What is the best way to get into industry without a fellowship?

Nas215- I am a pharmacist a few years out of school and working retail. Any chance I can still get into industry? How?

RPF- It is possible but could be tough breaking in so may take a lot of perseverance in continuing to try. Is there a specific area you are interested in? Pharma is really broken up by functional areas, so the first thing I would recommend is to do some research and try to figure out what area you want to go for. The most natural fits for pharmacists are probably medical information, maybe some pharmacovigilance roles, and possibly MSL type roles but those can be quite competitive.\r\n\r\nOnce you have an idea of where you want to go (and it can be other areas outside the above but others may require even more effort to get additional exp, etc.) try to get any relevant experience you can and to frame experiences you've had to something that translates to the role. For example, if you are going for med info, frame your experiences as a retail pharmacist in terms of looking up drug info, answering provider questions, etc. \r\n\r\nWhen it comes to actually applying, I would also suggest to not only look at pharma, but also contract organizations that pharma works with. It is often easier to get an entry level role here and then to subsequently move to a pharma role after you have more knowledge of the space and experience. Try to connect with recruiters on sites like LinkedIn who may be looking to fill roles you are interested in - usually a higher success rate than blank applying especially when it is your first role.\r\n\r\nLike I said the first role will be the toughest- once you are in, it is typically much easier to move around to other companies and opportunities. Best of luck and let us know if any specific questions!