Looking for a new job is always challenging and certainly stressful. Job seekers are very eager to find advice, direction, and of course an advantage for how to stand out in a competitive market. Tom Caravela is an expert Medical Affairs recruiter focused on the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. He is the managing partner and founder of The Carolan Group, an executive search firm specializing in the recruitment and placement of Medical Science Liaisons and Medical Affairs professionals. Tom is a Certified Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach as well as the host of ‘MSL Talk,’ a podcast dedicated to providing professional advice to the medical affairs community.
Tom began his career as a pharmaceutical sales representative where he spent 10 years in various field sales roles. After graduating from Rutgers University in 1990, Tom realized he had a passion for people and loved the idea of making a living by engaging with others. So he decided he needed to pursue a career in sales which led him to US Healthcare where he sold HMO plans for close to 2 years. His path led him to Abbott Laboratories where he held several field sales positions. Tom said that what he loved most was “helping people and developing others”. His favorite role was as a Field Sales Trainer where he helped mentor, coach, and develop sales reps throughout the Northeast. “It was then that I realized I really had a passion for helping others develop their career”, said Caravela. It was only natural that I eventually would wind up in the recruitment business focused on helping others pursue their career goals.
When asked how he wound up starting his own business, Tom commented, “it happened accidentally on purpose”. Caravela had a conversation at the gym one day which led to him consulting part time for an IT staffing company. “I learned the recruiting business from the technology side during a time when the Internet was first coming into existence and companies were all vying for top talent to prepare for the Y2K bug fix”, said Caravela. Tom added that it was a great time to learn about the staffing and recruiting business but it all changed when 911 happened. The market, especially in IT, took a major hit. Caravela also suffered a personal loss at that time. His cousin Craig Lilore worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in WTC Tower one and lost his life on that day. “I was devastated. It was a very hard time both personally and professionally but at that time, I just knew I needed to make a bold step outside of my comfort zone and take a risk. I found motivation through the loss of my cousin because I knew he had the ambition and drive to succeed. That is when I founded The Carolan Group with the purpose of applying my knowledge of recruitment combined with the Pharmaceutical Industry”, Tom said.
When asked how he built his firm to become a leading Medical Affairs recruitment firm he simply replied, “one day at a time”. He added, “In the very beginning, we focused mainly on sales and marketing roles until one day, a very good client asked if we recruit for Medical Science Liaisons. Of course, I said yes and the rest is history. We have spent the last 20 years helping companies build MSL teams. Whether it is one position or a team of 50, we are 1000% committed to helping the medical affairs industry thrive and evolve”. Which, Caravela says, is the main reason he started his podcast, MSL Talk, a popular Medical Affairs / Medical Science Liaison focused podcast with 100,000+ listeners from more than 50 countries. “The podcast is designed to help medical affairs professionals, job seekers and those aspiring to transition to the pharmaceutical industry. It is a place where people can gain valuable insights and learn from some of the smartest minds in the industry”, Caravela said. New episodes of the MSL Talk podcast are released each week on Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher. Followers can also find episodes regularly on his YouTube channel by searching “MSL Talk”.
Tom truly understands the weight of the responsibility he carries to empower Medical Science Liaisons around the world. Through his recruitment firm and podcast, Tom is motivated to continue the effort of guiding others on a path to success in the pharmaceutical industry. Caravela concluded by saying,” my motivation to develop content and provide services to job seekers is the reward of seeing someone succeed in their career. I offer an open invitation to connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Social Media. I promise to continue developing value-based content to help guide others on their career journey”.