1. How accessible is a career in clinical studies for you?

A job in clinical research is accessible to anyone interested in this field and has the necessary qualifications. Perhaps you had the impression that the profile of a clinical research professional is someone from an academic environment, working in high-tech laboratories, performing complex experiments while donning a white lab coat or overalls, safety goggles, and constantly peering into a microscope. If this is the image you had in mind, it’s time to erase it and understand the reality of what these roles entail and whether you can pursue a career in clinical studies too.

Project management and administrative activities occupy a significant portion of clinical trials, and most jobs are dedicated to monitoring the quality of and collecting medical data, which does not necessarily require extensive medical studies. If you have graduated from a university, college, or any form of education higher than high school, you can certainly have a career in clinical research. The answer is a resounding yes, a career in clinical research is within your reach if you meet the educational qualifications mentioned above.

2. Where can you start a career in clinical research?

You have two main options: one is in medical institutions, and the other is with a sponsor (pharmaceutical companies, biotech) or a Contract Research Organization (CRO). Let’s explore each option in detail. The first option is a medical unit, such as a hospital or any other medical institution. If you are a doctor, you can join a clinical studies team as a Sub-Investigator (SI) and later grow into the role of a Principal Investigator (PI). As a nurse, you can play a vital role in the development of studies on-site as a study nurse.

If you do not have a medical background, that’s perfectly fine; you can start as a Clinical Study Coordinator (CSC). For this role, you only need to acquire minimal medical knowledge, but more importantly, you should possess strong communication skills, organizational abilities, and the capacity to manage and implement projects effectively.

The second option is to start working with a sponsor or a Contract Research Organization (CRO), where you have a wide variety of job opportunities. Some of the roles available include Clinical Trial Assistant (CTA), Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Clinical Trial Lead (CTL), Project Manager (PM), Data Manager (DM), Auditor, and Regulatory Officer. If you want to find out more detailed information about each of these roles, please download the “CLINICAL RESEARCH CAREER JOURNEY: FROM ASSISTANT TO MANAGER” from the relevant link provided.

Now that you know where you can start working in clinical studies and the positions available, you only need to apply for the desired job. However, you need to know where to apply. That’s why it’s crucial to open an account on Glassdoor.com, where you can read feedback from present or former employees of any given company. The information provided by Glassdoor.com is truly invaluable when it comes to choosing the company you want to apply to.

3. Where can you find advertisements about jobs in clinical research?

There are several options available. Firstly, you can check the websites of pharmaceutical companies and CROs under their “Careers” section. Universities and colleges with medical programs, as well as medical clinics and hospitals, often have postings on their websites for open positions, such as Clinical Study Coordinator or Study Nurse.

Secondly, you can explore specialized websites like PharmiwEB.com, Glassdoor.com, or LinkedIn.com, where you can find job postings from major companies. The only requirement is to have an account on these sites, granting you access to all the available jobs worldwide at that particular time.

Thirdly, the most commonly used method is to perform a simple Google search. In addition to the jobs you can find on the websites listed in the second option, a more detailed search, such as “Clinical Study Coordinator in Italy” or “Project Manager home-based in Germany,” will reveal job postings from mid-size, small, regional, and local companies that may not have published their open positions on global websites.

4. How can you find the companies offering the most opportunities for a career in clinical research?

The companies offering the most jobs in clinical research are the Contract Research Organizations (CROs) because these are legal entities highly specialized in this field. A simple Google search for “Top 10 CROs” will reveal all the global CROs presented based on various criteria, such as business figures and the number of employees. Some of the major CROs include IQVIA, Covance, Parexel, PPD, ICON, Medpace, Charles River Laboratories, PRA Health Sciences, Syneos Health, WuXi AppTec, and the list goes on.

Regarding regional or local CROs, in addition to the Google search that can help you find them (for instance, “CRO in India”), you also have a helpful resource: the https://ichgcp.net/cro-list website, where you can find most CROs in each country, regardless of their global, regional, or local reach.

It’s important to note that if you are interested in a job in a pharmaceutical or biotech company producing innovative medicines, you need to take the same approach. Keep in mind that it is highly unlikely they have a local clinical studies department, simply because their clinical trial activities have been outsourced to CROs.

5. What jobs can you apply for in the beginning if you have no experience?

First, you need to do your homework and assess which job fits you best, and then consider applying for that role. Ideally, a job description would help you make an informed decision about whether a particular position is a good match for you or not.

Most entry-level jobs are for Clinical Research Associates, which can be an excellent choice – this is how I started in clinical studies. However, you need to consider that it involves 60% traveling and only 40% office work. Sometimes, the percentage of time spent visiting sites is even higher, especially when study initiation at medical centers takes place.

If you prefer an office-based job, you can opt for roles such as Clinical Trial Assistant, In-house Clinical Research Associate, or Regulatory Officer (entry-level) within a CRO or a pharmaceutical company. Alternatively, you can start as a Clinical Study Coordinator in a hospital.

If you are a nurse, you can begin as a study nurse, or if you are a doctor, you can start as a sub-investigator.

In conclusion, the positions you can apply for to start a career in clinical studies can be one of the following: Clinical Trial Assistant (office-based), Clinical Research Associate (at least 60% traveling, but also a better salary), In-House Clinical Research Associate (99% office-based), Regulatory Officer (office-based), or Clinical Study Coordinator (hospital/medical center, office-based). Any one of these is a very good choice if you believe it is a suitable match for you.

6. How can your career grow in clinical research?

As mentioned earlier, you alone set the limits of your evolution in this field and the level you wish to reach in your development. Sure, your professional background needs to align with the available opportunities, but you are the one who must have the desire to climb the professional ladder and continuously learn new things.

That being said, it’s important to understand that no career or career growth has a guarantee once you have entered the clinical research industry. We all know that there are external factors beyond our control that can influence both our professional and personal lives.

Coming back to your career, it can expand either vertically or horizontally. Once you reach the position of Clinical Trial Lead and CRA Manager, you can go on to work internationally, coordinating projects and managing people/teams regionally or across continents. You will have a clearer picture of how you want to evolve and what direction to steer your career only once you start working in the field and understand what you enjoy doing the most.

To illustrate the potential for professional growth within the same role, let me provide you with another example and the average time span for moving from one level to another.

7. How secure is a job in clinical research?

As mentioned before, no job is 100% safe or guaranteed. However, based on my 15-year experience and insights from colleagues, here’s what I know:

Jobs in clinical research remained active throughout the financial crises between 2008 and 2010. Furthermore, the demand for qualified personnel grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s essential not to fall for any statement without having the numbers to back them up, so let’s examine the data.

According to the clinicaltrials.gov website, the number of studies listed per year on this platform has increased from 17,347 in 2010 to 36,742 in 2020 – more than doubling. This surge in clinical trials explains the increasing demand for qualified personnel in this field.

A report from GrandViewResearch.com states, “The global clinical trials market size was estimated at $44.3 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2021 to 2028.” Additionally, the same report from GrandViewResearch.com mentions that an increase in the global clinical studies market is estimated to reach up to $69.5 billion by 2028.

All these figures lead us to one single conclusion: having a job in the clinical studies industry offers medium and long-term safety and stability.

8. What is the salary you can earn in clinical research?

This is the million-dollar question that cannot be avoided when searching for any job. Well, salaries in the clinical trial industry differ from one continent to another and from one country to another, but one thing is certain: it is above the salary average in the respective region.

You can find important details on the salary range in your region or country by accessing the anonymously gathered information on Glassdoor.com. “How?” you might ask – it’s easy, and I’ll guide you through the steps:

Step 1: Perform a Google search for phrases like “CRA Salary in USA” or “Project Manager in India” – but you can also search for your country and the specific job you’re interested in.

Step 2: Look for “Glassdoor.com” to appear in the search results and access the information on their website.

Step 3: You will see both the minimum and maximum, as well as the average salary for that particular role in your country.

Glassdoor.com provides one of the most precise estimations of employees’ income in the clinical research industry because the data is collected anonymously from those actually working in clinical studies.

What else do you need to know about the salary for a certain job? From the entry-level up to expert or senior level, the salary can potentially double. For instance, from a CRA Junior (Entry Level) to a Senior CRA, the gross salary can grow between 80% and 110%, and this increase can occur within just 5 years!

These were the 8 key things you need to know about starting and growing a career in the dynamic field of clinical research. With diverse entry points, opportunities for professional development, job security driven by industry growth, and competitive compensation, this field offers an attractive career path for motivated individuals from various backgrounds.