Making your way in the EngineeringConsulting side of the Pharmaceutical Industry

1
Making your way in the Engineering/Consulting
side of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Presented by Alan Levy, Project Manager, Javan
Walter, Inc.
2
Keep your career goals in mind

• After college, money is scarce
• This greatly influences decisions, and long term
  goals dont seem important. Dont 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 isnt everything!
• Regardless of salary, if you dont like what you
  are doing or you dont see a future in it, you
  should move on before inadvertently locking
  yourself into a career path you dont want.

3
Is an engineering firm right for you?

• Operating Company
• Pros gt Initial Salary, lt Volatility
• Cons lt Visibility, lt Client Interaction lt
  Direct Recognition, Fixed Salary Escalation
• Engineering/Consulting Firm
• Pros gt Visibility, gt Client Interaction,
• gt Mobility, gt Direct Recognition,
  
• Dynamic Salary Escalation
• Cons lt Initial Salary, gt Volatility

4
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
• You can become an authority in your field.
  Clients appreciate your work, but you usually
  wont develop personal relationships.
• 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.
• This career path most easily leads into becoming
  a Chief/Lead Engineer or an Individual
  Consultant.
• Site Work
• 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.
• You may become a technical expert in
  non-discipline fields like construction,
  maintenance, operations, quality/compliance, etc.
• 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.
• Clients appreciate your work, and you will
  develop personal relationships.
• This career path most easily leads into
  Construction Management and/or Project Management.