Back to events
On November 8th, Ex-Military Careers teamed up with BioTalent to deliver an inspiring, empowering, and highly insightful webinar – ‘From Forces to Pharma: making the leap from the military to the life sciences.’
To help us demystify the industry and explore the endless opportunities available to veterans, we were joined by the incredible:
Ellis Greenway – Host, Client Engagement Lead, Ex-Military Careers
Jason Heap – Co-Host Recruitment Consultant, BioTalent
Olivia Cream – Senior HR Director, Stryker
Colin Drummond – Senior Operations Director, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dr Mike Zurawski – CEO, MICA Biosystems
For many veterans, the biggest barrier to a successful career transition is their own mindset. Our experts were on hand to help break this spell and offer actionable advice from a first-hand experience.
The armed forces implant many of the most highly sought-after traits into veterans, including leadership – a skill that’s learnt at the time of the very first promotion. It’s often a case of recognising these skillsets, understanding their immense value in civilian world, and self-advocating for them.
But why do the life sciences represent such an abundance of opportunities for veterans in particular? As a mission-driven, widely impactful, innovative, and fundamentally crucial industry, it’s safe to say that it’s not just the prospect of a lucrative career.
We explored the many remarkable similarities between the military and the life sciences, including the ever-present need for excellence, self-motivation and trust in one another.
While the requirements to enter the industry have traditionally been a stumbling block for many, but in reality, ‘You don’t need 15 years’ worth of experience and a PhD to get started.’ Veterans are valued in the life sciences, and as our expert panellists were quick to let us know, their talents and incredibly unique skillsets are in high demand.
Knowing that your talents are in demand is one thing, but taking the first step towards a life-changing career is another entirely. For those trying to make the leap, we explored some key pieces of advice, including:
What your CV needs to stand out
How to decide on where to look
The value of a little homework
Backing up your achievements with cold hard data
Don’t wait around for the job that’s 100% you, it doesn’t exist
From breaking down barriers to insider industry insight from the experts who once made the leap from the forces to the life sciences themselves, our webinar was a huge success, and one that we’re very much looking forward to continuing in the future.
We would like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful guests, our audience, and to everyone who asked questions throughout the event – our aim is to engage, inspire, and create a positive, lasting impact on the wider world.
If you missed the webinar, we've got you covered, check out the recording on our YouTube channel:
