Transcript Making your way in the Engineering/Consulting side of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Making your way in the
Engineering/Consulting side
of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Presented by: Alan Levy, Project Manager, Javan & Walter, Inc.
Keep your career goals in mind
• After college, money is scarce
• This greatly influences decisions, and long term
goals don’t seem important. Don’t fall into this trap!
• Many paths to choose from…
• Experience is great, but it can also make it difficult
or impossible to change career paths after several
years on one path.
• Money isn’t everything!
• Regardless of salary, if you don’t like what you are
doing or you don’t see a future in it, you should
move on before inadvertently locking yourself into a
career path you don’t want.
Is an engineering firm right for you?
• Operating Company
• Pros: > Initial Salary, < Volatility
• Cons: < Visibility, < Client Interaction
< Direct Recognition, Fixed Salary Escalation
• Engineering/Consulting Firm
• Pros: > Visibility, > Client Interaction,
> Mobility, > Direct Recognition,
Dynamic Salary Escalation
• Cons: < Initial Salary, > Volatility
Engineering Disciplines vs. Site Work
•
This is an important choice! It can set your entire
career path. Make this choice or it will be made for you.
•
Engineering Disciplines:
1. You can become an authority in your field. Clients appreciate your work,
but you usually won’t develop personal relationships.
2. People value your engineering opinion, because your specialization makes
you a technical expert. However, specialization reduces your breadth of
knowledge in other aspects of engineering and the industry.
3. This career path most easily leads into becoming a Chief/Lead Engineer or
an Individual Consultant.
•
Site Work:
1. You can become a generalist with wide knowledge of the industry. You
may focus in certain areas, but you will not be a disciplinary expert.
a. You may become a technical expert in non-discipline fields like construction,
maintenance, operations, quality/compliance, etc.
2. You will gain lots of industry contacts, client relations skills, valuable insight
into how the drug companies operate, and time, project, and people
management skills.
3. Clients appreciate your work, and you will develop personal relationships.
4. This career path most easily leads into Construction Management and/or
Project Management.