Pharma or CRO? We answer your 3 FAQs

Whether you have just started out in your life sciences career, or want to make the transition from a Pharma to a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO), or vice versa, I answer three of your frequently asked questions, and outline some general trends which will help you make the right career decision for you.

Pharma v. CRO – the key differences

Pharma is more innovative

Pharmaceutical companies are by nature incredibly innovative. You will work on ground breaking products from conception stage through to post marketing. You may also get the opportunity to research and retain specialist knowledge in a particular disease and acquire fulfilment in the knowledge that you are directly working towards improving the quality of life for all. There are also a lot of opportunities for internal movement.

CROs can be very busy and on average employees work longer hours than in Pharmaceutical organisations. The main focus is profit and bringing in new business as opposed to finding a specific cure for a disease. This can often result in a high pressured working environment, and whilst working on a variety of products is a plus, you won’t have full ownership of a product from start to finish.

CRO’s are faster-paced

CROs are very fast paced with a huge scope of projects from a variety of clients available. You may have the chance to work with both large and small molecule projects which would not be available at an Innovator company and there are opportunities to develop your business development skills as you could be liaising directly with clients. There is also good potential for moving into a managerial role and CROs are more likely to support home based working.

Pharmaceutical organisations are comparatively slow based, and there is a risk of being pigeon-holed in a specific area. Sometimes there can also be limited opportunities for promotion and internal movement due to the size of some pharma giants.

3 most frequently asked questions

1. Is the hiring process the same for each?

The hiring process for both pharma and CRO’s is dependent on company size and/or urgency of the position. Calum Lewis, Regulatory Affairs Consultant, who has experience in recruiting for CRO organisations explains:

“How long is the hiring process at a CRO? How long is a piece of string! I’ve worked with some Contract Research Organisations who can interview up to 2–5 times before reaching a decision, and candidates can be asked to do presentations for the leadership team to test their business development skills. However, I have also worked with CROs who are happy to hire after one interview, and Pharmaceutical companies can be just as particular with their recruitment process. The hiring process is also dependent on the level of position that you are applying for. Leadership roles will obviously require more stages of interview than an associate level role.”

2. Are there different educational requirements?

Not necessarily. However, CROs will often consider your business development skills or potential for development, in conjunction with your academic qualifications.

Some CROs  may also specify that they have a preference for consultants with PhDs as this experience is impressive to clients. The emphasis on softer skills is arguably more prevalent for CRO organisations as the role of a consultant is client facing and will therefore require customer service and sales skills.

3. How do the salaries compare?

Some CROs offer a much higher salary than pharma companies, in order to compensate for the longer hours and extended responsibilities. However, this is very much dependent on the role that you are applying for. If you require detailed salary information get in touch with one of our specialist consultants for an analysis of what pharma and CRO companies would be likely to offer.

If you enjoyed this blog then you might also appreciate some of the following:

• Life sciences recruitment: where are we headed?
• Trends that will change life science hires in 2016
• Q&A with Neil Campbell, President and CEO at Helmonics
• Start me up: embracing the age of life science startups
• Big Data, big impact on life science skills demand

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