John Gregson graduated in 2006 in Biological Sciences. He went on to do a Masters and is now a Consultant at IMS Health.

Why did you pick IMS?

IMS was a perfect choice for me, enabling me to combine a career in consulting with my scientific background. Having the world’s leading pharmaceutical firms and biotech companies as clients ensures that I always get to work on projects involving subject matters of interest to me.

What made you do a Masters first?

On the completion of my degree in Biological Sciences, I felt a Masters would provide me with an opportunity to further develop my skill set, whilst also providing a route into academia should I have wanted to pursue one. I choose an MSc in Immunology at Imperial College. This allowed me to re-locate to London, something that was important to me, but also to obtain a taste of what a PhD would have in store for me, being a half taught and half research based course. During the MSc it became apparent that lab research was not my passion, but that I did enjoy many of the skills that were associated with life as a research scientist, including teamwork, analytics and problem solving. On considering my options, I felt that consulting would provide a platform on which to use such skills, and a profession which I was keen to pursue, being a varied and exciting industry.

What do you remember about the application process and interviews?

My application started with a visit to a recruitment consultancy that had been recommended to me. I went to discuss my options and was very impressed by how things were handled compared to some of my previous experiences with such companies. The position at IMS presented itself and fitted my initial expectations, so I went in for an interview.

My first interview was a two-on-one CV based interview, with an analytics exercise at the start. Having been successful at the first stage, the second stage was a three-on-one interview covering my past experiences, my expectations for a career in consulting and why I thought I would be a good fit for the firm. The whole process had an informal air to it and I was relaxed throughout. I quickly found out whether I had been successful at each stage and I developed a great respect for my interviewers, which further improved my perception of the firm I was applying to.

What sort of training have they given you? Do you need to have a Masters, like you do?

The great thing I felt about the training is that a significant proportion of it is on-the-job. As soon as I started I was shadowing the other analysts and getting a great understanding of the work that we do, how it is done, and how it is directly applied to solve our client's business needs. This way, I was able to quickly learn new skills, and develop my existing ones, whilst applying them to the consulting environment. The on-going development is complimented well by structured training courses, including a week long residential course on consulting fundamentals and other shorter courses.

A Masters is by no means essential for my job, but I feel that it does provide that extra dimension to your CV. As long as you are able to justify why you have done one, then it is an excellent way to spend a year after your degree to ensure that you don’t jump into anything too hastily.

What department do you work in, and what other things do you do?

As an analyst for the management consulting department, my time is spent manipulating and analysing data and preparing client presentations. I have also had many opportunities to go to client meetings, something which is not that common early on in a consulting career. This provides an exciting opportunity to see the full project lifecycle, and the exposure to clients further adds to my personal development.

What are the hours like?

The whole nature of a job in consulting dictates that no day is ever the same. On some days I’m able to leave shortly after 5, whereas sometimes I can be in until past midnight. When the client deadlines are just round the corner, then the hours get a bit hectic, but when there is not as much to do, you are not kept in the office unnecessarily late.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The work is interesting and varied, and the people I work with are easy to get on with and very good at what they do. These factors combine to make IMS a great place to work.

Where do you live in London and why? Do you like it?

I rent in London Bridge, a great place to live! Here I am just a short walk from Borough market, providing all my culinary needs on a Saturday, as well as the South Bank, where a plethora of riverside pubs, restaurants and museums awaits. The transport links are also fantastic, I can get the tube straight to work, and it is only a short journey to Clapham, where lots of my friends live, the shops of Oxford street, and the night life of Old Street and Shoreditch.

Do you have any advice for current students or recent graduates considering a career in pharmaceutical consulting?

If like me you genuinely enjoyed your science degree, but feel that you are not best suited to a career in academia, then consulting with a focus on the pharmaceutical industry is definitely worth looking into. Consulting is an exciting and varied career choice, but if you are looking for a more structured feel to your first job, then it may not be the choice for you. If, however, you like the idea of working on interesting and complex problems with bright individuals, and don’t mind not knowing what you will be doing from week to week, then consulting is worth a look!

Just be able to discuss your past experiences in detail and be able to relate them to aspects of the job you are applying to. Also be yourself, this way you will be able to relate to you interviewer and get a better feel for the firm you are applying to, and you won’t end up working somewhere that you are not going to enjoy.