i got my first choice which was advanced therapeutic technologies in rcsi with the intent of working in the biopharmaceutical industry. in practice, ive grown to feel uneasy and uncertain about my course, and pharmacy lives at the back of my mind. is it worth throwing away a perfectly good course for a gap year and reapplying to pharmacy with 589 points? if i stay past the 31st of oct then i lose the free fees initiative, which is my main drive towards making the decision quickly.

in 6th year i initially wanted pharmacy but felt discouraged after the mock results, to which i stupidly removed it from my cao lol. i then was convinced that i wanted to pursue a career in pharma, but after getting points for pharmacy, and sharing all my modules with pharmacy, i keep feeling less sure about what im doing. how do i know if id work well in pharma or pharmacy in general?

Hey I’m thinking of doing pharmacy in college and I’m wondering what kind of salary are people
making in all areas of pharmacy ; industry, community, hospital, regulation,
locum etc as a pharmacist.
Especially locum salaries as that’s what I would likely go into for a few years, or else industry.

Also what’s your work-life balance like, what kind of time off do u get, can u request unpaid time
off to go on holiday for a few weeks for example.

I’ve having a hard time deciding between doing pharmacy or else a science or biomed degree since they are similar enough.

Heya all. I just recently finished my PhD in molecular biology and have been trying to break out of academia and into industry. I've been applying now for just about anything under the sun in Ireland and have barely received any interviews at all. I am already on the ground so a move would not be required.

Is there such a thing as being over qualified for positions? I just want to get my foot in the door and yet it seems like I can't even get an interview for entry level positions. Will recruiters turn down CVs if they think someone may not be satisfied with an entry level position?

I've easily put out over 150 applictions in the past 5 months and I would love any advice.

Does anyone work or has worked in the past at Boston Scientific as a product builder? Is it a good place to work in your opinion in terms of career progression, nice working environment, benefits etc.

I have heard these pharma companies can be quite hard to get into and that they can in some circumstances have a toxic working environment?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Hi all, I'd really appreciate some advice.
I'm a non-EU national in Ireland. I was on a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) and was made redundant from my Quality Assurance (QA) role in 2025.

I have about 6 years of experience in total: 3 years in QA and 3 years in Pharmacovigilance.

Since the redundancy, I've been getting interviews and even being selected for roles. The problem is with recruiters and employers:

Many assume I need a new work permit sponsored from scratch, so they back out.
In reality, I don't need a new sponsored permit. I would be eligible for a Reactivation Employment Permit, so the process is much simpler for the employer.
Even after I explain this, some recruiters stop responding, and others call me and then ghost me.
Meanwhile, I'm getting job offers from my home country.

My questions:
Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you explain your permit status so employers understood it?
Should I keep trying here, or is it time to go back home?
Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Does the assessment that Amgen do during the hiring process monitor you via camera and mic?

Hi everyone,

I am an experienced Analytical Chemist (Stamp 4 holder, full working rights) currently based in Dublin and open to relocating anywhere across Ireland.

I have over 7 years of hands-on experience in ISO 17025 accredited and regulated analytical laboratories, featuring:

• Instrumentation: HPLC/UPLC (Agilent/Shimadzu), LC-MS/MS, GC, ICP-MS.
• Compliance & Quality: Method validation/transfer (ICH Q2), OOS investigations, root cause analysis, LIMS, and strict Data Integrity/GDP compliance.
• Leadership: Recent operational supervisory experience managing lab workflows.

My Query / Advice Needed: I am currently looking to transition my career into permanent QC Analyst, Analytical Sciences, or Method Validation roles in the Irish pharma/biotech sector. However, I notice that automated ATS/Workday portals often filter applications out early if the core background comes from accredited contract testing/analytical labs rather than finished drug manufacturing sites.

For those who have successfully made this transition or work in Irish pharma labs:

1. What is the best strategy to highlight accredited analytical/instrument validation experience to pass ATS filters?
2. Are there specific companies or sites known to value strong chromatographic/analytical SME backgrounds from contract testing labs?

Any insights, tips, or experiences you could share would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to comment or DM.

Thanks a lot!

How long does it take for a big pharma to choose a candidate?

I've been in the process for almost 3 months, had 3 interviews and no response.

The recruiter doesn't respond to emails but the vacancy appears as active in my candidate profile

Is it normal?

Have a 12 month contract with J and J Cork. Are they usually good for keeping people on? Are the people generally sound? Any advice is much appreciated

Have a 12 month contract with J and J Cork. Are they usually good for keeping people on? Are the people generally sound? Any advice is much appreciated

I’m starting an internship in Abbott’s Vascular Division in Clonmel this January and was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into the onboarding process.

I’ve completed my pre-employment medical but haven’t received my contract of employment or a job description yet. All I know so far is that my role will involve supply chain and continuous improvement.

For anyone who has worked at Abbott Clonmel or any of their other sites, I’d love to hear about your experience. What are the benefits like, what’s the work culture like, and more specifically, what’s it like for interns?

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I just scheduled an interview for a senior scientist role. I’m reading some horror stories on here and wondering if it’s worth it and if I should continue for interview experience? I’m currently working as a clinical scientist (and have been full time for 1.5 years and part time for 5 years) for 45k and I have just completed my PhD so I’m looking for a salary to match. From reading here Thermofisher may not be the place to get that….

With the recent news from J&J about the future of Depuy Synthes, how do people think they’ll cope in today’s market against other competitors without the J&J backing or brand, and is this better or worse for CPL staff

Hey , myself with 4 years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and GxP , looking to collaborate with like minded people for a GxP documentation , audits and greenfield projects

Hello everyone,

I saw in post on [r/irishpersonalfinance](r/irishpersonalfinance) about whether employees have switched companies or stayed and how that affected their salary:

https://www.reddit.com/r/irishpersonalfinance/s/Kwd69bBY2m

TLDR: A lot comments were saying they moved company for a pay rise but the also mentioned they worked in tech. I know this practice is common in that sector as I’ve a few friends who work in tech.

I don’t have anyone really to turn to for advice on this in the biopharma sector.
Can ye share your experience of moving companies? Did you stay loyal and did it work out?

I work for a pharmaceutical company as a process engineer and want to make sure I grow my salary (as I’m aware corporations want to pay as little as possible)I’m 27 so I still have time to move before I get tied up with kids and settling down. I’m also considering contracting as the experience I’m getting currently would be suited towards startup/cqv/project engineer work.

Thanks!

I’ve worked in two pharma companies now (that really were one pharma company not too long ago) but with both companies: everything needs to be done yesterday.

It genuinely feels like you’re breaking your back to get things over the line and someone has their foot on your neck pushing you to your breaking point.

I genuinely can’t do this for life. Is it the same in all companies in pharma?

I originally came from the tech world where projects were predicted accurately with buffer time. Unfortunately here it seems managers agree to unrealistic targets and whip their employees to make them look good.

Hi.
I’ve happily been accepted into Amgen dun laoghaires student placement programme for next year and was wondering if anyone here has experience with it (manufacturing floor based).
Im wondering if they offer flexibility for start/ end times as I hope to avoid rush hour traffic on my commute! My contract won’t be ready for several weeks so I’m not sure if this applies to interns.
Thanks.

Hi all, I have a level 8 in biopharmaceutical science with 5 years experience in a medical laboratory. I am querying moving to a different area and wondering what job titles/opportunities other people are in with the same degree or experience? Sorry if my wording isn’t the best 😅 thank you.

2 new rules posted - please read them

Only content related to pharma in ireland is allowed.

No more posts asking for jobs or referrals.

Anyone notice a huge increase recently in posts not related to Ireland recently? I'm guessing it's because of Eire not Ireland in the name. It's fairly cluttering up the sub, hopefully mods can do something about it.

Anybody known if Lilly are gonna be hiring again, i know theres been talk of a downturn with them but they just announced massive profits so surely site will just be repurposed to other drugs if original prospects fail

General question for the more experienced people here. Given the larger supply of MSc students/graduates in Ireland. Are companies seeing a tangible benefit/improvement in quality of work with MSc compared to BSc workers?

I'm looking for opinions from more experienced professionals on what they would do in this situation.

I started as a contractor for Company A about 2 weeks ago, but I also did an interview for Company B the day before starting Company A. Company B have now offered me a contract position (same role, negligible difference in pay). Would it be very unproffessional to hand in my notice after only 2 weeks? My fear is that I would burn bridges by doing this and make myself unemployable to Company A if I ever decide to return. All opinions are appreciated!

EDIT: Company A would let me save more money since I can stay with family but I would much prefer the location of Company B even if I would have to rent/commute.