In Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Job Market in the US and Canada Webinar published on 25 Mar 2021 by InnoVigilance Academy, Dr.Omar Aimer asked Jairus Hiatt many questions to let him share his experience in this field, so the question said:
What is the best practice to get a job in PV and drug safety in the pharmaceutical industry?
Understanding your role as a professional in drug safety PV, some folks in the industry, they call it patient safety, and I like that it's it helps us get into the mindset that of this space that we're helping others that it points us in the right direction of ensuring the health and safety of those patients and that of the utmost importance.
And I think having that sort of mindset in the space and understanding the role and what you'll be doing gives you an edge as a driver over those who don't look at it more as just a job, if you have passion about it and you can it's something that you can buy into it's going to help when you're in your career and when you're looking for a job if you aren't sure whether this is the right career path for you that's okay I lateral movement is accepted often even encouraged as a professional in the biotech pharma industry because it makes you more versatile it pushes you to where you can understand other departments and you can work cross-functionally in various companies and be flexible and open-minded with others.
I will say this as a disclaimer everyone is different with an approach to get into the industry to find a job in drug safety PV from what I have experienced and seen, the answers vary from person to person, and having said that, I chat with folks generally the work that I do is with those that are quite experienced in the space already and so having said that I've heard a lot of their stories about how they get into space how many of them didn't plan on it from the beginning when they were getting their education, but how they were able to stumble into it, and it's really interesting, so I will say that as a disclaimer that your answer may vary depending on your education, your training, your network, your geography as to how you're able to get in so but along with that understand where you would fit best into space.
Go with full awareness manage your own expectations, so that you don't get disappointed when it comes to okay I'm going to get a job and drug safety, and all the sudden you have ten applications in and you don't get one right away it does take some time it takes some effort it takes some persistence to get it that's probably one of the hardest careers to be able to jump.
I think you need to its more complicated than 15-20 years ago there are multiple areas to consider you've got things from safety operations you've got PV science you've got safety physician work for those that have medical degrees you have where medical judgment is required you've got PV systems to work that needs to be done, and so pharmacovigilance drug safety is so much more complex than it was when it first started years and years ago there are even those that are more specialized than that project manager and PV compliance, and so it's interesting.
I would say get to know the basics understand where you fit in or where you would fit in best with this reading and study uh get to know the trends and improve your knowledge, if you already have some and then the next thing I would say to do is connect with others that are in the space that you aspire to be in find those that will help you find a mentor and use groups like LinkedIn has several groups that are dedicated to drug safety pharma pharmacovigilance be parts of those groups and don't just be and member participate that will help you as you increase in your knowledge and then experience breaking into the space is difficult once you do have the experience it's it gets much easier and so that those are just a couple of tips I would say on that note.