Career Development in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry
Many people think that career development requires a lot of planning and time outside of our regular jobs. Indeed, that's the case for some activities - like earning a certificate or degree. However, most career development could be done as on-the-job responsibilities. This is a good perspective to stress because many of us have incredibly busy schedules working in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the US, we’re in the middle of a social justice movement. Some companies are tackling hiring and retention through the lens of social justice. In addition, many employers are rolling out diversity and inclusion training sessions for employees. To truly nurture an inclusive work environment, we need to be tackling microaggressions in the workplace.
When times are tough (and even when they’re great!), we turn to our friends. It’s even better if we are friends with our coworkers, given how much of our lives we spend at work. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we haven’t been interacting with our friends and coworkers like we normally would. In honor of Galentine’s Day, which celebrates our lady friends, we want to highlight ways to stay connected with friends at work.
Working in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company often means interacting in a cross-matrix environment. Project teams are made up of people with different responsibilities. They represent different functions, and they all come together to work on a project. Team members may have conflicting priorities and motivations, and even the team leaders are not their direct managers. Therefore, learning to “influence without authority,” that is, to influence others without directly managing them, is a useful skill for succeeding in this work environment
I recently met Jennifer Woo, Therapeutic Area Manager - Respiratory, at a Genentech Women Professionals networking event. I was impressed that her role in pharmaceutical sales and account management ensures that patients get the medicines they need. Therefore, I was thrilled when she agreed to share her experiences with us in this post. Jennifer has excellent advice about how to be successful in a pharmaceutical sales career.
