As one of only a small number of industries that managed to thrive during the worst of the COVID pandemic, Big Pharma saw demand for its products and services go through the roof. The industry was called on to come up with a solution for fighting COVID before it got out of hand. The net effect was a scenario in which Big Pharma was forced into hiring overdrive.
HR Dive explains the situation as “skyrocketing demand for new skills” in both the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Simply put, companies now need the skills of employees they don’t currently have on the payroll. They have had to go out and get those employees.
All the while, Big Pharma has continued to invest tremendous resources in developing COVID therapeutics. It has been an all-hands-on-deck situation spurred on by the possibility that the pandemic would ultimately realize its full deadly potential. Thankfully, things did not turn out as bad as the experts said they could have. So where does that leave Big Pharma today?
- Coronavirus Isn’t Going Away
Big Pharma effectively dodged a bullet. Apparently, we all did. But the fact is that coronavirus is not going away. The experts have said that it will remain endemic in perpetuity. The pharmaceutical industry is therefore still on the hook for finding and developing effective therapies. Thus, they are still hiring.
One of the problems they are running into is a lack of knowledge regarding this particular strain of the virus. Despite the pandemic now being more than two years old, there is still an awful lot we don’t know about the virus. We are still fairly ignorant about most aspects of the COVID 19 disease as well.
HR Dive says this lack of knowledge is making it hard for Big Pharma to find the ideal candidates they want. As a result, they are placing a greater emphasis on upskilling and reskilling.
- They Want People Who Can Learn
Both upskilling and reskilling are endeavors that require a willingness and ability to learn. In the pharmaceutical environment, a willingness to learn is a big plus anyway. But now, as pharma tries to figure out the details of COVID as quickly as possible, learning ability becomes an even more valuable commodity.
How this plays out in job postings is unclear. Are recruiters and HR managers ready to say they want candidates willing and able to learn? Or is that kind of language too dangerous for a job post? Regardless, job seekers should always be willing to learn new skills. It is what makes them valuable to employers.
- Learning Equals Stability
Setting COVID aside for one minute, one of the universal truths of traditional employment is this: learning equals stability. Whether you are searching for jobs on the Pharma Diversity job board (Visit website here) or beginning your tenth year with the same employer, your ability and willingness to learn gives you an advantage over employees who don’t share that same willingness and ability.
Your job is more stable because your employer knows that you are available to do new things. You’re willing to learn new skills and transition to new jobs. You are not locked into a single career path that may or may not go as you planned. That sort of thing is lacking in the modern workforce.
If you already possess the right kind of knowledge, experience, and a willingness to learn new skills, there could be a job waiting for you in the pharmaceutical industry. They are still in hiring overdrive as they seek to fill the jobs necessary to find solutions to coronavirus and COVID-19. They may want you.