Making your way in the Engineering/Consulting side

of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Presented by: Alan Levy, Project Manager, Javan & Walter, Inc.

Keep your career goals in mind

• After college, money is scarce• This greatly influences decisions, and long term

goals don’t seem important. Don’t fall into this trap!

• Many paths to choose from…• Experience is great, but it can also make it difficult

or impossible to change career paths after several years on one path.

• Money isn’t everything!• Regardless of salary, if you don’t like what you are

doing or you don’t see a future in it, you should move on before inadvertently locking yourself into a career path you don’t want.

Is an engineering firm right for you?• Operating Company

• Pros: > Initial Salary, < Volatility• Cons: < Visibility, < Client Interaction

< Direct Recognition, Fixed Salary Escalation

• Engineering/Consulting Firm• Pros: > Visibility, > Client Interaction,

> Mobility, > Direct Recognition,

Dynamic Salary Escalation• Cons: < Initial Salary, > Volatility

Engineering Disciplines vs. Site Work• This is an important choice! It can set your entire

career path. Make this choice or it will be made for you.• Engineering Disciplines:

1. You can become an authority in your field. Clients appreciate your work, but you usually won’t develop personal relationships.

2. People value your engineering opinion, because your specialization makes you a technical expert. However, specialization reduces your breadth of knowledge in other aspects of engineering and the industry.

3. This career path most easily leads into becoming a Chief/Lead Engineer or an Individual Consultant.

• Site Work:1. You can become a generalist with wide knowledge of the industry. You

may focus in certain areas, but you will not be a disciplinary expert.a. You may become a technical expert in non-discipline fields like construction,

maintenance, operations, quality/compliance, etc.2. You will gain lots of industry contacts, client relations skills, valuable insight

into how the drug companies operate, and time, project, and people management skills.

3. Clients appreciate your work, and you will develop personal relationships.4. This career path most easily leads into Construction Management and/or

Project Management.