Interview Tips for Jobseekers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Give yourself a pat on the back- you’ve got an interview for that perfect pharmaceutical job! You have obviously impressed your potential employer through your well-written CV and the next step is to bowl them over at interview.

The key to success during a pharmaceutical interview is preparation. Through good preparation you are more likely to win over the interviewer and convince them that you are the best man or woman for the pharmaceutical job.

Below you will find some useful advice as to how best to prepare for an interview within the pharmaceutical industry:

1. Research the Employer

By demonstrating to the interviewer that you are clued up about the company and what they do within the pharmaceutical arena, you are showing them that you mean business and are serious about getting this pharmaceutical job. Some great ways to research the company are as follows:

• Visit the company website
• Get hold of company brochures
• Read company press releases and news articles

2. Research yourself

Many employers within the pharmaceutical industry will ask competency based questions during interview. Competency based interview questions tend to focus on a specific skill or competency. Typical questions include:

• Give me an example of when you have had to organise something?
• Give me an example of when you have had to plan your time effectively?
• Give me an example of when you have worked as part of a team?

A great place to start in order to prepare for these types of interview questions is to think really think about you and your background-

• What experience have you gained in the pharmaceutical industry?
• What are your strengths? How can your strengths be applied to the pharmaceutical role?
• What skills are required for the pharmaceutical job? Do you have any experience that demonstrates that you have these skills?

Asking yourself these questions of yourself is a great way to prepare for competency based interview questions.

3. Look the Part

Decide what you are going to wear the day before the interview. It is a good idea to find out from your recruiter the culture and dress code of the organisation and dress accordingly, if not a little smarter. Remember that less is more. After all, you want to be remembered for the right reasons.

4. Don’t be late!

Prior to the interview it is advisable to do a test run. This will eliminate the stress of getting lost or being late on the day of the interview. It is a good idea to arrive ten minutes before the interview is due to start and allow enough time in case you get stuck in traffic.

Found this advice helpful? Please see below for further job hunting resources from CK Clinical:

• 10 Ways to Banish Interview Nerves
• 15 Ways to Stay Motivated During Your Job Search
• 11 Ways to Make a Good First Impression on Your First Day
• 25 Interview Mistakes
• Clinical Research Job Interview Questions
• Competency-based Interview Tips
• Coping with Redundancy
• CV Writing Tips
• Data Management Interview Questions
• Dress to Impress at Your Interview
• How to Handle a Bad Interviewer
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• Interview Preparation
• Interview Tips
• Linkedin Profile Tips
• Online Job Hunting Mistakes
• Questions You Should Ask Your Interviewer
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• RSS Feeds and Job Hunting
• Social Media Job Hunting Tips
• Telephone Interview Tips
• The Best CV Buzzwords
• Using Recruitment Agencies