I just made a transition from consulting to biopharma, and I am struggling to understand the people dynamic at the company. There are so many moving pieces (too many teams / sub teams), and egos are sky high! Any tips on how to navigate through this? Manager has been unhelpful and I think dislikes me already (or at least seems frustrated when I ask questions)!

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There is a growing situation where managers are not equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. This by experience is setup and selected by senior managers to allow easier control of their domains. Fearing the perception of their superiors and self-confidence complicit to the current political correctness fog.

likesmart

Whats your department and level? DM me

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To be frank- it may be your background. Personally, I despise consultants and anyone who has been one. I often find their egos through the roof. If EVERYONE seems to be unfriendly or you consistently have rough interactions… it may not be the people dynamics at the company, but rather you. 🤷🏻‍♂️

likefunny

This is a shining example of why so many scientists and science-led organizations need consultants. With EQ this low, it’s really hard for many of them to collaborate with others.

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You probably walked into a toxic work environment, and people are a** holes. I worked in a toxic work environment for the last 15+ years. My suggestion is to stop caring what people think and do what you get paid for. As General Mattis once said, “Be polite, be professional, but always have a plan to kill everyone you meet.”

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I don't think it's possible to "impress" anyone in the biopharma industry. Of all the places I worked in 35+ years, the three different biopharma companies I worked for had the most over-inflated egos amongst the upper management group. A bunch of entitled, glad-handing, Burberry-topcoat wearers

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Find a mentor that can help you learn the political landscape. If there isn’t a candidate for this in your direct colleague group, cast a wider net through extra-curriculars, affinity groups, the lunch table, etc.

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This is a great suggestion, MD1. I can definitely think of 1-2 folks in my extended team that fit the bill! I am going to try to find time to meet these folks often to establish an informal mentor-mentee relationship. I hesitate to do this at times because I don’t want to overload anyone when they are already so busy, but this may be my best bet to learn about the internal politics vs. goofing up and learning it the harder way.

This is why you'll often see something about "able to work in a matrixed organization" in biotech job postings. It can be very overwhelming. I would definitely echo finding a mentor, getting involved in an ERG/community group within the org. (I know some people hate that stuff but it helps ground you and will make you connections you will use later in your career).

Separately I'd also suggest moving to medtech instead down the line if the people and fast pace really get to you, but you like the work. Medtech is my preference because pharma's a bit too crazy and egotistical for me. - but it varies company to company.

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F

What was your impression when you were being interviewed for this position? Did you not see any red flags during that process?

My previous role in consulting involved long hours (70-80 hours), and that was very stressful, especially the past year was really tough. Besides this, I have always wanted to transition to the industry to be more closely involved in the development and commercialization.
Having said that, consulting did provide me with the breadth of knowledge that allowed me to figure out which therapeutic area I was most interested in. Good luck with your career move!

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