NIBRT’s annual fair saw some of the biopharma’s heavy hitters share their insights into how professionals can progress their careers.
On Saturday (29 March), the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) held its 11th annual Careers in Biopharma event in the O’Reilly Hall at University College Dublin (UCD). It was a great opportunity for key industry players to network and share their opinions on how future graduates and current professionals can access jobs in the biopharma space.
Attendees made connections and had the chance to listen to expert talks on a range of topics relevant to the industry. Companies such as Amgen, BMS and MSD Ireland, among others, explained what they are looking for in terms of potential hiring and the steps professionals can take to be considered.
“This event is an annual event that we run to support the biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Ireland, to serve as a kind of touchpoint for anyone looking for a role, for a job in the industry, where the industry players, the companies, come and they exhibit and they meet their workers of the future here,” said Darrin Morrissey, the CEO of NIBRT.
In-demand soft skills
For many of the organisations present at the event, soft and interpersonal skills that enable networking are becoming increasingly useful. WuXi Biologics’ Ciara McCarthy, a QC senior operations manager, advised that people starting out in biopharma make connections on platforms such as LinkedIn.
Having an idea of the kinds of companies that are out there is an important step, she said. Professionals should also consider applying for internships and graduate programmes, as well as contacting companies to enquire as to the programmes they are running.
This was echoed by Sharon Devlin, an innovation function lead at APC, who said: “I think as you start off, it’s really just to talk to as many people as you can who work in the industry. Get a sense, because there’s a multitude of roles within biopharma, and it’s really finding where you connect in and where your skills fit.”
For those interested in working within biopharma at BMS, according to Gavin Doyle, an associate director of operations, the exploration of potential roles within the space doesn’t need to end once you have the job secured. In fact, he suggested that professionals be curious about all roles within an organisation, so they can start building their own personal development plan for their career.
Best foot forward
In every career, putting your best foot forward is key to ensuring that you make a good first impression. For many of the organisations offering their insights at NIBRT, a commitment to presenting yourself in a positive light is a sure sign that you are serious about your future.
This often starts with making sure you have an accurate and up-to-date CV that shows off your skills and potential. “The best advice I can give is just be yourself,” said Kayleigh Wilson, the HR recruitment lead at Pfizer.
“It shows through all our assessments, it shows throughout the process. I guess another tip I have is just in relation to your CV and the job spec. Always match your CV to the job description, because we also use AI-generated systems. So it’s a great tool to have as well.”
This is an opinion shared by Niall Davis, a senior talent partner at MSD Ireland, who explained that your online engagement is essential to your digital CV, which needs to be maintained if you are to make the right connections.
“You really have to think about your CV and spend a lot of time thinking about it. You want to customise your CV for the [different] types of opportunities, because they will vary, and you want to make it really engaging and capture the attention of your audience very quickly.”
Outside of soft skills, it was also noted by Louise Halligan, a talent acquisition specialist at Veolia, that certain practical skills, ones you may not immediately think about, can be incredibly important. Especially if you are looking for a biopharma position outside of a major city.
“I would say start your driving lessons now. The majority of pharmaceuticals in Ireland are out in the suburbs, they’re not very well reached by public transport. So, you know, you really need to have a car to get there every day. So yeah, I would say start your driving lessons.”
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
