How to Prepare for a Pharmaceutical Interview

Interviewing for job offers these days may be stressful but unlike preparing for a pharmaceutical job offer, this can be more challenging and intimidating, requiring you to put so much effort into your preparation to secure the job. We know the pharmaceutical world will only give out roles to only competent and highly skilled candidates who are able to strive and make remarkable changes in the industry via their work.

During your search for job opportunities, there are some things to look out for. Although depending on your choice of where to search for an offer be it from a large corporate company or from a start-up. 

There are likely going to be some differences that will come from working in either place but one thing is certain, the interview process will be the same. Therefore, there are certain things you need at your fingertips when hunting for a job in the pharmaceutical world.

How to pass your pharma job interview easily

Preparation is the key you need to first master in order to get your dream role in any pharmaceutical company and it consists of the following steps below:

1. Build and always update your LinkedIn account: You need to be reachable using your social platform to advertise yourself to the respective industry you have a passion to work with. It is best advisable to use a LinkedIn platform to sell out your skill to your employee.  According to the manager of Talent Acquisition at Kyowa Kirin, he explains that the pharmaceutical company is ever evolving and will always need certain skills and roles from aspiring pharmaceutical workers to fill in. This is the reason most pharmaceutical companies use LinkedIn as their primary means to search for potential candidates to offer jobs too.
2. Referral method: This works best if you are used to attending conferences and other pharma-related events. It helps you to network with people who are more experienced and are professionals in the pharmaceutical industry. The good thing about this is that you get to meet people who have once worked in the role you are putting in for and they could be of assistance in letting you know the process involved in keeping the job from their own work experience.
3. Do your findings effectively:Research the offers before going for the job interview. You need to do your homework. This entails you googling about the company and gathering some relevant information that would enable you to answer some questions about the company’s policy and how best you can best fit into their organisation.There will always be a variety of jobs being posted in any pharmaceutical company but to have an upper hand you need to enhance your skills and uniqueness.
4. Dress for the occasion: There is this saying the way you dress is the way you would be addressed. Due to Covid-19, most interviews are now conducted online thanks to technology, giving us easy access to stay connected. You must not be overdressed but rather dress moderately the same way you would dress if you were meeting with your interviewer physically. Do not dress sharply because the interview is being conducted from your home, it tells the interviewer a lot about you.
5. Ask the interviewer some questions in regards to the job and about their pharmaceutical company. Make sure to ask relevant and thoughtful questions. You are also permitted to bring your jottings with which you wrote down some information about the company with you, especially if it is being conducted online through Zoom or Team. Having done your research and knowing certain details about the company you are all set to secure the job.

The Interview Process

Despite the intervention of Covid-19, the number of interviews organised by most pharmaceutical companies remains the same before they present a formal job offer. 

Large companies are used to conducting more interviews compared to smaller ones. Although some small companies do conduct several in order for the candidate to be interviewed by many people on the team and get to answer their numerous questions.

Some of these interviews are done one-on-one while others are conducted online from the comfort of your home. Conducting interviews this way helps the interviewer to save time and assess various candidates for the job offer speedily.

Following the given steps above helps you to know what to expect in a pharmaceutical job interview and gives you an opportunity to showcase your uniqueness and skill for the job offer.