life sciences careers trends

7 Major Trends in Life Sciences Careers for 2017

The life sciences careers industry spreads across a group of innovative fields that work together to bring out the best of healthcare.

With the growing dominance of technology, there are some major changes happening in life sciences careers.

If you’re looking to stay at the top of the industry, you need to be aware of what’s to come.

Here are the seven major changes you can expect in the life sciences careers industry in 2017.

1. Data Will Become Easier to Obtain

The rapid growth of technology is bringing some major changes to the industry. The amount of data we are now capable of obtaining as a result is changing how decisions will be made.

In 2017, you can expect more data to be available to you than ever before; and while it may seem overwhelming to sort through, there will be advancements in how you can access it all as well.

The growing use of cloud technology will make accessing data easier than ever before. While the industry used to be marred by the difficulty of sorting through multiple platforms to find what you need, that will no longer be the case.

Cloud technology will assist in the optimization of data so decisions can be made faster and communicated more quickly. This advancement can give a life sciences company and its team a competitive edge when it comes, not only to recruitment, but to sales and customer service, too.

2. Virtual Opportunities in Life Sciences Careers Will Increase

Not long ago, employees had to physically report to work at their respective offices. It was the only employment choice. The requirement of staff having to be at work, in person, had put a barrier around recruiting the best talent that’s out there — if a candidate wasn’t willing to relocate, the team missed out on employing them.

However, in 2017 you can expect to see less of the traditional in-office mindset and more of an attitude allowing employees the option to telecommute.

With the internet and its many communication technologies being more accessible than ever before, companies will have the opportunity to recruit top-notch talent without having to run the risk of getting turned down due to a relocation requirement.

Many employees are now able to work from anywhere in the world and will continue to have more options when it comes to choosing a job.

In 2017, expect to see more telecommuting jobs available in the life sciences careers industry, particularly for roles that involve analyzing and interpreting data.

On the other hand, some jobs are seeing a trend back to colocation because they benefit greatly from interaction and proximity – especially when creativity is involved.

3. Individuals Will Choose to Follow Suit With the Gig Economy

The gig economy is huge right now and goes hand-in-hand with telecommuting. The decrease in necessity of employees being present in physical office locations has empowered them to explore contracting options.

By being “free agents,” they have the opportunity to be highly selective in the jobs they take and for how long.

There will be an upswing this year in more people choosing short-term gigs and less looking for permanent positions.

The benefits of choosing to work shorter contracts gives individuals the ability to keep developing their specialized skills — and gives them a flexible lifestyle that allows them to work when they choose to.

4. Outsourcing Will Be More Common

We all know the cost of introducing a new drug to the market is monumental–and includes a long timeline. One major place to look for cost savings is through speed.

By working with outside parties, resources can double and time to market can be cut in half.
Companies will have increased awareness of specialized third party options being available, and will consider taking advantage of them so they will have more time to focus on their core business.

Just how popular will outsourcing be? Well, pharmaceutical contractual work is expected to generate more than $79 billion by 2019, making it more common than ever.

5. Cyber Security Is Becoming a Top Priority

As more companies use cloud-based storage for information, the security of that information will become a top priority.

Data breaches can be extremely dangerous when it comes to customer data.

Companies in the life sciences careers industry will begin to allocate more time and effort to maintaining top cyber security trying to protect what is most important and valuable to them.

6. Medical Technology Will Continue Booming

Recently, the technology aspect of the medical field has seen tremendous advancements. Tools such as 3D printers, artificial intelligence and bioelectronics will be more commonly used in the life sciences careers industry.

In 2017, there will be more application of data collected from these resources, meaning a high demand of medical technology researchers can be expected.

Because of the blended workforce sharing confidential information across organizational boundaries, the need for cyber security is critically vital.

7. Regulations May Change

With the new presidential administration, healthcare reforms are still up in the air and will take months to actually go into effect. As a result, changes in regulations of the industry will remain uncertain.

Companies will be planning accordingly and preparing for major regulation changes. By having backup options or through strategic planning, the negative impact of potentially huge regulation changes can be mitigated.

Further, the debate about drug prices being too high has carried over into 2017. As a result, companies whose market will be affected by the outcome of this concern will continue to have a heightened awareness.

Healthcare reform will impact the life sciences industry in at least 2 major ways: the reimbursement of drugs and health services and as health coverage becomes more and more tied to employers. The market of independent workers will continue to evolve.

Conclusion

Overall, careers in the life sciences industry will continue to need to stay up to date in the world of technology.

In 2017, you can expect data to be accessed more easily, outsourcing to remain relevant and growing, advantages of medical technology to continue to be pushed, and cyber security to be a top priority.

Those trends are likely to impact a company’s resource plans/staffing needs. This is where Turesol can help. We have a deep understanding of the life sciences industry and its evolution.

Or, if you’re a professional looking for a new and exciting position, Turesol can assist you in finding the perfect match for your skills.

Want to know more about Turesol? Check out the services we offer or contact us today.

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Turesol is one of the 3 business units of Tunnell Consulting. We are a staffing agency that specializes in the resource needs of pharmaceuticals, biologics and biotech companies. Working closely and pooling recruiting resources with our sister companies (Tunnell Life Sciences and Tunnell Government Services), we have access to a vast network of vetted consultants. Importantly, our combined in-house knowledge and expertise in Life Sciences is broad and deep.

Turesol has the speed and cost of a staffing agency combined with the expertise of Tunnell.