Which life science career suits my skill set?
Life sciences is one of the world’s most exciting – and growing – industries. With new digital and technological advances such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, the global market has gone from strength to strength in recent years and now supports almost a quarter of a million jobs in the UK, generating £70bn in economic value. Because the industry is so large and diverse, there is a huge array of different roles and subsectors within it, meaning there’s a job to suit everyone. Take a look at which life science career might suit you.
Clinical research associate
Ideal if you are: A people person, flexible and logical, with an eye for detail and strong organisational skills
Entry requirements include: A degree or postgraduate qualification in life sciences, nursing or medical sciences; previous experience as a clinical trial assistant or another relevant role in a clinical field
Clinical research associates (CRAs) are always in demand within pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations, and there is plenty of opportunity to progress. A CRA tests the effectiveness, benefits and risks of drugs through clinical trials to make sure they are safe for use. There is a high level of data entry in this role as data quality is essential, so any aspiring CRA must be confident with numbers and have a good eye for detail.
Medical sales representative
Ideal if you are: Persuasive, communicative, confident and skilled at building relationships
Entry requirements include: A degree, ideally in a science, sales or marketing subject; sales or business development experience; successfully passing the British Pharmaceutical Industry Medical Representatives Exam within one year of employment
A medical sales representative career is ideal for exceptional communicators who love building strong relationships and navigating complex requirements. It’s a blend of sales, medicine and marketing that is well suited to people who love to be challenged, make it their mission to deliver high levels of customer service and are persistent and determined under pressure. It can be an extremely rewarding career that develops into area or regional management, or another role within medical sales.
Find your next medical sales representative job here.
Nurse or nurse advisor
Ideal if you are: An autonomous worker, great with time management, patient-focused with strong communication skills and empathy
Entry requirements include: Nurse registration; clinical experience; computer literacy
Nurse advisors have a huge impact on our public health system, working with the NHS to improve patient outcomes and supporting primary and secondary care providers. Nurse advisors can also help patients within their own homes, whether as part of a clinical trial or medical research project, and review patient management against local or national guidelines. It’s a great career path for experienced nurses who want to work a little more independently and in an advisory role, making a significant contribution to the ever-changing healthcare industry.
Sound like you? Find your next nurse advisor job here.
Take your next career step with IQVIA
Whichever career path you’re looking to take within life sciences or medical sales, you’ll find a range of roles that might suit you at IQVIA. As a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry, we are proud to offer fantastic career opportunities to people all over the world.
Find out more about our careers or read our blogs to stay up to date with our latest insights.
Find out more about life at IQVIA
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
1,900+ epidemiologists
and real world insight experts
Did you know IQVIA has
86,000+ employees
from clinicians to data scientists each transforming healthcare in 100+ countries
Did you know IQVIA has
Excellent work-life balance
and is committed to this kind of culture
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
Did you know IQVIA has
Countless development opportunities
for personal and professional growth
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
56+ petabytes of unique data
including 1.2B+ non-identified patient records
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
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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.
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.
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