By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022

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You’re looking for a change of career – something different. But is pharmaceutical manufacturing the something different that’s right for you?

We’re assuming that you’ve already done things like taking our “Is pharma for me?” quiz and been able to identify which course is right for you.

If you’re successfully through all that then you know that you could make a career change in pharma, but should you? How do you make an informed decision on changing career? It’s in everyone’s interest that you are absolutely sure about your decision before you start.

Here’s what we’d recommend.

  1. Read about potential jobs you’d be suitable for and their salaries.
    Are these jobs that you would enjoy doing? Would you still be happy doing them in 10 years time? Because making a career change is something you do for the long term, you’ve got to consider it beyond the next year or two.

    We have a set of articles that will give you a detailed insight into a range of pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs – what they involve, what duties you could be carrying out and what skills you need. Read these articles.

    We also have a briefer outline of a larger number of jobs roles, along with typical industry salaries in our Job Roles and Salaries guide.

    Finally, have a look at our Why Choose Pharma page that talks a lot more about what it means to work in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
  2. Have a look at what jobs are available.
    We have jobs boards for Ireland, the UK, Philadelphia, USA, and Puerto Rico.

    If one of these is relevant to you, check it to see what opportunities there are in your commutable area. Keep in mind that there might be temporary or fixed term opportunities available – would you be willing to commute a little further for a job like this if it allowed you to get a “foot in the door” of a new industry?
  3. Consider what would be involved in job hunting.
    Do you know what would be involved in finding a pharmaceutical manufacturing job?Have a look at our job hunt tracking template. This document walks through the job hunt process step-by-step. You might actually like to start with this article that talks through the template and how to use it.

Total transition time into the industry is typically 6-9 months at the minimum – you can read more about that timeline in this article.

Of course, our admissions team are always on hand to chat through any questions you have but at the end of the day, no one can make the decision for you. You need to know that it’s been a properly informed one. Contact us if you have any questions!

About the Author

Image with Claire Wilison from GetReskilled Team

Claire Wilson

Content Marketing and Career Coaching

Claire runs GetReskilled’s Advanced Career Coaching Programme – our specially devised job hunting course that helps our trainees take that final step into employment by leading them through the job hunting process. She is extremely enthusiastic about helping people reach their final goal of employment in their new career path.

Claire has a BSc (Hons) in Medical Biology from Edinburgh University and spent 7 years working in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.