In this article I would like to draw an analogy between the beginning of a career in recruitment and pharmaceutical business.let’s Start with recruitment and determine what it is. Nothing complicated in determining and understanding here.
Recruitment is a business process which is responsible for search and selection of personnel within a company or an employment Agency. There are two types of recruitment – external (work recruitment for the company – customer) and internal (selection within the same company). Regardless of what you choose beginner specialist, it is important to understand one simple thing – we need to start with the starting positions in order to continue to grow the career ladder in parallel with the growth of the vacancies we work with.
the Starting position is called the researcher or assistant. Typically, this position involves the search resumes, initial phone interview and a basic assessment of the candidate on the requirements of the customer. This position is a recruiter, but in different companies, this position may be referred to as «recruitment consultant», «recruitment Manager», «HR», etc., but the essence remains the same, unlike functional. The recruiter already conducting on-site interviews with candidates and focuses more on the assessment of competencies. Also, the recruiter independently interacts with the customer. Further, it is also possible to grow your career and obtain management skills (working with a team), business development (attracting new clients in the recruitment Agency).
with regard to education, then of course it should be higher. Most perfect specialization is «psychology», «human resources management», «sociology», etc. However, there are many examples of people moving into the recruitment of a completely different sphere.
also Important is the ability of a recruiter to understand the business where he works. Therefore, the recruiter of course should possess the ability to think broadly and be open to new knowledge, quick learner.
And here I turn to the second part of the topic of the article – the beginning of a career in the pharmaceutical business, which should also be defined. So, the pharmaceutical business is a highly intellectual activity aimed at the development of new types of drugs and the benefits from their implementation. Yes, jarring the word «benefit», but the pharmaceutical business is a business and should adopt its rules of the game.
of Course, it all begins with the emergence of ideas about the development of a new drug, then the study, the need to conduct costly research and only then begins the promotion and selling.
it is at this point and stop.
sales Careers always starts from the start position. In this case, the post of medical representative (MP). Who is this MP? It specialist responsible for the promotion of medicines and increase their sales.
If we talk about education, the requirements for MP unlike recruiter tougher. It is rare that the employer is willing to consider for the post of MP person without specialized medical or pharmaceutical education. After all, the pharmaceutical business is directly related with the life and health of people and speak with the doctor about the promoted drug is preferably the same language.
Next, MP, of course, also has prospects of development of career, in senior Executive positions and other career departments. For example, if he has additional education in marketing and an appropriate level of English, then this may be the position of Product Manager in the marketing Department. If strictly medical education and the appropriate level of English, then this may be the shift in the medical Department.
in summary, I want now to spend the analogy mentioned at the beginning.
so, a career in recruitment and the pharmaceutical industry is undoubtedly good prospects. But you should understand that you start with the most starting positions. In this case, the recruiter who came to selection in pharmaceutical business (independent recruitment Agency or a pharmaceutical company), much more productive and will be more effective to start with the selection of medical representatives.
the question Arises – for what? The answer is simple – in order to clearly understand the structure and specifics of the pharmaceutical business, how to build business processes, what is the situation on the market, what is the organizational structure of the company. It’s pretty easy to manage a team or to seek a candidate for a leadership position, you need to understand how the work of the team how to motivate employees, etc. And to come to this understanding, it is important to go through all these stages.
Tykhenko Anna,
The recruiter,
Recruiting company AVICONN