One of the biggest challenges for people trying to enter the pharmaceutical, biopharma, medtech or wider life science industry is this:

“How do I get experience if every job asks for experience?”

This is especially common for graduates, international students, career changers and people coming from retail, hospitality, healthcare, food production, logistics, administration or general manufacturing. You may have strong work experience, but not direct pharma or medtech experience. As a result, you may worry that employers will not take your application seriously.

The good news is that you may already have many of the skills employers want. The challenge is learning how to explain those skills in a way that makes sense to life science employers.

That is where transferable skills matter.

What Are Transferable Skills?

Transferable skills are skills you developed in one setting that can be useful in another.

For example, a person who worked in hospitality may not have worked in pharma, but they may have experience in hygiene standards, shift work, teamwork, procedures, customer complaints and working under pressure.

A person who worked in retail may not have worked in medtech, but they may have experience in stock control, accuracy, communication, teamwork, targets and problem-solving.

A person who worked in food manufacturing may not have worked in pharmaceutical manufacturing, but they may understand production lines, quality checks, traceability, safety, cleaning procedures and documentation.

These skills matter because pharma and medtech employers do not only hire technical knowledge. They also look for behaviours that fit regulated environments.

The Problem: Most Applicants Describe Their Experience Too Generally

Many applicants undersell themselves because they describe their previous experience using very general language.

For example:

“I worked in a shop.”

“I served customers.”

“I worked in a restaurant.”

“I worked in a warehouse.”

“I helped on a production line.”

These statements may be true, but they do not show the employer why the experience is relevant.

A better approach is to describe the skill behind the task.

Instead of saying:

“I worked in a shop.”

Say:

“I worked in a fast-paced retail environment where I was responsible for stock accuracy, customer service, following procedures and working as part of a team.”

Instead of saying:

“I worked in a restaurant.”

Say:

“I worked in a regulated food service environment where hygiene, safety, timing, teamwork and procedure-following were essential.”

Instead of saying:

“I worked in a warehouse.”

Say:

“I worked in a warehouse environment where I managed stock movement, checked deliveries, followed safety procedures and maintained accurate records.”

The difference is important. You are helping the employer see the relevance.

Start by Understanding What Life Science Employers Value

Before you can explain your transferable skills, you need to understand what pharma, biopharma and medtech employers are looking for.

Common skills and behaviours include:

• Attention to detail
• Accuracy
• Reliability
• Ability to follow procedures
• Good documentation habits
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Safety awareness
• Quality mindset
• Problem-solving
• Ability to work under pressure
• Willingness to learn
• Respect for compliance
• Professional attitude

These skills are valuable because life science companies operate in regulated environments. Products must be made safely, consistently and correctly. Mistakes can have serious consequences for patients, users, companies and regulators.

So, when explaining your experience, always connect it to one of these employer priorities.

Translate Your Experience into Industry Language

A key step is learning how to translate your experience.

You do not need to pretend you have pharma experience if you do not. Instead, you should show that your previous experience has prepared you for a regulated, procedure-driven environment.

Here are some examples.

Retail Experience

Retail experience can be very useful, especially if you worked with stock, targets, tills, customers, complaints, deliveries or team routines.

Instead of saying:

“I worked in retail.”

Say:

“I developed strong attention to detail through stock control, cash handling, customer service and daily operating procedures.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Stock accuracy
• Record-keeping
• Customer communication
• Complaint handling
• Teamwork
• Working under pressure
• Meeting targets
• Following opening and closing procedures
• Training new staff
• Reliability and punctuality

For pharma or medtech roles, you could explain:

“My retail experience helped me develop accuracy, reliability and the ability to follow procedures in a busy environment. I now want to apply these skills in a regulated manufacturing or quality-focused setting.”

Hospitality Experience

Hospitality experience can transfer well into pharma and medtech because it often involves hygiene, standards, teamwork, timing and pressure.

Instead of saying:

“I worked in a hotel/restaurant/bar.”

Say:

“I worked in a high-pressure hospitality environment where hygiene, safety, customer service, teamwork and time management were essential.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Hygiene awareness
• Cleaning procedures
• Food safety
• Working under pressure
• Shift work
• Team communication
• Following checklists
• Handling complaints
• Time management
• Safety awareness

For pharma roles, you could say:

“My hospitality background gave me experience in hygiene standards, working to procedures, completing tasks under time pressure and maintaining professionalism. These are relevant to GMP environments where consistency and attention to detail are essential.”

General Manufacturing Experience

General manufacturing is one of the easiest backgrounds to translate into pharma or medtech because many of the working patterns are similar.

Instead of saying:

“I worked on a production line.”

Say:

“I worked in a production environment where I operated equipment, followed work instructions, completed quality checks and worked to safety and output targets.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Equipment operation
• Production discipline
• Quality checks
• Health and safety
• Working to procedures
• Meeting targets
• Team-based production
• Problem-solving
• Shift work
• Continuous improvement
• Recording production information

For pharma or medtech roles, you could say:

“My manufacturing experience has given me a strong understanding of production environments, quality checks, procedure-following and safety. I am now looking to develop these skills in a GMP-regulated industry.”

Food Production Experience

Food production is highly relevant because it often involves hygiene, traceability, quality checks and controlled processes.

Instead of saying:

“I worked in food production.”

Say:

“I worked in a food production environment where hygiene, traceability, quality checks, cleaning procedures and production targets were important.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• HACCP awareness
• Hygiene standards
• Cleaning records
• Traceability
• Allergen control
• Quality checks
• Batch or lot control
• Production documentation
• Safety procedures
• Audit readiness

For pharma or medtech roles, you could say:

“My food production experience has prepared me for working in a controlled environment where hygiene, documentation, traceability and compliance are important.”

Healthcare Experience

Healthcare experience can be very valuable because it connects directly to patient care, safety, procedures and documentation.

Instead of saying:

“I worked in healthcare.”

Say:

“I worked in a patient-focused environment where accuracy, documentation, safety, communication and procedure-following were essential.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Patient focus
• Confidentiality
• Documentation
• Safety awareness
• Following protocols
• Communication
• Working under pressure
• Teamwork
• Handling sensitive information
• Professional judgement

For life science roles, you could say:

“My healthcare experience has given me a strong appreciation of patient safety, accurate documentation and professional responsibility. I want to bring that mindset into the pharmaceutical or medical device industry.”

Administration Experience

Administration can be useful for documentation, quality, regulatory, training, supply chain and customer support roles.

Instead of saying:

“I did office admin.”

Say:

“I managed records, maintained accurate documentation, updated systems and supported communication across teams.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Document control
• Data entry accuracy
• Record management
• Communication
• Scheduling
• Version control
• Attention to detail
• Confidentiality
• Working with systems
• Following processes

For quality or regulatory roles, you could say:

“My administration experience has developed my accuracy, document management and ability to work with structured systems. These skills are relevant to quality, regulatory and documentation roles in regulated industry.”

Laboratory or Academic Project Experience

If you are a graduate with limited work experience, use your laboratory, research or project experience.

Instead of saying:

“I completed a college project.”

Say:

“I completed a research project that involved planning, data collection, analysis, documentation, problem-solving and presenting findings.”

Relevant transferable skills include:

• Scientific method
• Data analysis
• Laboratory techniques
• Report writing
• Research
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Accuracy
• Presentation skills
• Working independently

For entry-level QC or lab roles, you could say:

“My academic laboratory experience has helped me develop strong attention to detail, sample handling, data recording and report-writing skills. I am now looking to apply these skills in a regulated QC laboratory environment.”

Use the Employer’s Language, But Stay Honest

You should use industry language carefully. It is helpful to mention terms like procedures, documentation, quality, safety, compliance and regulated environments.

However, do not claim experience you do not have.

For example, do not say:

“I have GMP experience.”

unless you have actually worked in a GMP environment.

Instead, say:

“I have experience working in procedure-driven environments and I am currently developing my understanding of GMP.”

This is honest and professional.

Similarly, if you have not worked in validation, do not say you have validation experience. You might say:

“I am interested in validation because it combines testing, documentation, evidence and problem-solving. My previous experience has involved following procedures, recording results accurately and supporting process improvements.”

That is a credible way to connect your background to your target role.

Build Transferable Skills into Your CV Profile

Your CV profile is one of the best places to explain your transferable skills.

Here is an example for someone from retail:

“Reliable and detail-focused professional with experience in fast-paced retail environments, including stock control, customer service, teamwork, accuracy and following procedures. Now seeking to transfer these skills into an entry-level manufacturing, quality or documentation role in the pharmaceutical or medical device sector.”

Example for someone from hospitality:

“Motivated professional with experience in hospitality, including hygiene standards, shift work, teamwork, customer service and working under pressure. Interested in applying these skills in a GMP-regulated manufacturing or packaging environment.”

Example for someone from general manufacturing:

“Manufacturing professional with experience in production operations, equipment use, quality checks, safety procedures and working to targets. Now seeking to build a career in pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing.”

Example for a recent graduate:

“Science graduate with academic laboratory experience, strong attention to detail, report-writing skills and an interest in quality, validation and regulated manufacturing. Seeking an entry-level role in Ireland’s pharmaceutical, biopharma or medical device sector.”

Use Transferable Skills in Interview Answers

In interviews, employers may ask why they should hire you if you do not have direct industry experience.

A weak answer would be:

“I don’t have experience, but I am willing to learn.”

A stronger answer would be:

“Although I do not yet have direct pharma experience, I have developed relevant transferable skills. In my previous role, I had to follow procedures carefully, maintain accurate records, work as part of a team and meet daily targets. I understand that pharma is highly regulated and that accuracy, documentation and compliance are essential. I am very motivated to build on my existing skills in this environment.”

That answer is much more convincing because it connects your past experience to the employer’s needs.

Use the STAR Method

When explaining transferable skills, use the STAR method:

Situation – What was happening?
Task – What were you responsible for?
Action – What did you do?
Result – What happened as a result?

Example:

Question: Tell me about a time when accuracy was important.

Answer:

“In my previous retail role, I was responsible for checking deliveries against purchase orders. On one occasion, I noticed that several items did not match the delivery documentation. I stopped the stock from being entered into the system, reported the issue to my supervisor and helped complete a full check of the delivery. This prevented incorrect stock records and helped improve the accuracy of our inventory.”

This answer is not from pharma, but it shows attention to detail, documentation, escalation and quality thinking.

Match Transferable Skills to Specific Roles

Different roles require different transferable skills. Tailor your examples to the role.

For manufacturing operator roles, focus on:

• Procedure-following
• Reliability
• Shift work
• Teamwork
• Safety
• Working to targets
• Practical tasks
• Equipment or process experience

For quality roles, focus on:

• Accuracy
• Documentation
• Problem-solving
• Investigations
• Compliance
• Following procedures
• Communication
• Attention to detail

For laboratory roles, focus on:

• Scientific skills
• Data recording
• Accuracy
• Sample handling
• Report writing
• Following methods
• Analytical thinking

For regulatory or documentation roles, focus on:

• Writing
• Records
• Systems
• Version control
• Technical information
• Accuracy
• Communication
• Organisation

For validation roles, focus on:

• Testing
• Evidence
• Protocols
• Technical thinking
• Documentation
• Problem-solving
• Working with systems or equipment

Avoid These Common Mistakes

Do not apologise too much for your lack of experience. Employers already know you are applying for an entry-level role.

Do not say, “I have no relevant experience.” You may not have direct industry experience, but you probably have relevant transferable skills.

Do not send the same CV for every role. Tailor your CV to show the skills that matter for each job.

Do not overuse technical language you do not understand. Use simple, accurate language.

Do not focus only on qualifications. Employers also want attitude, reliability, communication and learning ability.

Do not ignore part-time jobs, college projects, volunteering or placements. These can all provide useful examples.

Final Thoughts

You do not need to have worked in pharma, biopharma or medtech to have skills that matter to employers. Many people enter the industry from retail, hospitality, healthcare, food production, logistics, administration, laboratories, college programmes and general manufacturing.

The key is to stop describing your past only by job title and start describing it by skill.

Retail becomes stock accuracy, teamwork, customer communication and procedures. Hospitality becomes hygiene, safety, pressure management and shift work. Manufacturing becomes production discipline, quality checks and process awareness. Administration becomes documentation, systems and accuracy. College projects become research, analysis, reporting and problem-solving.

When you can explain your experience in this way, employers can see your potential.

Your message should not be:

“I have no experience.”

Your message should be:

“I have relevant transferable skills, I understand the type of environment I am entering, and I am ready to learn.”

That is how you start building a career in Ireland’s life science industry.

Career tip:
Before applying for a job, highlight five phrases in the job description. Then ask yourself: “Where have I shown this skill before, even outside pharma or medtech?” Use those examples in your CV and interview preparation.