Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

Sharing of clinical trial and technical drug data with key medical professionals. Generating advocacy (support) for the product during its lifecycle. Supporting the placement and conduct of clinical trials in phase 3-4. Training of colleagues within the company on the products I work on. Working (non-promotionally) as part of a territory team (sales representative, funding access manager, nurse advisor) to secure access and use of the medicine once licensed.

Work at home - deal with emails, manage projects I lead on, e.g. the running of a phase 4 study, as liaison between my company and the third party provider running the study, and the investigators in hospitals. Then drive to meet a customer (usually a hospital consultant) at his/her office, or present the drug's data to a hospital department meeting. Meet with a colleague to discuss progress with the customer. Return home to deal with follow-up information requests from the customer and other company business.

Spend time on the phone or meeting with members of my team to support their project work and development.

Educating colleagues and healthcare professionals about the drugs I work on. I love seeing a spark of interest in the technical data, how the drug works, etc, and seeing how this information will help them do their jobs, and ultimately help patients. I work from home so have a lot of flexibility, and travel a lot, nationally and internationally, including to company training and scientific congresses. I get to work with some of the best people from around the world - both within the companies I've worked for and the healthcare professionals I support.

Field-based working can be isolating; working in remote teams has challenges of keeping everyone informed and working as a true team. Every company has internal politics, which can be stressful. At first, I found the promotional/commercial side of the pharmaceutical industry hard to work with but I feel I have adapted.

It uses the scientific expertise developed during my first degree and PhD, in the real world, and does not involve lab work. By supporting healthcare professionals in their learning about a new product, I can help ensure that patients who would benefit from it, have it available as an option, and in the safest manner.

The standard route into my job is either a pharmacy degree, PhD, or medical degree, and usually at least a masters. It is possible to substitute experience in the industry in other jobs e.g. medical information officer or sales representative (bachelor's degree required for those).

My job is largely self-trained on the technical information, or colleagues experienced in the product might help out. Training in transferable skills is good - presentation skills, influencing, difficult conversations, mentoring, project management - if I can make a case for needing it, I can get a course. Increasingly, training is via online resources or on-the-job training, essentially learning by doing and figuring it out yourself. A good mentor within the company can make a big difference. A job like this is what you make of it yourself.

Industrial trainee placement as undergraduate, at GlaxoWellcome's research labs - very useful in gaining a PhD place.

Various temp jobs in offices during summer - learn to touch-type properly if you want to secure this kind of work, at least 45wpm.

Research science PhD, University of Nottingham 'Endothelin-1 and pancreatic islet cell signalling'

More office temping (surprisingly useful) - as a secretary to a litigation solicitor and in a bank's administrative department.

Medical Information Officer at 3M Health Care for a year. This was initially a contract position but I was made permanent. However the division of the company was sold, and this experience allowed me to get my current position.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals - first MSL role

Sanofi Genzyme - MSL team lead

Chiesi - Medical Manager

Merck Group - MSL team manager

I will most likely stay in the pharmaceutical industry, moving to work on different products as they come to the time of licensing and first use in clinical practice. If the right opportunity arises, I may be able to work on product development at a more strategic level within the global part of the company.

Try to take a slightly different route to your peers - this will help you stand out. I was the only undergraduate in my class to do a placement year, which I had to organise myself and take leave of absence to carry out. I may have got that job because the previous year, a tutor had recommended me for a temp job in a lab in Sheffield and I'd done well there. Experience is hard to get but essential, so use your connections to help you - ask! Both these early jobs were scary but worth it. Don't do something you'll hate to get you someplace you think you want to go as chances are you won't like it when you get there, so learn to tell the difference between being challenged (vital) and something you won't ever enjoy doing (a route to failure).

If you're a science student trying to find non-lab jobs still using your scientific knowledge, find out about all the jobs the pharmaceutical industry has to offer. There's more than just sales and clinical trials (although those are interesting). I work in Medical Affairs, which has many different jobs for scientists and no white coats in sight - medical information, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, quality, training, scientific advisor; health economics is a growing field if you want to get a masters in that area. Medical information is a good first job in the industry. It's the department the "for further information call the company on 01xxx" number on the medicine information sheet goes to - office experience, ability to communicate (often on the phone) to everyone from patients and relatives to senior consultants, quickly and accurately, are essential; good written skills are also needed, as is teamwork and individual work equally, and of course accuracy and attention to detail to make sure you give the right information.