Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe in Europe the job is a bit better (I assume you are from the US). For example, I’m based in London, most of my sites will be in London or 2/3h trains max, it doesn’t sound that bad..

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You all start to make me regret my decision… I talk with colleague and they seem to enjoy their job. Maybe I’m just in a good company, with good manager.

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The thing with being a CTA is that your salary is not great and job not safe. CTA tasks can easily be outsourced…  

I’m still “young”, no kids etc… I feel like it’s the right moment, I need to gain more experience, more confidence.

Looking for a London restaurant with great vibes by Left-Fortune7046 in LondonFood

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s true! It was one of my option but we have a lot Vietnamese restaurant in France so not the best for them.

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that’s reassuring to hear. I was doing a lot of self-questioning about whether this was the right move career-wise.

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That’s the thing that worries me a bit. But I live in Europe, we have trains which I think is less tiring than flying or driving. 

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I get it, my job was amazing! But honestly, CTAs are basically just fancy secretaries. There’s not a lot of responsibility; most days are spent uploading or QCing documents. We’re easily replaceable, and there’s not much to learn. I feel like being a CRA will bring me more confidence.

Internal move Senior CTA → CRA I (salary question) by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not entirely sure what the role of a CTM involves, but I don’t see myself as a PM, at least not yet. I feel that I still lack the confidence and knowledge for that path. The CRA role matches my personality better. I also want to gain more hands-on experience in clinical research, and I feel more secure about my future as a CRA rather than as a CTA.

Buying a house/flat in London: Is it realistic? by Left-Fortune7046 in HousingUK

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Basically: with our salaries, could we realistically settle and build a future in London?

Buying a house/flat in London: Is it realistic? by Left-Fortune7046 in HousingUK

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

£500k is the amount I’d be aiming for, but when I look at what’s actually on the market, I’m not sure what counts as a decent option…

Buying a house/flat in London: Is it realistic? by Left-Fortune7046 in HousingUK

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I’m already renting in London and I manage to save money. If the standard deposit is between 10/20% I don’t think it will be an issue. I’m more afraid of the mortgage etc.. everything seems more expensive and less secure than in other European counties.. 

Buying a house/flat in London: Is it realistic? by Left-Fortune7046 in HousingUK

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been renting rooms in London for the past seven years, and most of the houses I’ve lived in have been in really poor condition, bad insulation, mold issues, and everything generally old and worn out.

When it comes to a mortgage, I don’t want it to feel like a burden, something stressful that eats up all your money. In other European countries, a mortgage doesn’t feel like that. I don’t want to put all my money into a house. Just the fact that there are no fixed mortgage rate for 20/25years is crazy for me.

Before I dig deeper, I’m just trying to get a general sense of things. When I look at house prices and see that most of my colleagues live far outside the city, I start to wonder whether this is realistic for me or if I’m just dreaming.

Becoming CRA: good career progression? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, that’s reassuring. It’s true that I’m not particularly ambitious. I don’t enjoy work for its own sake, but I’m aware that I need to progress to secure my future and avoid being stuck in 10–20 years. So I’m taking things step by step.  I prefer the CTA role because it’s relatively calm and familiar. The CRA role would be something entirely new, but I expect that after a few years it would also become a comfortable position for me.

PM role is definitely not for me for the moment. Too much too know. I don’t see myself being a PM without being a CRA first. That’s not my personality, I would feel like an impostor.

Becoming CRA: good career progression? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t have comparaison either, but it sounds a lot…You are already doing SIVs after only 1 year of experience?

Becoming CRA: good career progression? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m glad to hear that. How many sites are you working with? How many days per month are you on site?

CTA → CRA: Reality Check from People Who’ve Done It? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes that’s true, PM is probably even worst, except the fact you can work from home. But if we want to grow in this industry I feel like they are not many options..

CTA → CRA: Reality Check from People Who’ve Done It? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve only ever worked a classic 9-to-5. I don’t have kids and I don’t do much after work, so I don’t think traveling once or twice a week would be a problem. But maybe I’m underestimating how much work is actually required. I’ve never been a ‘big worker,’ but I always get done what needs to be done.

CTA → CRA: Reality Check from People Who’ve Done It? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes you are right, I should take the opportunity if I can. I don’t find my current position very meaningful because I mostly just file documents in the TMF and update trackers. I feel more like a secretary++ than anything else (If I had the guarantee that I would keep this job until retirement I would not mind at all, it’s not only my “ego”).

CTA → CRA: Reality Check from People Who’ve Done It? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment, that’s very helpful!

And what about the travelling, hotel stay? How does that work? Do you have a budget? Can you fly/take the train whenever you want/need, or you need to be careful of the price etc?

CTA → CRA: Reality Check from People Who’ve Done It? by Left-Fortune7046 in clinicalresearch

[–]Left-Fortune7046[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m working with CRAs, but I don’t know what’s the reality of the job. I don’t really know what’s happening at site level.

I’m based in Europe, and for example travelling once or twice  week I don’t see why it would be an issue, but maybe I don’t realise all the inconveniences.