Case studies

I studied chemistry, physics and maths A-levels and went on to do a 4 year MChem chemistry degree at Leeds University.

I think, in my company, if someone is keen to learn, and willing to work their way up, it isn’t essential to have experience or higher level qualifications.

I am responsible for the health and welfare of laboratory animals and for training junior animal technologists.

I am proud of the work I did during my placement year, which I have presented at several internal poster sessions.

Post-graduate qualifications aided my early career progression and also meant that I started at a grade higher than fresh graduates.

I was attracted to the industry by the breadth of research involved and the crucial interactions between scientists, clinicians and even lawyers.

I often have many different activities ongoing at the same time and need to be really organised in order stay on top of them all.

I work within a team who develop business strategy, lead and manage business change and measure our business performance against our business strategy

I am surrounded by fantastic scientists - I feed off their enthusiasm

By working in the pharmaceutical industry you are doing something to make people better and improve their quality of life, and that is very important to me.

Each day is too variable to be typical, which is one reason why I like the job.

A research chemist needs to have excellent laboratory skills, an in-depth knowledge and understanding of organic chemistry, and a love for science.

My experience of doing a Nuffield Bursary encouraged me to do an MChem degree

A talk at university from a pharmaceutical industry chemist gave me an insight into what the pharmaceutical industry could offer and inspired me to try to get some work experience in a pharmaceutical company

I’m not just making a living but I’m making a difference, helping to develop new medicines.

During my career I have had a number of roles in contract research organisations and pharmaceutical companies in India and the UK.

I work in the Clinical Pharmacology Unit, co-ordinating laboratory tests for clinical trials.

I worked here for this company, in this department, for the industrial placement year of my degree, that’s how I got this job!

I genuinely hope that everything I do will one day be of huge benefit to patients.

I am responsible for monitoring and evaluating the safety profile of my company's neuroscience medicines.

I was looking for a job with good career prospects and with plenty of future and present opportunities for learning

My first experience of the pharmaceutical industry was as a 12-week summer placement at Pfizer in their early formulation department.

I have had a wide ranging commercial career in the pharmaceutical industry.

I decided that I wanted to continue working in science but wanted a job that was more varied, challenging and involved more working with people

I like the fact that my role goes towards making our medicines safer for patients.

Don’t give up looking for a job in industry because when you get one it’s very rewarding.

I look at disease trends, identifying individuals who are at risk and analyse the impact of interventions such as drug and vaccination programmes.

For a career in medical sales you have to be able to communicate with your customers and develop rapport.

I have had opportunities to mentor and supervise new starters and am currently supervising an industrial trainee student.

I am on a graduate scheme, an 18 month training programme in different therapeutic areas within discovery biology.

Choose a degree that will give you the opportunity to undertake a period of industrial experience within a pharmaceutical company.

I am on a rotation scheme that my company runs for graduates, which involves moving from one therapeutic area to another over a course of 2 years

I have progressed through several roles, starting as a Drug Safety Scientist to my current role. Along the way I have completed a post graduate diploma and many pharmacovigilance development courses.

I have a PhD in health economics and use clinical and economic evidence to demonstrate the value of medicines

I get to travel a lot – I went to the USA twice last year and the year before, and I have also been to lots of different European cities.

I support the business from the people side of things, employee relations, team building, team events, salary review and talent management.

I am in my fourth year of a five-year Masters degree in Chemistry and Drug Discovery at Strathclyde University. I am 10 months into an industrial placement year in a pharmaceutical company.

I am in my third year of a four year undergraduate chemistry degree at Bristol University.

There are so many job options open to science graduates that it is hard to decide what to do as a career.

My year in industry has undoubtedly opened my eyes to things I may pursue, as well as things I will not!

I think doing a placement in the pharmaceutical industry was a good opportunity to gain some experience working in a lab.

I currently work in the fibrosis discovery performance unit within the biology respiratory department. Fibrosis is scar-like tissue formed in the lungs which causes shortness of breath and other health issues.

I have been really lucky to be able to work within different groups while doing my placement project. This gave me an opportunity to see several roles and different tasks performed by various people.

An understanding and appreciation of your specialisation, coupled with a good work ethic will get you in the door. After that it definitely is what you make of it.

I project manage the implementation of new computer systems or upgrades to existing systems that support our clinical trial management processes.

Once a week I travel up to college with my friends from work to study for my Degree.

I joined a pharmaceutical company straight from school. I am now studying part time for a degree.

If I made a mistake the whole batch of tablets would have to be scrapped, so that’s a million pounds down the drain

I have never looked at another industry since joining and have found each job role as fulfilling as the last.

People with strong mathematical and/or engineering backgrounds would be highly suited to this role.

I am proud of the fact that I can make a difference to patients’ lives.

I was not aware of medical writing as a career until I saw a job advertisement – then I immediately knew it was something I would enjoy.

Good communications skills are a must, and you need to be confident enough to explain your thoughts.

I have been involved in two projects where compounds have progressed to clinical trials.

To bring medicines forward… we have to be creative, we have to be innovative.

There’s a drug that recently came to market, and I was one of three people who had worked on the program when it started.

The pharmaceutical industry allows me to use my medical knowledge in a non-clinical environment.

There is a great shortage of qualified occupational health nurses so it’s a great career to get in to.

What is important in addition to academic qualifications is a good work ethic, enthusiasm, and confident communications skills.

The project I am working on is about to go into clinical trials – so I am looking forward to learning about the next phase of development.

I support manufacturing areas by problem solving when pieces of kit go down, and by monitoring the processes involved and raw materials.

In my pre-registration placement I got a snapshot of the jobs pharmacists can do in industry and I was attracted to work with world class researchers.

I have been surprised by the number of pharmacists I have come across, they are literally everywhere from discovery to marketing.

I am involved in drug discovery, the early phase of drug development, where a lot of compounds are screened for their properties.

At school I was very interested in health and disease but I didn’t want to go into medicine and work with patients directly.

The more skills you have the better, you will always be competing against people with similar skills and degrees

Every day you have the opportunity to apply your skills to chemical problems that directly contribute to the discovery of potential new drugs.

My role involves managing the day to day activities of an oncology product, as well as leading the strategic direction for the product in the UK.

Attracted by an advertisement for apprentices I decided to join the company’s work-based degree scheme rather than going straight to university.

I am currently on an 18-month secondment working on my company's sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I am proud of the fact that I managed to juggle a career with bringing up a family.

This role is often about building bridges between people, both inside and outside the company, so you’ve got to have good interpersonal and leadership skills.

In pharmaceutical PR every day is completely different and sometimes can be completely unexpected!

I started at the company working in technical support – so using my PhD – then moved through a variety of international sales and marketing roles, changing to communications four years ago.

There is no such thing as a typical day – the main feature of my work is the variety – on any particular day, I could be almost anywhere in the world.

A degree in pharmacy provides a broad background and is therefore suitable for many different types of jobs within the pharmaceutical industry.

I did a Masters course at Kings College London, which provided me with a sound foundation in drug discovery, as it was tailored towards a career in the industry.

I had worked as a scientist (doing my PhD) and liked science, but preferred to wear a suit rather than a lab coat.

My initial role was a massive learning curve as I got to grips with the industry and the technicalities of a role in regulatory affairs.

People are very friendly in all departments and because of the interaction with different departments you get to know lots of different people.

The level of responsibility I have has gradually increased with time. I am now accountable for ensuring the success of the project and delivering new lead compounds for clinical testing.

My job is a bit like [being] a detective, you are constantly looking at problems and ways to work them out.

I became a rep because I wanted to do something more challenging.

Due to the diversity of the roles within the industry, if you have a broad interest in science you will be able to find something that suits you.

I have worked in several companies, each has given me different experiences, allowed me to work in different therapeutic areas and clinical trial phases.

When I hear a success story from a clinician that my product has changed a patient's life for the better I feel proud.

A typical day can include discussing trial designs, writing analysis plans and reviewing analyses.

My summer placement enabled me to get hands on experience with many specialist techniques.

I love it, I absolutely love it; you do lots of practical hands-on stuff so it never gets boring.

During my degree I became interested in toxicology after doing some modules that included aspects of toxicology.

I have been very lucky to found an area of science that I enjoy, which I feel I’m making a difference for future generations.

As a graduate you are totally unaware of all the opportunities and possibilities that are available within the Pharmaceutical Industry.

I head up a team of trainers and training coordinators who provide training on running clinical trials. This includes training on technical regulations and laws, computer systems and the behavioural ('soft') skills needed to effectively do the job

The pharmaceutical industry offered me everything that I was looking for in a career.

I feel like I’m making a contribution to improving the health of both people and animals... because most of the drugs used in humans are also used in animals.