Career pathing

An appreciation for practicality, independent thinking and patient care can help disrupt the bureaucracy of Big Pharma.

For reasons including downsizing, avoiding retirement and a tight labor market, senior-level biopharma professionals are increasingly turning to fractional roles, according to two recruitment experts.

To avoid being laid off, a third of biopharma professionals would take a pay cut and nearly a quarter would take a demotion, according to BioSpace LinkedIn polls. We spoke to several professionals about their layoff experiences and what they would—and wouldn’t—have done to keep their jobs.

Plus, learn how to handle vacation time in a new job and navigate the stress of a recent promotion to leadership.

A BioSpace LinkedIn poll showed that just 19% of respondents believe biopharma professionals need Ph.D.s for scientist roles.

Whether they’re newly minted managers or C-suite executives, effective managers often lead with empathy, intellectual curiosity and vulnerability.

While many describe California as having a tough life sciences market, there’s some optimism that employment opportunities will improve soon, according to California Life Sciences President and CEO Mike Guerra.

After more than 20 years at Eli Lilly, Leslie Sam moved into independent consulting. To prepare for the transition, she focused on becoming technically deep and earning industry recognition.

Employed and unemployed biotech and pharma professionals are thinking about job hunting in other fields amidst a challenging labor market.

When you don’t get the promotion you wanted, it’s important to assess your company and yourself so you can improve your odds in the future.