How to Write an Effective Pharmaceutical Industry Job Posting

Appealing to the hearts and minds of the best candidates for your organization’s next career opening is crucial when composing a pharmaceutical industry job posting.

Writing a job description for a pharmaceutical company is different from a typical job description because of the specific skills, qualifications and experience that are required. It can be difficult to write a job posting that will attract the right applicants to a life science company and you’ll want to focus on a few key things in order to help you write an optimized job posting that will result in a well-qualified applicant pool.

Here’s a rundown of what we recommend including in a pharmaceutical industry job posting:

Job Title

The first thing potential applicants will see is the job title. Make sure it accurately reflects the role you’re looking to fill and avoid using industry-specific jargon that might cause confusion. For example, a “Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist” is more clear than a “RA Officer.” Another important consideration when constructing a job title is to include keywords that job seekers are likely to use in their search.

Simple Language

First and foremost, it’s important to be clear and concise when writing a job posting. Applicants could be browsing through hundreds of job postings, so you’ll want to make yours easy to digest by using simple language. You’ll want to focus on creating a job posting that is attractive and appealing to potential candidates. To achieve this, you should incorporate strong language to sell the position and highlight why someone would want to work for your company.

Use positive adjectives, active verbs and industry jargon only if it substantially helps to define the role. Other ways to change your tone of voice when writing a job posting are to use first-person pronouns such as “we” and “us.” This will help create a more personal feel to the job posting and make it seem like you’re speaking directly to the reader.

Logo

Including an upload of your company’s logo is not only a nice way to add some visual interest to your job posting, but it also helps with brand recognition.

Synopsis

The synopsis or job summary should briefly describe the overall purpose of the position and the job responsibilities. It could also briefly include information on the qualifications required for the role. This is where you should really sell the role and capture the attention of potential candidates.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities section of the job posting should describe the day-to-day tasks that the candidate will be expected to perform. It should be clear and concise, and give candidates a good idea of what the position entails. Be sure to include any special projects or initiatives that may come up.

Qualifications

This section will detail the requirements of your position. Include the minimum requirements in education, work experience and specific skills or knowledge. Be sure to list any mandatory licenses or designations and also include any preferred qualifications. Listing the educational requirements such as a degree in a certain field or certification will help to target your audience.

Compensation and Benefits

In this section, you will want to include information on the salary and benefits that are offered with the position. This is important information for candidates when they are considering whether or not to apply for a job. Be sure to list any bonuses, commissions, or any other type of compensation that may be offered.

You will also want to list the benefits that are offered. These may include health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, 401k, paid time off and more. On the Xtalks Job Search, you may include the salary range and even the currencies offered.

Company Culture

A description of the company culture is important because it can help attract candidates. Explaining the company culture can help candidates picture themselves working at the company. It can also help to set the tone for the rest of the job posting. The most appealing company cultures offer a good work-life balance, flexible schedules and a collaborative environment.

Work Schedule

In this section, you will want to include information about the work schedule. On the Xtalks Job Search, you can choose to list the job as full-time, part-time, contract, or employee. You will also want to include the hours that are required for the position. This is important because it can help attract candidates who are looking for a certain type of schedule. For example, it can help you find candidates who are available and willing to work on weekends.

Company Information

This section should include an overview of your company, its culture and what it is like to work there. You should also include information about your company’s products or services, beyond what is being described directly in other sections of your job posting.

Skill Sets

In this section, you should list the specific skills and knowledge required for the position. This will help applicants understand if they are qualified for the role. Be sure to include both hard and soft skills. This may include:

• Experience working for a pharmaceutical company
• Specific knowledge of drugs or medications
• Familiarity with the regulatory landscape

Career Focus

On the Xtalks Job Search, choosing your career focus can help you to find the right applicants for your pharmaceutical industry job posting. Our contact matching software will help you to identify pharma professionals with the skills and experience you are looking for by displaying or emailing your job posting to candidates with the same career focus. You can select up to three career focuses that apply to your position.

You can learn more about how to use the Xtalks Job Search here.

Location

Whether you are listing a job posting that is remote or in-office, be sure to include the location in your job title and description. This will help candidates who are searching for positions in specific geographic areas to find your posting more easily. Xtalks Job Search uses location data to populate data on our map and helps connect with third-party listing sites to maximize your posting’s visibility.

Conclusion

Overall, familiarity with the pharmaceutical landscape and having a clear career focus are two important factors that can help you attract the right candidates for your role. By using the Xtalks Job Search, you’ll be able to optimize all of your job postings for better applicants.

If you want to learn more about how to optimize your job postings, or if you’re looking for other tips on recruiting top talent, be sure to check out our blog. We frequently post new articles with advice on a variety of topics related to recruiting and hiring.

Even better, you can get started and connect with one of our representatives to help you find the right candidates for your specific needs. If you have a question about Xtalks Job Search, speak to a customer support representative directly via LiveChat or drop us a message here. Feel free to reach out to us at any time and we’ll be happy to help. Good luck with your search!