Regulatory Open Forum

Hi All,

Due to an unexpected layoff, I found myself looking for a job for quite a while. The job search has been very long and I had a hard time finding an opening. I recently was offered a job that is not related to regulatory. Personally, I would like to remain in regulatory but will have to accept this job in order to maintain financial needs at this point. Does anyone have any suggestions if I would still like to keep my options open for a career in regulatory?

Thank you in advance. 

Good question!  There are regulatory jobs out there - my team has been trying for quite a while to find one or two suitable candidates to join us.  It can be a challenge on both sides to find good matches.

Do you have a sense of what kinds of positions would interest you, how many there are, and how often they open up?  If you have applied for some, and didn't come in first place, do have a sense of what they were looking for that you didn't have?

You didn't mention if you're at a VP level, just past entry level, or somewhere in between. Specific suggestions might vary, depending on your level and your particular areas of interest, and your location, too.

Some general ideas:  think about where you might like to be in a year or three or five. Since you're making a lateral move anyhow, think about what other lateral moves you might make to become a better candidate for the kind of job you might want.  Think about stretch assignments to grow skills that will translate back to the regulatory world.  Think about what you actually like about the job you're temporarily in. Think about what you liked and didn't like about the job you were laid off from. Think about what kinds of organization you might like to work with, in a regulatory or other role.

Think about how you might tell a story about your series of career moves. For example, maybe you start in regulatory, move to something else where you grow management skills, then move back to regulatory at a management level. Or maybe you have a chance to gain experience in something scientific, or quality, or clinical, or simply personal development.

Many people, especially in regulatory work, have interesting job histories, and many have nuggets of past experience that are later very useful in surprising ways.

For what it worth: I have been in similar situations where I suddenly had to reinvent myself. Whatever job I worked, I tried to make the best of it and had fun. In this context 'fun' usually meant that I did extra things besides my regular work. This allowed me to explore my strengths and all the options that were available. As a result I have now a big bag with perspectives that I can use to approach regulatory situations. That helps a lot in finding innovative solutions in the quickly moving regulatory landscape we are in. 
So, don't try to overthink your career. Go for a position that offers some challenges and have fun.