Career As A Validation Engineer
Below are the steps you can follow if you want to be a validation engineer:
- Getting a bachelor’s degree or higher
Before you can be hired as a validation engineer by most companies, they need you to have at least a bachelor’s degree related to this field of study. You can pursue a degree in lab science or process, structural, petroleum, electrical, or chemical engineering, but it depends on the industry you are interested in. going for a higher degree like a master’s or doctorate is going to give you advanced knowledge in your field, and you are going to stand out from the rest. This is going to maximize your earning potential.
- Pursuing an internship
As you earn your degree, you need to look for and apply for an engineering internship in the field you are interested in. If you are interested in manufacturing, then you can look for an internship related to this field. You can search for internships that are for those interested in validation engineering as it will allow you to observe and work alongside the professionals. You are going to learn more about the role and how you can be effective in it.
- Gaining the right experience
After you are done with your studies, go out and get professional experience before looking for a validation engineering position. If you are interested in becoming a validation engineer in a life science industry, like in biotechnology, biomedicine, or neuroscience, you have to get some experience before you apply for a position at a health and wellness devices or pharmaceutical company. Search for jobs offering opportunities that allow you to gain mechanical knowledge, like understanding the processes and laboratory equipment that you are going to use as a validation engineer.
Another option when getting started is pursuing a general engineering position that can help you gain experience before you specialize in validation engineering. There are companies that might be offering junior validation engineering positions and you have upward mobility within the company. There is also the option of beginning as a computer systems validation engineer then gain the experience needed before advancing to your dream position.
- Completing additional certification
Once you have the workplace experience, you should think about additional validation courses that are going to help you advance your career. If you aren’t a validation engineer yet but you are working in an industry like plumbing, welding, oil and gas, GMP manufacturing, or quality assurance and control, you can get certification in the field of chemical engineering or lab science because it will help your efforts towards validation.
A good course that can help you with your validation efforts includes an advanced apprenticeship in the areas you are interested in, such as pharmaceutical validation, process validation, or equipment validation.
- Creating an impressive resume
Crafting an appealing resume is going to help showcase your hard and soft skills to prospective employers. The role of the validation engineer is mainly technical. This is why you need to highlight hands-on experience with lab processes and equipment that you have gained in the workplace or through coursework. If you are done with the additional pharmaceutical certification and you want to work in a pharmaceutical company, then it might be a good idea to have the certifications section a little higher than normal.
- Earning licensure
There are employers that are going to require a professional engineer license before you are hired to work as a validation engineer. While this is not a formal requirement, it is going to separate you from the rest. Before you get a license, you have to complete the degree, a series of exams, and a given number of hours of supervised working.
