hey guys today I've got three questions
that a subscriber submitted on a leaked
clinical group at gmail.com they emailed
me their questions there so we're gonna
go over them right after the intro
hey guys ECR G here back with another
episode today I've got three questions
that a subscriber submitted and if
you're interested in asking any
questions anonymously I won't say your
name or anything like that
email me elite clinical group at
gmail.com or otherwise you can always
ask questions down in the comments below
and if you want me to make a video on it
I'll make a video on it
if not I won't do that either but today
I've got someone who emailed me and they
said hi I'm not gonna say their name
I'm currently searching for a job as a
CRA I do not have any experience as a
CRA but have a BS in health science and
I've been working as a quality associate
for the past two years I have a few
questions if you have time to answer
them to help me find a job in this field
so alright so she said she's a quality
associate so and then she said find a
job in this field so when I was first
answering this question I thought that
she was already in the field as a
quality associate so I mean you know
different companies have different names
for positions so I thought that was just
kind of like a you know person who
overviews the quality of the trial or
something like that
I've heard of positions kind of like
that before so I just assumed that but
she said how do I find a job in this
field so I'm kind of thinking maybe
she's not in this field but anyway won't
alter the answers too much so here's the
first question she says with someone in
my position what's the best way to get a
job as a CRA with little experience so
the best way is gonna be the same for
anybody it's gonna be to get into an
entry-level CRA program now this is a
timing thing sometimes they want people
that have literally no experience like
right out of college they bring in a few
people like that sometimes they want
people that are study coordinators that
have two years experience literally only
study coordinators I've seen them reject
in how see arrays startup specialists
you name it literally only study
coordinators it has I'm of the belief
that study coordinators do make the best
see Ras
they're extremely knowledgeable and they
know they know they know how to know
they know their way around sort of
documents and all the documents and
stuff like that so I think study
coordinators do make the best CRA s but
other other positions can make good see
arrays too so don't let that deter you
so if she's not in the industry she's
gonna have to get in the industry first
and it's doubtful that you're gonna get
in as an in-house CRA it's you can get
in as a study coordinator but you're
gonna have to put about two years in so
for the average person I say the best
two routes are study coordinator or
in-house CRA and then once you become an
in-house CRA you can then go onto CRA
or you can make the jump from a study
coordinator to a CRA but either way
you're gonna want to apply for those
entry-level CRA programs sometimes
they're called CRA one positions
sometimes they're called you know just
entry-level CRA program sometimes
they're just called entry-level CRA you
apply for all of those and I recommend
even applying for CRA - this is this is
one of those positions it is incredibly
difficult and has become incredibly
incredibly more difficult to make that
jump into CRA just over the past years
I've been in the industry I've noticed a
change a lot of my friends that are
senior ca's now we're able to make the
jump to CRA just after one year of
experience companies were literally
kicking them out the door to become CRA
s you know I know people six months in
the industry they're being made CRA s
it's not like that anymore
and I've done a lot of videos on why
that is and why it's changed but it's
not like that anymore
you've got to really put your time in
and pay your dues to become a seer a now
and so I think the best two paths are in
how CRA and study coordinator get there
and you'll be good to go so see she said
is there is there a certification
program for CRA that will allow
employers that I'm - no let the
employer's know that I'm capable of this
career okay there are certifications but
if you have no experience you're likely
not qualified for them so you've got the
CCR P you get the CCR
you've got the ACE ERP those are three
quality and well recognized
certifications they're very very
difficult I understand and you want to
make sure you've got years of experience
in the industry before you even attempt
those just because it's gonna be a lot
easier for you if you've got industry
experience and without experience
they're not gonna mean anything even if
you were able to study for them even if
you're able to study for them and
somehow pass they're not gonna mean
anything come you know not combined with
experience because that's really what
recruiters are looking for is to make
sure you've got experience so those are
out there definitely would recommend
well experiences the first
certifications are second a lot of times
companies will pay for you to take them
so you always want to take advantage of
that if you can
I wouldn't recommend paying at a pocket
unless you have to I also don't know
many people who have gotten a big salary
boost better see arrays that are I've
gotten a big salary boost from having
those certifications
there is also master's in clinical
research you can also try and get your
masters in clinical research that may
help I know once again I know people
that are serious who have gotten it and
I've seen no increase in salary just
because their salary is already that
high and you know companies are gonna
give you twenty thousand thirty thousand
dollars difference in salary
just be just becoming a CRA when I made
the jump to CRA I got a twenty a little
over twenty thousand dollar salary
increase just like that
so you want to be careful what
certifications you do which one which
ones you don't do especially if you're
paying out of pocket but the most
important thing is experience alright
that's a second question
third question are is what our recruiter
is looking for most and individuals who
are interested in a career as a CRA all
right this is this is an easy one number
one you have got to be willing to travel
you have got to be willing to travel
sixty five to eighty percent of the time
I'm not joking when I say 65 to 80
percent that's literally four to five
days out of the week three to four three
to five days out of the week
some days you're gonna be gone the
entire week I've got a friend that told
me you know she used a CRA at a
different company but she told me she
has not been home in 12 days so you have
got to be willing to travel a lot of
people think it's a joke or a lot of
people just want the salary for a few
months and realize they can't handle it
when they say sixty-five percent because
their current job may say you travel
twenty percent that's really only at one
time of year no this is a true
sixty-five percent you're gonna be
traveling at least 65 percent three to
four days a week so make sure that you
can do that and you convey that in your
interview companies are tired of hiring
people that say they want to be see
arrays and then they quit a few months
later because they can't handle the
travel so that's what they're looking
for number one number two is gonna be
your previous experience if you've got
if you've got some in-house CRA
experience if you've got some study
coordinator experience you're a great
fit for the CRA role because you are
familiar with what to do especially if
you do some remote monitoring and then
as a study coordinator you know exactly
what to do because really the CRA age is
gonna be watching over the study
coordinator making sure that they're
doing what they're supposed to be doing
so study coordinators are perfect for
the CRA role so I'd say first is the
ability to travel second is your
experience with whatever recruiters are
looking for and then you know lastly
that's that little just last point I'm
gonna make here on this is a lot of
people think after they get experience
that they don't really have to you know
still apply hard for these positions I
still recommend having that 200 Club
mentality we've talked a lot about the
200 Club when trying to break into the
industry when you're trying to break
into the CRA role you still need to have
that 200 Club mentality to get in
because it is incredibly competitive
incredibly competitive and it has gotten
more and more competitive oh and another
thing I'll add to
when you're talking to recruiters about
CRA do not make it about the money do
not let them know you care about the
money
in fact I've even told them before you
know I'm just more interested in the
experience not necessarily the money so
obviously when you make that move
they're gonna increase your salary
tremendously because they don't want
somebody you know being there a few
months because really and only only
takes a few months of CRA experience
before you can move elsewhere and the
recruiters will be emailing you
constantly trying to get you to come
over there once you get some experience
as a CRA trust me on that I get emails
all the time from them so I definitely
recommend you definitely put yourself
out there a bunch shoot for 200 jobs and
you'll eventually land on one or two as
an entry-level CRA and then it's easy
it's downhill from there
you know the jobs will be coming to you
definitely make sure you update your
LinkedIn after you become a CRA - so
those are the top three questions I got
from this person
as always guys like this video share
this video if you thought it was helpful
thank you so much for your question
whoever submitted this question this
one's for you if you're also interested
in somebody any questions like I said
before email us Ali clinical group at
gmail.com alright guys take care