GMP Experience

Professional Hobo

Hello All,
I'm just looking for some suggestions to an interesting dilemma....... I've got two degrees in Engineering .... One in Mechanical and one in Biomedical..... Medical device manufacturers will not employ me because, I don't have GMP experience. It's the usual problem of not having experience in the type of organisation who will not give you experience because you don't have experience!! Everyone was a graduate at some stage with no experience, so how do it get it???? I'm working for the past two years since graduation just not in GMP environment.

The only solution I have heard is simply to lie on my CV, however I refuse to believe that the entire HR industry is based on, well, lies!!!!

Thanks

macsauce

Would a job in pharma reg compliance be an option?

Irish_Elect_Eng

Yes, chicken and egg.

I would not recommend lying.

I would recommend doing an on-line course in GMP, add this to you CV and then you will be able to talk the talk, perhaps the question of actually working in a GMP environment will not even come up if you have this in your CV.

A quick search came up with.

• GMP Training
  
• WHO GMP
  
• Pharma
  
• FDA ReEsources
  
• GMP Ireland
  
• FAS GMP

I am sure that there are many more.

GMP is a much a state of mind, guidelines for good practice as a skill.

You can pick this up quickly in a job environment, a little training will give you the vocabulary that you need to get over the interview hurdle.

If asked the question, have you worked in a GMP environment?, you could reply.

"While I have not yet worked in such an environment, but I have identified good GMP work practices as a key skill required in my area of expertise, to that end I completed x course / self study to inform myself and I am aware of the requirements of working in a GMP environment, so I feel I am ready to work in such an environment. For example ......"

Professional Hobo

Hi Irish Elect Eng,
Thanks for that, I have found the links to be useful and your suggested responce of interest. Im going to look at some self directed study on the area.
Regards
Professional Hobo

murphym7

Consider working as an operator on a short term contract in one of these companies. Boston, Abbott, Stryker etc…. many of them look for temp operators from time to time. This does two things for you 1) Gets you work experience within a regulated environment 2) Lets them have a look at you and gives you the opportunity to apply for internal open roles that you actually want to work in. We have filled many Engineering, Quality and Ops roles from the temporary operator population, we call it out at interview stage in fact, that they are free to apply for internal roles.

Of course, if you are working as an Engineer now, the above approach won't suit you and you should think about doing a course in GMP. Don't be too disheartened though, we have loads of guys here who have come from many different types of manufacturing. If you working as an engineer now, concentrate on honing your skills and adding experience in systems and processes. Add to your CV with project work, 6 Sigma and Lean, process improvement. These are skills that are totally transferrable and desirable. Once your CV is beefed up the lack of GMP experience becomes much less of a factor in considering you as an engineer.