Thinking about pursuing a career in life sciences? These insights from people and organisations in the industry might help.
We spent this week taking a closer look at many aspects of a life sciences career, from the companies that are hiring across Ireland to the different kinds of roles people are working in.
Here are four takeaways from the latest Siliconrepublic.com Life Sciences Week.
1. There will be exciting opportunities after Covid
It’s no secret that Covid-19 has pushed life sciences further into the spotlight than ever before. But even after the pandemic passes, opportunities are sure to abound, according to Hays’ Chris Smith.
He shared five tips to help you boost your career prospects in this area. These included seeking out innovation, upskilling and preparing to present in remote interviews.
2. There are lots of jobs
There are lots of job opportunities in life sciences in Ireland right now. We looked at 16 of the companies that are actively hiring, including AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, MSD and more.
Our list includes positions in Dublin, Limerick, Mayo, Sligo and many other locations across the country, with industries ranging from biotech to biologics.
Not included on the list is contract research company PPD, which announced its plans this week to expand in Athlone. It will be hiring for 180 highly skilled scientists in the region.
3. It can be a rewarding career path
We spoke to two people working in life sciences about their passion for their work. Dr Jackie Dolan, a geneticist working at Genuity Science, became interested in the world of genomics after her sister was born with a rare neurological disease. She told us that “the potential to make a difference in people’s lives is immense” in her role.
For Kate Madigan, a senior equipment engineer at Amgen, solving problems and building solutions have been her passions from a young age. She knew early on that she wanted to be an engineer, and said that getting to apply her skills in the biopharma industry is “very rewarding”.
4. You can apply diverse skills to a life sciences career
Careers in life sciences can be hugely diverse. This week, we heard from people working in genomics and engineering, but also in tech consulting.
Accenture’s Elaine O’Dwyer is a data scientist who works in the company’s applied intelligence practice, where she focuses specifically on life sciences. This gives her a front-row seat to the trends taking the industry by storm, and she said she gets great satisfaction from the variety of projects she helps deliver.
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