Regulatory Open Forum

 View Only

  • 1.  The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 09-Feb-2023 15:21

    This story on the expanding world of job interviews, with one person going on six interviews with intensive presentations and Q&As, got me thinking:

    How many job interviews did you have to take to get your current position (or a past position if you'd rather not discuss your current employer)? How has the job interview process changed since you first got into regulatory?



    ------------------------------
    Ryan Connors
    Social Media and Communications Specialist
    RAPS
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 10-Feb-2023 10:33

    Hi Ryan.

    I can speak in relatively general terms here: I have had situations where I have had 2 interviews (my boss and the next level) all the way up to having 5-6 (my boss, my team, my boss's boss, the HR lead, and the CEO of the company).  I think it varies a lot based on several factors including things like:

    1. Size of the company (larger companies seem to be a bit more likely to use longer processes)
    2. Type and level of role (more junior roles tend to be simpler paths while more senior roles tend to require significantly more contact due to the increased number of touch points for more senior leaders)
    3. Company culture (highly siloed companies/departments tend to be less cumbersome than the more fluid matrix companies in my experience)


    ------------------------------
    Victor Mencarelli MS
    Global Director Regulatory Affairs
    New YorkNY
    United States
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 13-Feb-2023 10:14

    For my current position (mid-size biopharm company) I interviewed with probably about 8 different people, but they were all just conversations - no presentations or intensive Q&A. I was changing companies and relocating, so I think part of it was that I had to make sure I talked to enough people to warrant flying me there and back. Also, the department I was joining is spread across different countries, so I had phone interviews with a couple people in Europe before they flew me to the site where I would be based.

    At my previous company (big pharma), when I interviewed to move from the dept that handled clinical applications to the one that handled commercial products, I believe I interviewed with 2 or 3 people (the "heads" in the dept) and had a group interview with a few of the people who would be my peers. Again, just a conversation.

    Though I have not been the job applicant very often, I have interviewed candidates myself, and from what I've seen, at the 2 companies I've worked for (over almost 30yrs in the industry), the interview process has not changed dramatically. But, it's a small sample size.



    ------------------------------
    Rachel Thornton
    Associate Director
    Smyrna GA
    United States
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 13-Feb-2023 10:48

    I have been self-employed for a very long time, but my last job interview was a pip. It was 1994, a very warm, wet day in Boston, and the HR person placed me in a windowless room with the AC cranked as low as it could go. It had to be below 60F in that room. With an "I'll be right back" he left and did not reappear for 2 hours. I was close to hypothermic by the time he returned. He interviewed me for about 45 minutes, and said I could leave. No one else interviewed me, not even the person I would be reporting to. A week later he emailed me a ridiculously low offer, which I declined. Two weeks after that I received an offer for the amount I had said I expected, and I was there for 2.5 years. But not in that windowless room!



    ------------------------------
    Arvilla Trag RAC
    Principal Consultant
    CMC Compliance Services
    Iron River MI
    United States
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 13-Feb-2023 14:53

    Hi, Ryan

    From my experience, regulatory related interviews are greatly affected by company culture. Some are more relaxed and unformal, some can be intense and ask you to do real-world scenario based questions. I had one interview that asked me to prepare a technical document of a regulatory strategy to enter a new market and a PPT of the regulatory strategy to present on the day of on-site interview. 

    Another trend I feel: there are quite many recruiters that are actively looking for Regulatory related candidates in the UK/EU, it is kind of a 'seller's market' because of the EU regulation change in medical device/IVDs.



    ------------------------------
    May Meng, PhD, RAC
    Senior Consultant
    Oxford
    United Kingdom
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 14-Feb-2023 11:17
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Only one for me, but I have seen with the popularity of remote video interviews that the number has increased for people my colleagues are hiring. It can be a lot easier to schedule an hour here and there and not have to bring someone in the building for multiple days, so I think that has led to some of the increase. 


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: The state of job interviews in regulatory

    Posted 15-Feb-2023 14:02

    Hi, Ryan

    I've changed jobs several times, but I never had to do presentations. I think it also depends on a position and a field you are in.

    Normally I was inteviewed for a managerial position with few employees (2-5). First interview is always HR (sometime 2 people, recruiter and director), then RA director (normally someone from Europe as I worked for Russia&CIS office), then alwas ( !) Managing director for Russia & CIS office (or General director as we call it) from Commercial. I would say if local Managing director says "No" then RA here would not get a job.) RA and Commercial have to approve you both. So, in general 3-4 interviews here. 

    Oksana



    ------------------------------
    Oksana Kolosova
    Moscow
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content