NIBRT’s annual fair saw some of the biopharmaceutical sector’s key players share their experiences and expertise with potential future employees.

On Saturday (25 April), the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) held the 12th annual Careers in Biopharma event in O’Reilly Hall at University College Dublin (UCD). For students, professionals and industry experts, it was an opportunity to network, collaborate and discuss the biopharma landscape.

Speaking at the event, Darrin Morrissey, the CEO of NIBRT, said, “What we’re here today to do is bring the companies from across Ireland, and bringing them here to give them an opportunity to meet with over 1500 graduates and bringing them together to have a conversation about potential jobs and potential careers.”

So, in 2026, what do students, jobseekers and professionals need to know about careers in the modern-day biopharmaceutical ecosystem?

Short and sweet

For Mariesa Doherty, a senior talent adviser at MSD, it all starts with what is often considered one of the more simple elements of the job application, but in actuality is critical to how an applicant might be perceived – CVs and relevant documentation. 

Doherty told SiliconRepublic.com, “The advice I would give anyone looking to apply to a pharma or MSD specifically is really tailor your CV. So have a look at the job description and really tailor your experience, your skills.” 

CVs, as the first impression an employer has of an applicant, can in a sense make or break a candidate’s chances, and for organisations operating in a competitive space, the failure to include important information, or the decision to include insignificant details, however small, can have a huge impact. 

Eoin Roche, a reliability engineer at Sanofi, said, “I would say not only to show your experience educationally and potentially your previous roles, but also to show your interest in the topic or in the role. So anything you do kind of outside of work that could help to bolster that.”

Claire Rooney, ADC manufacturing manager at AbbVie, agreed: “My advice would be to ensure your CV and cover letter outlines your experience and your qualifications, but also that you come across in the process – what you’re like as a person, what’s important to you, your career development aspirations, your behaviour aspirations, what you like. The kind of environment you like to work in.”

Know the space

Understanding the ecosystem, expressing a key interest in the industry and mapping out a plan for the future were, for many of the biopharmaceutical companies present at the NIBRT event, vital factors when considering who would make an ideal candidate for a potential role.

“The most important advice I would give is to prepare, and preparing involves understanding the company and the role that you’re going to get into,” said Bill Maher, an account director at Veolia. 

“And once you have done that, you’ll be able to show in the interview one, that you care about the role and two, that you’re prepared to invest your time in making it a really good success.”

Amina Tutunova, a talent acquisition partner at BMS, said: “Be prepared, at a screening call, you know, to really show why, first of all, why you want to work for us, or if you’re already in biotech, why you want to move to BMS. What you think makes us different. Just to show, you know, genuine interest and that you’ve done your research – that always helps.”

For graduates specifically, Amgen’s talent acquisition lead Kevin Gordon noted the people who will get noticed are those who are adventurous at the beginning and are willing to embrace the uncertainty that often accompanies a new career.

He said, “So for graduates looking for opportunities in Amgen, I would say, you know, bring a lot of energy, bring a lot of curiosity and be willing to look at different opportunities. And particularly in the early part of your career.”

And for John Mulcahy, a sales director at Ecolab, there is opportunity in the challenges facing graduates, as he is of the opinion that now, more than ever, graduates looking to move into biopharma should prioritise gaining the necessary skills in advance of a placement. 

He said, “I think the challenge always for graduates is not having the industry experience. So if there’s an opportunity to get some of that before you graduate, it’s always a very good way to go. Utilise your network as best you can and keep an eye on the websites that come up.”

This rings true for Brenda McEvoy, the recruitment TA lead for WuXi Biologics.

“It’s a very highly regulated environment, clean room environment”, she said, and the right candidate will have knowledge and qualifications in bioprocessing, engineering or biopharmaceuticals. They will also have an understanding of the risks, contamination protocols, what is being made and how it is going to impact patients, she added.

“So adherence to SOPs, clean room practices, gowning procedures and really that understanding of data integrity, good documentation practice. That’s probably a key element for us.”

Ultimately, for organisations in this field, it often comes down to the ability to network, collaborate, share ideas and formulate thoughts into a clear and concise plan. 

Succinctly put by Saoirse O’Halloran, a quality assurance specialist at Johnson & Johnson, biopharma students, graduates and professionals have to have an “inquisitive mind, problem solving skills”.

She added: “But most importantly for me is communication skills. In my day to day, I communicate with so many different people and departments. So my number one skill would definitely be communication.”

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