1 reply to this topic

[quest4593]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for some career advice and figured this would be a great place to ask. I'm currently the Director of Regulatory Affairs at a medium-sized supplement company that is growing very quickly. I have had a decent amount of success thus far, but I have always questioned whether I need additional credentials to continue to advance my career. I have a bacherlor's degree in business; nothing science-based like so many in quality/regulatory seem to have. The company is family-owned and places little emphasis on degrees or certificates. I wear many hats and have wide-ranging responsibilities including structure function claim substantiation, label review, technical document review, international product registration. However, as much as I love working for my company, I constantly think about the future. If I were to be fired or leave my position, I wonder if would be able to find a job elsewhere.

 

I've looked at a few options, including getting a master's degree in Regulatory Sciences. Would something like this benefit me? Are there any other things you can recommend that would help my career?

 

Thank you.

[BrummyJim]

Hi quest4593,

 

It depends on what you want to do over your career. You need to remember that a lot of regulatory, environmental and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a luxury. Not necessarily an expensive one, but it can be an area where cuts are made when times get difficult. Developing countries care less about regulations etc. than developed; during a recession, people care less about the environment (e.g. German reunification caused a change of focus from environmental matters to economic ones.

 

Currently, since the UK Modern Slavery Act there has been an increase in awareness of CSR issues, and many companies in Europe see it as a differentiator; my company certainly does. I spend about 15% of my time on CSR and the rest on supplier approval, but the CSR side is increasing. You might find that there are opportunities for you in a  larger company.

 

Alternatively, you might want to remain in a smaller organisation. You'll read in this forum that family run companies are not particularly easy in the food industry as there is often a reluctance to follow regulations and standards (We've always done it this way; why change now?).

 

Just my observations.