How to Work with a Recruiter

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentIf you choose to work with recruiters during your job search, it is important to understand the recruiting specialist’s role. Please note that we understand there are many BAD recruiters out there and while we are expecting you to have a basic understanding of the difference between a good and bad recruiter, let me take a brief moment to highlight some key characteristics of a quality recruiter.

A good recruiter is after only two things:

  1. building quality relationships with quality candidates
  2. building quality relationships with quality Hiring Managers who work for great companies.

A good recruiter will not work with poorly qualified or unprofessional candidates.  Nor will a good recruiter work with poorly managed companies or unprofessional Hiring Managers.

Additionally, good recruiters will only send your resume to Hiring Managers when you have given your permission for them to do so.  They will not only give you details about the job, but will educate you on the company’s culture, the hiring team members’ personality and background, and provide other important information making you a more competitive candidate.  A great recruiter will prep you for interviews, coach you on what your compensation package should be, and help you tailor your resume / cover letter.  You should hand select your recruiters just like you hand select your jobs!

The job of a quality recruiter is to fill open positions as quickly, effectively and efficiently as possible.

You should understand the relationship between quality recruiters and Hiring Managers is a strong one, and therefore a recruiter can be your best advocate when you are seeking a new position.

You should also understand recruiters often they have thousands of candidates to consider for a single position.

When initially contacted by a recruiter, it is essential for you to make a good impression. Quality recruiters are very particular about the candidates they refer to their clients; therefore, if a recruiter doesn’t feel confident in your professionalism and skills, or otherwise feels your credentials are not marketable, your name and resume will be placed in the “no” pile.  At this point the recruiter will simply move onto the next potential candidate.

We recommend when you are speaking with a recruiter, act as if you are speaking directly with the hiring manager. If you schedule a time to interview with your recruiter, make sure you are in a quiet place and prepared for the interview. Driving down the road, watching a baseball game on TV, and grocery shopping are not appropriate places to be during the time of your scheduled interview.

Working with a recruiter during your job search could be very beneficial to you when searching for a new position. If you do choose to work with a quality recruiter, make sure you treat the recruiter well.  A quality recruiter can be your best advocate and will help you gracefully navigate your job search.

Co-Written by Katie Fidler and Angela Roberts

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

How the Job Search Has Changed

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentThe job search process, along with everything else it seems, has undergone an enormous amount of change in the last ten years. The growing reliance on the Internet, the growth and expansion of mobile technology, and increased communication channels have changed the workforce in significant ways. This can be disconcerting for someone who is entering the job search realm after several years of being out of it. Being aware of the changes that have significantly impacted the job search is half the battle in maintaining relevancy in the job market.

  • Fewer jobs mean more competition. Is it no secret that the current economic recession has really cut down on the number of available jobs. Before the collapse of the housing market, there were approximately 1.8 people per one job opening; now, there are 4.2 people per one job opening. This means that the “burden of proof” lies with the candidate; that is, it is now up to you to prove to the hiring manager why you are the best candidate for the position and how you can contribute to the company.
  • The passive job search is a thing of the past. Fifteen, twenty years ago, it was not uncommon for professionals between jobs (and even while employed) to be recruited and wooed by companies and hiring managers. This is not the case today. Being proactive is essential when trying to find a new job, and you must take the necessary steps to get your resume in front of hiring managers. Job posting sites like Monster and CareerBuilder have simplified this process by giving users the option to upload their resume to the site so it can be submitted to a company in response to their job posting with a single click of the mouse.
  • Social Media is no longer “just an option.” With the recent trend of downsizing, human resources departments are usually the first department cut, leaving less people to do the same amount of work. Social media provides an easy and efficient way for hiring managers and HR personnel to scan through and evaluate candidates and some of their qualities. It is not as simple as creating a Facebook page, however. Make sure your social media presence mirrors your professionalism so that if hiring managers find your page, they won’t be unimpressed. LinkedIn is perhaps the best social media/job search/professional networking tool available. It allows you to list all of your current and past jobs, detail your experiences and special projects, and highlight the most impressive parts of your resume. Some job seekers have gone as far as creating a personal website to showcase and publish their work e.g. graphic designers create websites to showcase their talents, public speakers establish video channels to provide potential employers with examples of their work.
  • Networking is more important now than ever. You’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s not what you know, but who you know” – this has never been more true. With the decreasing number of available positions and the increasing number of people looking to fill those positions, knowing someone in the industry or in the company will ensure that your resume gets in front of the right people. Join professional groups, participate in online discussions and forums, and attend social gatherings to meet new professionals and get your name out there. LinkedIn has hundreds of professional groups that make getting connected in the industry easier than ever.

The changing job market is no reason to lose your relevance. Most of the changes, especially the ones concerning the growth of the Internet and social media, have made it easier than ever for job seekers to find and apply to open positions. Making sure you are aware of the ways in which the job search process has changed will enable you to make the necessary changes to stay fresh in the job market.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

How to Ask for a Raise

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentAsking for a raise is not as easy as running into your manager at the water cooler and mentioning that you’d like to be paid more for the work you do.  Choosing the right time and being prepared can make all the difference when asking your boss for a pay raise.

Preparing to ask for a raise starts long before you feel you deserve one. As a course of professional growth, ask your supervisor what the criteria is for advancement and the things he believes would warrant a promotion or pay increase.  When it is time to ask for that raise, you will have something tangible to reference.

Know the market value of your job. Network with your peers at other companies or use salary comparison websites to get a feel for the average salary of people in your position.  For assistance in benchmarking the compensation range for your job, check out our article titled What should your Compensation Requirements be?

Acknowledge your training and experience. Any training you’ve received as an employee and the experience you’ve gained while working at the company add value.

Consider what approach to use with your boss. Is he the kind of person that will be impressed by an aggressive sales presentation highlighting your desirable attributes and contributions? Or would he be most affected by a relaxed data-driven presentation?

Timing is key. Asking for a raise right after you complete a big project or right after you’ve decided to take on more responsibilities will seem more justified than if business has been slow and you’ve had a lot of free time around the office. You must also consider your timing regarding the company. Have there been layoffs in the past few months? Are you aware of any cuts in the budget recently? These might be indicators that the company is not unwilling, but unable to give you a raise.

Don’t spring this on your manager. Take the professional route and set up a meeting. This shows not only professional courtesy but will allow you a few days to prepare yourself.

Don’t wait until your evaluation. While this might seem like seem like your best opportunity, most companies actually decide what they are going pay their employees before they enter into evaluations with them.

Have a number in mind. Before the meeting, factor in competitors’ salaries and your own experience and attributes to arrive at a specific amount you think you should be paid. Don’t make your manager guess what you want to be paid. Being forthcoming with show you are confident you believe you deserve this raise.

If you are turned down, ask your manager what areas of your work performance you would need to improve in order to obtain a raise. Asking for a raise can be an intimidating experience, but that shouldn’t shake you from going after what you want and deserve. Being prepared and planning ahead can put you in a great position to ask and receive that raise your company has been putting off.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Benefits of Holding a CRA Certification

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWhile holding a certification in the clinical research field is not required for most positions, it has been our experience candidates who have earned certain certifications find it of enormous benefit.

As you likely know, a certification is simply a formal recognition of your job skills, experience, and performance, and will validate your knowledge and skills to other professionals. Currently, there are over 25,000 certified CRAs in the United States.

You might be wondering, “If a certification is not required, why should I bother with it?”

Here are a few benefits to being a certified clinical research professional:

According to the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, “evidence has indicated that that regulators believe certification reduces risk to research subjects” and it is widely believed that “there are fewer errors, lower costs, more rapid turnaround, and greater safety in clinical trials when certified professionals are involved.” Long story short, being certified will give hiring managers more confidence in your abilities.

For CROs, holding a certification will increase your company’s marketability.

A certification will make you more competitive in the industry and afford you a better professional standing. Said differently, if given the choice between two candidates with equal education and experience, a hiring manager will be more likely to hire the candidate with a certification.

Holding a certification is a “bargaining chip” for negotiating a great salary once offered a position.

If a candidate is new to the field or only has a few years of experience, being certified is essential. While holding a certification is not a substitute for years of clinical trial experience, it will validate your skills and knowledge to the hiring managers and give them the confidence to hire you.

Lastly, a major benefit of taking and passing a CRA certification exam is personal satisfaction. Your skills and experience will not only be validated to the hiring managers, but to yourself. Certifications are less than $200 and many can be taken online. Why not spend a few hours and a little money to take the exam? It will do nothing but benefit you in the long run.

As a clinical research associate, positions for which you are applying may or may not require you to hold a certification. The bottom line is that while it may not be required, holding a certification will do nothing but help you in the long run. Being certified helps to reaffirm your job skills, industry and trial knowledge, and experience to hiring managers and yourself.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process or are considering a career change? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates or our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Why LinkedIn is Critical for 1099s

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentLinkedIn, the professional networking site, is replacing the Rolodex in today’s Clinical Research industry. Having a LinkedIn profile is essential for professionals in every industry, but is especially critical for self-employed contractors in Clinical Research. As a 1099, you always have two jobs: the first being the actual work you do as a CRA, CRC, or CTM and the second being head of your promotional, marketing, and advertising departments. You are responsible for reaching out, making connections, finding contract opportunities, and dazzling hiring managers to land the gig. Being a contractor definitely adds to your workload and responsibility, but your LinkedIn profile can make your job easier.

LinkedIn can be the perfect supplement to your resume, if you are leveraging the opportunity appropriately. Having a complete profile is a must for contractors in this industry, as LinkedIn one of the easiest and most cost effective way of advertising yourself and your expertise. A complete profile does not mean you simply list the sponsors and CROs you’ve worked with during your career, but also detailing the kinds of experience you gained from each contract. Hiring managers and recruiters are not just looking for employment history when screening your profile; they are looking at the situations to which you’ve been exposed. Here a few pieces of information they look for when screening a potential candidate’s LinkedIn profile:

  • Phase experience (Phases I, II, III, or IV)
  • Device experience
  • Therapeutics (Oncology, Infectious Disease, CNS)
  • In-house or regional home-based experience
  • Education (BS, BSN, CRA certification)

Having this information on your profile will not only make you look like an expert in the industry, but will allow hiring managers and recruiters to quickly and easily identify your skill sets and qualify you for a position.

Another reason why having a LinkedIn profile and updating it regularly is important is because your work is in constant flux. Contracts vary in length, and it is possible that your position and responsibilities have changed dramatically since the last time you spoke with a particular hiring manager or recruiter. The resume you emailed them just nine months ago may be out of date now, but if they can supplement it with your updated LinkedIn profile, they will know what it is you’re doing now and if your area of expertise has broaden since you last spoke.

Not only is LinkedIn an effective way to advertise yourself and your skills sets, but it is also a great way to learn more about the sponsor company, CRO, or individual hiring manager as your prepare yourself for a phone or face to face interview. LinkedIn provides company feedback from current and past employees, giving you some insight to their corporate structure and methodologies. Viewing a hiring manager’s profile before an interview and seeing that, for example, they have a nursing background or have extensive experience in oncology trials will help you to leverage your own nursing background and oncology experience during the interview.

As an independent consultant in the Clinical Research industry, you always have two jobs – your monitoring and management responsibilities as well as your self-advertising and marketing duties. Using LinkedIn to its full potential and leveraging your network will make find your next contract a breeze.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Leaving your position under “Less than Desirable” circumstances

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentPerhaps you left your last job without giving a notice, was asked to step down from your position, failed at successfully executing a job role or project, or just simply didn’t get along with your last boss.

Should you still list these jobs on your resume?

The short answer is yes; especially if the position is recent and relevant.

A background check is going to show that you held the position and omitting it from your resume may cause the Hiring Manager to call your integrity into question. It is almost certain that the Hiring Manager will ask you to explain the circumstances under which you left the position, and it is important to keep the following in mind:

First:  Be Honest.  If you made a mistake, own up to it.  However, make sure you not only explain the error you made, but speak to what you learned from it and what you have personally changed in your behavior to ensure you will not repeat the same mistake twice.  The Hiring Manager will be impressed with your ownership as well as the fact that you are continually learning from your mistakes and growing as a professional.

Second: When explaining situations which were out of your control, remain professional and detached in your explanation. For example, you can describe a hostile or uncomfortable work environment by simply saying that there was a “change in climate” in the office or business that you weren’t comfortable with.

Just remember that whether you left of your own accord or were asked to resign, come up with ways where you can turn your negative experience into a positive one.  And this last statement is worth repeating:  Be ready to relate to the Hiring Manager what you learned from the situation and how that has made you a better person and professional.

I want to hear from you – have you been fired before? If so, how did you reflect this on your resume?

Written by Katie Fidler

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Should you Include Temporary or Short Term Positions on your Resume?

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentOf all the obstacles resume writers face, how to address the issue of temporary work or short term positions seems to be the most common.

Should you list a position you only held for a few months?

If you exclude these short term or temporary positions, could this hurt your chance of employment during the background check stage?

Ask yourself the following questions before making your final decision:

Was the work experience gained relevant to your desired position?  If you gained experiences in the position which makes you more competitive for the job or industry you are pursuing, you should absolutely include it on your resume.  As listed in part 2 of this series on Effective Resume Building, be sure to fully list your key accomplishments, job roles and responsibilities.  Especially those which best align to your desired position’s job functions.

Was the position intended to be temporary? Maybe you worked at UPS during their busy Christmas season to make a little extra money for the upcoming holidays, or perhaps you contributed to a political campaign for the few months leading up to Election Day.  Additionally, I see many consultants with several short term positions on their resume as this is the nature of a consultant’s “work style”.  Jobs which are intended to be short-term can absolutely be included on your resume and may actually work in your favor by showing your versatile experience.  Just make sure to indicate on your resume that the internship was only supposed to last six months, the job was seasonal, or the position was a consulting role and intended to be short.

What were your intentions in accepting the position? Due to the economy, millions of people have been laid off and have had to take any job they can get just to feed their families and pay their bills. You needn’t worry about hiring managers looking down on you for taking a temporary job in order to make ends meet; hiring managers are just as human as the rest of us and find it honorable that you did what you had to do to provide for yourself and your family. They realize that no one is immune to a sluggish economy and will appreciate your “do whatever it takes” attitude.  Just be sure to clearly label these types of positions so the Hiring Manager understands why you deviated from your career path.

So what happens when the position wasn’t intended to be short term and you left under “less than desirable” circumstances?  Stay tuned for part 4 of our series which will handle this unfortunate, yet common, problem.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Overcoming the Fear of Interviewing

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentThe pressure to impress and succeed can be overwhelming, and appearing anxious during the interview can make you come across unprepared and unqualified.

Here are a few tricks to calm your nerves and give you the confidence to make a great impression on your interviewer.

Be prepared!  The best thing you can do to ease your pre-interview anxiety is prepare. Research the company and the position for which you are interviewing. If the company hasn’t already explained the interview process to you, then ask so you know what to expect! For more information on how to prepare for an effective interview, take a look at an in-depth article our team has written on the subject.

Practice makes perfect. Have a friend or family member “interview” you, asking you the questions you think that your interviewer will expect you to answer. Regardless of the industry, you should be prepared to provide a thoughtful response to the following questions:

  • Why do I want this job?
  • What are my goals? How does working in this position for this company help me to achieve these goals?  Where do I see myself in five years?
  • How does my experience relate to this position?
  • What value will I add to the company?

Expect to Interview the interviewer.  In addition to becoming familiar with the questions you may be asked, you should know that questions that you want to ask in the interview. Remember, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Asking questions in an interview shows you have done your homework on the company, are clear on how this company aligns with your career goals, and shows your genuine interest in the company and position.

Treat the interview like a First Date.  Calming your nerves before an interview can be as simple as putting the interview in perspective. An interview is nothing more than a conversation with another human who likely shares similar interests to you.  If you are friendly and personable, your interviewer will mirror this behavior.

Last but not least, dress to impress. While this may seem cliché, you will be amazed at how you feel about yourself and your abilities when you know you’re looking your best. Becoming less anxious about an interview can be as simple as getting a haircut and putting on your favorite suit.

There is no doubt that the pressure felt preceding and during an interview can be enormous, but it doesn’t have to ruin your performance. Taking heed of this advice will help you feel that you’ve regained control of the situation and give you the confidence to interview well and make a great impression.

I would love your feedback.  What do you do to calm your nerves before an interview?

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
Facebook

Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Why You Should Be Sending Rejection Letters

Posted on by February 13, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentThe interview process can be just as stressful for a hiring manager as it is for a candidate. You are probably receiving hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes from hopeful applicants and overwhelmed knowing that in order to find the best candidate for the position, you’re going to have to disappoint all the others. As tough as it may be, it is critical that you inform candidates not selected for the position of your decision to pursue other candidates. Most companies execute this by rejection letters or emails to these candidates thanking them for their time and interest and informing them of their decision to go in another direction. Despite what you may think, rejection letters are more for you and your company than for the unselected candidate! Here’s why:

  • Rejection letters give your company a professional image and show candidates that your organization is well managed. Although candidates will be disappointed that they weren’t selected for the position, they will appreciate your reaching out to them and making them aware of your hiring decisions.
  • In addition to showing your company’s professionalism, rejection letters show candidates that your company has genuine respect for people’s time and effort. Letting people know that they weren’t selected for the position will allow them to focus on other avenues of employment. To further show your respect of candidates’ time, rejection letters should be sent no later than two weeks after you’ve made your final hiring decision.
  • Rejection letters will help to protect your company against disgruntled candidates seeking to use loopholes in EEOC laws as grounds for legal action. Sending a rejection letter will make it impossible for former candidates to say that they were treated unfairly or kept in the dark by your company. Another way to protect your company in regards to rejections letters is by sending them to all unselected candidates. This will show that you are treating all candidates fairly and make it hard for a candidate to make a case for preferential treatment.

Keep in mind that candidates will be disappointed and frustrated when they receive the letter, especially if they’ve been looking for a job for a long time. Let them down as easily as possible. Thank them for their time, acknowledge the skills they bring to the table, and invite them to reapply for this position or another position within the company at a future date. Remember, just because this candidate isn’t right for the position you are trying to fill now, they may be perfect for this or another position at a later date; the last thing you want to do is burn bridges.

You may be thinking that your candidate pool is just too big to send rejection letters to so many unselected applicants. After all, who has that kind of time? It’s better to see it this way: think of the time and resources that will be wasted when three hundred applicants call every day for a month to check the status of their application. An easy way to expedite the process is to have a generic rejection letter template and personalize just the name of the candidate.

Letting people down can be tough for a hiring manager, but it is an essential part of the job. Sending rejection letters is an easy way to communicate not only your final hiring decision, but the respect you have for all candidates’ time and consideration.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

Why Your Resume Isn’t Getting Read

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentIn today’s economy, high unemployment rates and waning job security have created an onslaught of professionals searching for work. For every one job opening, there are more than four times as many applicants as there were in the mid- 2000s. This means one thing – you have got to make yourself stand out, in person and on paper.

Many job seekers have recently complained that they feel their resumes and applications are being submitted into a black hole, as they never get a response from the company. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not qualified (although it may), but what it does mean is that you failed to communicate your strengths and expertise to the resume reader. In order to be most effective, it’s important to remember some things about resume readers. Readers are overworked and overwhelmed by the sheer number of resumes they receive on a daily basis. They are rushed and have very little time to dedicate to reading a resume (most readers admit to give each resume between 20 and 30 seconds), and are looking for any reason to throw your resume out. Readers are smart, skeptical, and unimpressed by big words and fancy job titles, they are looking for content and accomplishments.

To make sure that your resume gets read, keep these tips in mind when crafting and submitting your resume and application:

  • The two questions to always keep in mind when writing your resume are 1) what are the readers looking for first? and 2) what do you want them to find first.
  • Make sure your resume is clean, organized, and visually appealing. As readers are looking for any excuse to throw it out, stylistic and formatting errors and inconstancies will send your resume straight to the trash bin. Consider saving your resume as a .pdf so that the formatting and fonts do not change when the reader opens the document.
  • It is not longer necessary to include an “objective” on your resume; in fact, some resume readers are so opposed to objectives that they will use it as their excuse to throw your resume out. Objectives are a thing of the past because hiring managers are not interested in what you want out of your career, they’re only interested in what you bring to the table and how you will benefit their company.
  • Tailor your resume to the position, not the industry. Every reader will have different priorities and will be searching for different keywords. Investigate the position and job description to find what qualities you possess that are in line with what they are looking for, and make those stand out.
  • Consider using a “functional” resume format instead of the standard “chronological” format. If you’re applying for an IT position, list the positions you’ve held that have most directly impacted your knowledge and skill sets in the field first, and then detail the positions you’ve held that may not have as great an impact on the resume reader.
  • Resume readers are not as impressed by the use of verbs as they used to be; the trend in today’s job market is numbers. Readers want to see quantitative data regarding experience and accomplishments, not simply that you’ve done it.

Finding a job in today’s market is tough, without a doubt. Chances are you’ve spent your entire adult life building an impressive skill set and arsenal of experience. Articulating these things on your resume in an appropriate manner is going to be the key to getting noticed and contacted for those positions you’ve been applying for.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
Facebook

Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.