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.