Seeking Guidance

[david7763]

Embarrassingly and sadly, I must admit that I gave up searching for my passion a long time ago...
I just want to become a qualified professional in what I do and achieve something along the way. Later, as I taste the success, this might turn into a passion. What do you think? But I hadn’t received many comments at university or in the industry that reminded me of my passion. Yours made me happy, thank you

If you're just completing your university studies, you have a whole wide world of opportunities to explore. There's no shame in trying one thing, then another. Just make sure that if and when you change course, it is deliberate and thoughtful. It took me 18 years to get my bachelor's degree because I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I finally got a degree in molecular pharmacology, but after 6 years in that field I discovered that I'm only good at learning about it, and I kind of suck at doing it. In my early 40s, I left the field and took an entry-level job in manufacturing to try to figure out what to do next. Three years later, I was recruited into Quality and found a perfect alignment between my passion and my profession. Every day I am eager to do my job, and every night I am satisfied and fulfilled by the work I was able to do. And my salary now is far more than it ever would have been in pharmacology research. The more your passion is engaged in your work, the happier you will be at work. And that will translate to greater happiness outside of work. I strongly recommend not giving up on your passion; it is uniquely yours and no one else can leverage what you're passionate about to accomplish the things that only you will be able to do when you capitalize on your passion. Consider reading "Now Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham and "The Purpose Linked Organization" by Alaina Love. Our highest need as humans is to feel like we're part of something meaningful that's bigger than ourselves. Your passion will guide your purpose and point to your most fulfilling profession.

 

[Ed Panek]

My favorite time in my career was right out of the Navy working on radar systems I spent a couple of years repairing office machines. I probably could have gotten a better-paying job fixing radars but I didn't. I'd get my calls for the day, head out in my van and criss-cross the city. I met our customers personally. Got to know a lot of them. I was young, healthy, and had a purpose. I didn't know how well I had it.

Then I got married and it was determined I needed to make more money so I applied as a service tech at a medical device printer company. Within a few years I was in tech support and I went to college at night. Then I was promoted to Director of QA. I lost touch with my work and was lost looking at numbers all day. Making more $$ but I wasn't solving anyones specific problems so my sense of worth went down. I now appreciate the idea of being close to your actual work or the human connections to it. Thats important too.

 

[Jen Kirley]

You could try supplier quality in pharma. It is in demand and is a good place for starting out, and you can collect some audit experience.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, volunteer. Offer to join the internal audit team, offer to assist with projects. Get involved. Make personal and professional connections. Go to after-hours events. In this way you can build a network.

 

[Ed Panek]

You could try supplier quality in pharma. It is in demand and is a good place for starting out, and you can collect some audit experience.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, volunteer. Offer to join the internal audit team, offer to assist with projects. Get involved. Make personal and professional connections. Go to after-hours events. In this way you can build a network.

Excellent advice. Have an opinion. Think about solutions and discuss them with leadership without being assigned. They won't turn you away unless your ambition threatens them, as long as your normal work is getting done, and in that case, it's a red flag to work there.

 

[TrainingProf]

Hello everyone. I discovered this platform through Regulatory Affairs Leader at the company where I'm currently interning at, and I must say it's fantastic. Seeing so many experts gathered in one place, I thought I could get some advice for the next steps in my career. As a bioengineering student, I've interned in Quality Control and Quality Assurance departments within the pharmaceutical industry and in Quality and Regulatory Affairs departments for medical devices. I'm deeply interested in Quality and Regulatory Affairs.

I've completed training and obtained certifications for ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001, but I believe that without practical application, these certificates hold limited value. I have a general understanding of GMP, MDR, and ISO 13485 and am currently learning about the documentation processes at the company. Yet, I still feel there are gaps in my knowledge.

As my graduation approaches, I want to ensure I have a strong foundation in these areas. Could you share any advice, recommendations, or valuable lessons from your experiences? I don’t feel confident enough in my knowledge and am determined to change that. Additionally, I'm uncertain whether I should focus more on Quality Assurance or Regulatory Affairs. Any guidance to help me clear this confusion would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond

My suggestion is to grab onto the code. 21CFR. Learn it, speak it, know it. Biomanufacturing is a growing industry. There are tons of jobs all over the country. Learn and be able to talk to CGMP, GDP, Data Integrity, ALCOA, etc. and you will blow their minds. Good luck in your search.