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 The resume you emailed them just nine months ago may be out of date now, but if they can supplement it with your updated LinkedIn profile, they will know what it is you’re doing now and if your area of expertise has broaden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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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
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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.