How to Find Your Next Clinical Research Job in the United States

Clinical Research is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that offers a wide range of opportunities for professionals looking to advance their careers. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced researcher, finding your next Clinical Research job can be a daunting task. With so many different job titles, locations, and employers to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start your search.

In this article, we provide 10 practical tips and strategies to help you navigate your job search in the United States; from identifying your job non-negotiables to immersing yourself in the industry.

Think About Your Ideal Role

When searching for your next Clinical Research job, it’s important to focus your job search rather than defaulting to a scatter-gun approach of applying to every job advert in the field you see. This way, you’ll be putting your time and energy into the applications for the roles you really want, ultimately improving the quality of your applications.

You don’t need to narrow down your search to one specific role but do make a checklist of your key requirements when it comes to applying for your next job. Things to consider include:

• Salary
• Job title
• Location
• Seniority
• Autonomy over workload
• Opportunities for learning and progression
• Benefits package
• Work-life balance
• Flexibility
• Amount of travel
• Key therapy areas

Whatever’s on your list, highlight a few things that are non-negotiable. Don’t restrict your job search too much, as some employers may make amendments to your contract or job description if you’re the best person for the role, but do use this list to target your search.

Think About Your Ideal Employer

Similarly, think about the type of employer you’d like to work for, and invest more time into finding out more about those employers and keeping track of their latest vacancies. Think about the following:

• What do you value? Which values do you want a future employer to uphold?
• What type of working environment would you thrive in?
• What kind of company culture are you looking for?
• What size organisation do you want to work for?
• What type of organisation do you want to work for? (e.g., pharmaceutical company, biotechnology company, hospital or academic research institution)

Do a Personal SWOT Analysis

Once you know what types of roles you’re looking for, and the types of employers you’d like to work under, do a personal SWOT analysis to understand both the things that make you stand out, and the things you need to work on.

To help identify the things you need to work on, do your research on job boards to see what your target employers are looking for.

Identify Your Personal Keywords

As part of your research, identify 10-12 recurring requirements that you see listed in job adverts. For roles in Clinical Research, these may include:

• Attention to detail
• Communication
• Relevant guidelines and regulations (e.g., Good Clinical Practice (GCP))
• Data management
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Critical thinking and more

Incorporate these keywords into your CV, cover letters, and other supporting documents where appropriate to highlight your relevance as a candidate.

More tips on how to use your personal keywords can be found here.

Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile

According to research by Jobvite, 72% of recruiters use LinkedIn to recruit talent. To improve the visibility of your profile, incorporate your keywords in relevant sections on your profile, and ensure each section is optimised for a career in Clinical Research.

Grow Your Professional Network

Grow your network with other professionals in your field. New connections may help you to gain additional insight into the Clinical Research industry, your target companies, and your target roles, all of which will help towards giving you a competitive edge in your job applications.

Here are 7 ways to build your network on LinkedIn.

Set up Job Alerts

On PharmiWeb.Jobs US, you can set up job alerts to hear about the latest Clinical Research jobs as soon as they’re posted. You’ll be notified by email when job openings matching your search criteria are added, ensuring you don’t miss out on your ideal job.

Help Recruiters to Find You

Uploading your CV to a CV database can help recruiters find you and match you with relevant positions, increasing your chances of finding the right role for you. When you upload your CV to PharmiWeb.Jobs US, you can also choose to receive a free CV review which is a great way to get a fresh perspective on your application.

Explore Relevant Schemes

If you’re looking for your first role in Clinical Research, there are plenty of schemes out there to help you get the experience needed to kickstart your career. For example, if you’re looking to start a career as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA), you could consider one of the below training programs:

• Worldwide Clinical Trials CRA Academy
• Thermo Fisher Scientific CRA Drive
• Medpace CRA Training Program

Immerse Yourself in the Industry

To stand out, you’ll need to demonstrate a good understanding of current industry news, developments, and challenges. You can do this by engaging with your network on LinkedIn, attending industry events, and subscribing to industry publications/regularly checking in on the latest news. You can do this on PharmiWeb.com, which brings together the latest news, articles, and events in the Life Science industry, across the globe.

Start Your Job Search

• Search the latest Clinical Research jobs in the United States