It is sometimes difficult to get his first job as CRA or to change position of CRA. Yet there are some strategies to know to achieve these objectives. You will find below the 5 best ways to get your first job or to change job.
1- Clinical Research headhunters to find a CRA job
A headhunter is specialized in looking for candidates. They are generally paid only when the company hires one of the suggested candidates.
He presents candidates with one year experience as a CRA. To find them, you can go to LinkedIn (if you’re not yet registered make it immediately by clicking here) and you must write « HEAD HUNTER CLINICAL RESEARCH » or « CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE RECRUITER » in the search bar. They are likely to be English speakers on this network. Contact them and send them your cover letter and your CV, indicating what you are looking for.
2- Apply in different types of structures to find a CRA job
Most CRAs do not work for pharmaceutical companies.
You must apply with CROs (service providers). There are a lot of vacancies through these companies : AFCRO
In addition, there are also vacancies in hospitals, groups of institutional studies, biotechnology laboratories, veterinary medicine laboratories and laboratories of medical devices.
You know the Leem (Union of pharmaceutical companies), the site where you can find all offers in the field of medicine? You must know that there are equivalent unions for veterinary medicine laboratories or for laboratories of medical devices. There are, of course, a directory of laboratories and a job site
Union of medical devices laboratories: SNITEM
Union of veterinary medicine laboratories: SIMV
There is even a very comprehensive directory of biotechnology laboratories: France Biotechnology (Get ready to sort!)
For institutional groups, you can go on CNCR site, there is a directory listing (the clinical investigation networks).
3- Apply with small CROs to find a CRA job
Most people only know a few large pharmaceutical companies. Moreover, most people have never heard of small CROs. These small companies are a pool of vacancies.
4- Do not look for job advertisements for small companies, Apply in live for a CRA job
Small companies generally do not have their own recruiters or HR department. There’s a good chance they do not post ads when they need to hire.
5- Make a clinical research associate training and an internship in clinical research for a CRA job
If you have no experience in monitoring of clinical trials and that you have not followed CRA training, chances are very low that you get a beginner position of CRA. According to Good Clinical Practices (GCP), employers who work on clinical trials need people with documented knowledge on good clinical practices. Companies prefer to take someone who already knows the basics, i.e. who has got a CRA training or who has made an internship in clinical research before (in the hospital or in a company).
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This article is available in French, click here
