonomy over what I do: for instance, I can arrange appointments at times that let me miss the morning rush hour traffic.
In your experience how important is it to have a good work-life balance in the workplace?
I’ve previously worked in roles where the company ethos was ‘don’t leave anything on your desk’. I found that I was working until 7pm every night which was not productive; I felt that my standard of work was beginning to slip. Work took over my life! I left those jobs because I wanted a good work-life balance and this is why being a Medical Sales Rep works so well for me.
What does IQVIA do to encourage flexible or agile working?
IQVIA is very supportive when it comes to working regular hours. They understand that our working hours are between a certain time frame; if we don’t have time to do everything that evening, we can leave something until the next day. Sometimes sleeping on things can even help! All the training and support we need is available online, so I can access it whenever it’s convenient for me. We also have a great support site and my Line Manager is always on hand to listen, support and talk to me whenever I need it.
What does IQVIA do to promote a good work-life balance among its staff?
IQVIA in the UK has an amazing service that offers great discounts to employees and we are encouraged to use it. My Line Manager uses it to send us deals: for instance, getting cheap cinema tickets or booking holidays with discounts. IQVIA encourages you to take time off and enjoy your life. We also have great employee benefits to ensure we are healthy. My personal health is important to me, so the effort that IQVIA puts into thoughtful things like discounts on gym memberships or even free memberships are great benefits. I was excited to join this company and I love working here.
Do you feel that having a good work-life balance means you enjoy your job more?
Yes, definitely. I wouldn’t do this job if it weren’t for the excellent work-life balance. When I started in the industry it was important to me that I wouldn’t have to work late evenings and weekends. Due to the nature of the job, I do sometimes have to work one or two late nights over 6 months but these are for advocacy meetings for my customers, so I don’t mind it at all!
IQVIA is hiring! Find out more about the range of jobs we offer here.
Find out more about life at IQVIA
Did you know IQVIA has
Excellent work-life balance
and is committed to this kind of culture
Did you know IQVIA has
86,000+ employees
from clinicians to data scientists each transforming healthcare in 100+ countries
Did you know IQVIA has
4,600 data scientists
including statisticians and analytics developers
Did you know IQVIA has
1,900+ epidemiologists
and real world insight experts
Did you know IQVIA has
56+ petabytes of unique data
including 1.2B+ non-identified patient records
Did you know IQVIA cares about
Health and Wellbeing
for all its employees
Did you know IQVIA has
Countless development opportunities
for personal and professional growth
Did you know IQVIA has
1,900+ epidemiologists
and real world insight experts
Did you know IQVIA has
4,600 data scientists
including statisticians and analytics developers
Did you know IQVIA cares about
Health and Wellbeing
for all its employees
Did you know IQVIA has
Excellent work-life balance
and is committed to this kind of culture
Did you know IQVIA has
86,000+ employees
from clinicians to data scientists each transforming healthcare in 100+ countries
Did you know IQVIA has
Countless development opportunities
for personal and professional growth
Did you know IQVIA has
56+ petabytes of unique data
including 1.2B+ non-identified patient records
Related jobs
We are sorry but your search has returned no results.
Please try some of the links below to find what you are looking for:
A quick note to say thank you for your time this morning discussing my future career options. As you know I was feeling very conflicted about the right decision. Discussing the role with you gave me chance to clarify what is important to me.
Since joining IQVIA I have had unrivalled support and development from my manager to enable me to aspire to move into secondary care. I feel like my career is strongly supported by my manager in order to maximise my potential.
Once again I cannot thank you enough for not only approaching me with this opportunity but also for all the support you’ve given me along the way!
IQVIA has been behind my development to become a MSL. The contracts that I have worked on have allowed me to push clinical projects with a recent opportunity to manage a pilot scheme integrating e-detailing into an established field based team. The result was an increase in sales.
Just following on from the amazing news I got yesterday I wanted to say a really special thank you for all the help and support you have provided throughout the entire recruitment process.
Just following on from the amazing news I got yesterday I wanted to say a really special thank you for all the help and support you have provided throughout the entire recruitment process.
IQVIA Related insights

Teaser
Medical Sales & ServicesContent Type
ArticlePublished
24/10/2024
Summary
We caught up with Diana Heres, a Service Development Executive at IQVIA Interface, on her career development journey with us so far. Diana shares her journey to help answer questions such as “How do
by
Ruth Lynn

Teaser
GeneralContent Type
ArticlePublished
08/10/2024
Summary
Recently, we interviewed Corinne Scott, Client Services Manager at IQVIA for her insight into how to decide a career change. Corinne shared her own journey and valuable advice with us to help answer
by
Corinne Scott

Teaser
SalesContent Type
ArticlePublished
04/10/2024
Summary
Virtual Sales has a growing presence in the healthcare and medical solutions industry, especially since the pandemic. Virtual Sales is set to be the new normal, even as we’ve emerged on the other side

Teaser
GeneralContent Type
ArticlePublished
27/09/2024
Summary
Kickstarting or switching your career is only made easier by having solid technical skills under your belt. Technical skills are expertise and specialised knowledge that you enhance throughout your c
by
Ruth Lynn

Teaser
SalesContent Type
ArticlePublished
18/09/2024
Summary
If you’re a recent or soon-to-be graduate of biomedical science, and have realised that a laboratory-based career may not be the right direction for you, you may be wondering what other career opti
by
Tracey Smith

Teaser
Medical Sales & ServicesContent Type
ArticlePublished
17/09/2024
Summary
Stepping into any role in the healthcare sector comes with its challenges, and being a successful medical sales representative is no exception. Whether you’re an experienced sales rep and feel confi
by
Ruth Lynn
.png)
Teaser
Medical Affairs & ServicesContent Type
ArticlePublished
13/08/2024
Summary
Medical Affairs is a fast-paced sector and the work is so varied that no two days will look the same. Medical affairs professionals working in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device in

Teaser
Medical Affairs & ServicesContent Type
ArticlePublished
31/07/2024
Summary
At IQVIA, we recruit for various roles within the MedTech sphere and we’re always looking for professionals keen to move healthcare forward. In this article, we’ll outline the market for MedTech so
by
Tracey Smith

Teaser
MedicalContent Type
ArticlePublished
30/07/2024
Summary
In IQVIA, we support customers in their mission to get drugs to patients. As such, we recognise the value of keeping track of the latest market trends, developments, and insights. Modern healthcare
by
Catherine Scott

Teaser
Clinical OperationsContent Type
ArticlePublished
23/07/2024
Summary
Clinical pharmacology, a specialised branch of biomedical science, holds a pivotal role in developing vital drugs and ensuring their effective use in patients. Clinical pharmacologists bridge the ga
by
Ruth Lynn

Teaser
SalesContent Type
ArticlePublished
23/07/2024
Summary
Oncologists focus on diagnosing and treating cancer while overseeing treatment and managing post-treatment care. The oncology drugs market worldwide is expected to reach a market volume of $268bn by
by
Ruth Lynn

Teaser
GeneralContent Type
ArticlePublished
17/07/2024
Summary
Market access is all about preparing a drug for market entry, and as such it’s a vitally important part of the drug development process and wider pharmaceutical industry. While for pharmaceutical an
Recently viewed jobs