Opportunities with Different Degrees

On this website information on different opportunities have been pulled together under four headings:

• Research and Development
• Manufacturing and Supply
• Commercial
• Support functions

Whilst some jobs are similar in different areas (e.g. the role of an analytical chemist in R&D and in manufacturing), individuals often have a preference for the environment they want to work in as well as the actual job they will do. Some companies enable new graduates to check out the roles they might do in different environments as part of a graduate trainee scheme.

Many of the people who work in the industry are scientists working in laboratories, there are many jobs for people who have studied science but who have decided that they would prefer an office based job, or perhaps who want to work in sales and marketing. There are lots of opportunities for people who want to use their science knowledge in different roles - from medical writing to training and development. These can be expolored through the profiles of individuals working in the industry, or through information on the different areas of work.

A quick look at some of the many profiles of people working in the pharmaceutical sector, will indicate the range of qualifications people have and the various routes they have taken to get into their current role.

Across all R&D specialities, the commonest areas of skills deficiencies at entrant level are
poor basic knowledge of the key principles of the discipline,
inability to apply learnings and
low levels of practical skills
(Pfizer, April 2007)

The 'degree chart' gives some indication of the most likely opportunties for people with different degrees, however the actual experience a candidate has had - which modules they have studied and how much practical experience they have had - are equally important.