Alternative Science Careers

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By Nikki Kerzic

Your resume. It is either your most significant asset or the biggest limitation to your job search. I cannot even begin to count how many times candidates have told me that they have sent out resume after resume and have gotten little to no response from pharmaceutical or medical device companies or from recruiters.

If this sounds like you, I have good news and bad news. OK – the bad news first. If this is your situation, it means your resume is hurting you. If you cannot land an interview after sending in your resume to a company or a recruiter, then your resume is not doing its job, which is to sell you. You will never get the job offer if you never even get the interview, right?

But here is the good news. As a former hiring manager and recruiter, there are three blunders I see job seekers make all the time when it comes to writing their resume. However, this article will show to you what these mistakes are and what you can do to overcome them.

Like it or not, studies have shown that the typical hiring manager or recruiter spends a measly 15 seconds reviewing a resume! So let’s make your resume what the hiring manager is looking for and stay away from these common mistakes:

Resume Blunder #1 – Your resume is not accomplishments-driven.

Your resume should by no means be just a list of dates and jobs. Under every single job, you should have a separate section that gives your outstanding accomplishments for that job. No matter what you are doing, you know what the standard is and how you are performing versus the standards of the job. Make sure your resume highlights those accomplishments for the reader.

Every hiring manager in the pharmaceutical or medical sales industry is looking for a winner. They need candidates with a proven track record of achievement. In each job, what special things did you achieve to set yourself apart? How did you do the job better than everyone else? What were the results of your hard work?

To further sell yourself, I propose a clear and concise “Summary of Qualifications” section. This top part of the resume is a bullet-pointed list of your greatest selling points and unmistakably demonstrates your worth to the company. You can use this section to adapt your resume for the company and position you are applying for. For instance, if the job description reads that the company is looking for someone with customer service experience, make certain your experience in this area is stated right at the top of the resume.

Resume Blunder #2 – You do not have any industry keywords in your resume.

With use of the internet to job search today, savvy job seekers must know how to capitalize on the use of keywords. Pharmaceutical companies are literally inundated with resumes. Some report receiving over 5000 resumes per day!

You must place at least ten industry-specific keywords in your resume. When you post your resume on a job board or company website, the recruiter or hiring manager will use industry specific keywords to search the resume database. As you can probably deduce, some of the most familiar keywords for this industry are pharmaceutical, sales, healthcare, medical, hospital, doctor, etc. However, make sure you are seamlessly incorporating these words into your resume.

You cannot just load your resume with keywords and think you will get noticed! Even if you do not have any industry experience, you can get some of these keywords into your resume by writing an objective statement such as “Dynamic and motivated sales specialist looking for opportunity in pharmaceutical or medical device sales calling on doctors’ offices and hospitals.”

These few words will get your resume selected above hundreds of others when the recruiter or hiring manager is using keyword software to choose related resumes.

Resume Blunder #3 – Your resume is over two pages long.

This seems like an old-fashioned rule of thumb, but really, nearly all job seekers ought to be able to fit their jobs and accomplishments onto one page, two at the most. If you are an older job seeker, you do not want to list each job you have ever had. Not only will you look over-qualified for some companies, but you may find yourself the victim of age discrimination, a distressing but true truth for many older career seekers out there. And if your resume is beyond two pages, you may possibly be listing irrelevant information on the resume such as training that has nothing to do with sales, or listing your references, which should be listed on a separate sheet and submitted only when requested.

As you can see, these mistakes are not hard to overcome but most job seekers are not aware that they are even making these blunders. Make these few quick fixes to your resume and you will be head and shoulders over your competition in the world of pharmaceutical and medical sales career hunting!

Copyright 2009 – Nikki K. Kerzic, Find Your Dream Job Now, Inc.

Nikki K. Kerzic is a nationally known recruiter, career consultant, author, and industry expert specializing in helping job seekers find their dream job in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales. She is also the owner of Find Your Dream Job Now, Inc., a leading recruiting and career consulting firm partnering with all of the top healthcare companies. Nikki has helped over 10,000 job seekers land a lucrative and exciting job in Pharmaceutical or Medical Device sales with her nearly twenty years of experience. Contact Nikki on her website at http://www.PharmRepConnect.Com.

Find Your Dream Job Now, Inc.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Dont-Make-These-Common-Resume-Mistakes!&id=2923928

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Are you looking at alternative career opportunities, but aren’t sure how to get into the field? Getting an internship not only boosts your resume and skill level, but also may in fact help you land your first job, even in the current economic environment.

The recession has had a major negative impact on the ability of graduates to get hired. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has shown that U.S. employers expect to hire 7% less graduates from the Class of 2010 than they hired from the Class of 2009. To add to the dismal facts, the Class of 2009 saw more than a 21% decrease in employer hiring plans. Among 219 employers surveyed, 40% anticipate cutbacks, 17% anticipate increased hiring, and 43% plan to maintain their college hiring at 2009 levels.

Despite all the negativism going around, NACE executive director Marily Mackes commented that they are seeing some movement in spring 2010 recruiting as employers anticipate the economic recovery will be underway. Additionally, a survey conducted by NACE earlier this year showed that students taking part in internships and career services are being hired by companies at a higher rate than those not involved. The study showed that 26% of students utilizing internship programs were hired after completing school, while only 19% of those who were not interns were brought in full-time by companies.

Interning is one of your best bets to finding an alternative career outside of academia. Speak with your PI and career services to see if an internship would work for you. Then start networking in the field that you are interested in.

Start interning! It’s well worth the time.

By Linda Matias

Knowing ahead of time the type of pharmaceutical sales questions you may be asked during an interview will give you an advantage over other candidates. Pharmaceutical selling is one of the most competitive industries out there. Individuals from all ages and backgrounds are vying for these lucrative positions. During the job search process you will find your opposition range from recent college graduates to seasoned sales professionals – all whom have an equal shot at landing the position.

The best way to shine during the interview and leave a favorable impression is to conduct a mock interview with potential questions. To assist you in preparing for a pharmaceutical sales interview, below are sample questions along with suggestions on how to answer each.

Sample Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Describe how your existing position has prepared you for a career in pharmaceutical sales. Focus your response on transferable characteristics/skills. Examples include: assertiveness, client-focused, consultative sales, solutions selling, relationship building, account growth and retention, and solid follow-up strategies. Working key attributes into your response will garner positive attention from the interviewer.

This position will require you to work independently. How do you feel about that?When answering this question you can emphasize one of the following: (1) you thrive on working solo, (2) you have experience working with little or no supervision.

Tell me how you see your role as a pharmaceutical sales representative.Keep in mind that pharmaceutical sales reps are known as assertive, tenacious, and determined. Let the interviewer know that you are prepared to go the distance on the job and are willing to follow up until you close the deal.

Give an example of a time when you used persuasive communication skills to win over a customer.As a pharmaceutical representative, a major role you will have is to convince physicians, medical staff, and/or medical professionals to prescribe specific drugs to their patients. Since your persuasive communication skills are so vital, choose an example that highlights your experience in this area.

Describe a time when you were competitive.Medical professionals are used to many pharmaceutical sales representatives courting them at once. As the sales person, it is up to you to stand out from the rest, and land the deal. The interviewer is interested in how you intend to win over prospects.

What do you know about our drugs?In order to sell the pharmaceuticals, you must believe in the product. To prepare for the interview, familiarize yourself with the hiring organization and its offerings.

Additional Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Tips

Another point to keep in mind is your professional dress. It goes without saying that you should dress professionally for any interview, but pharmaceutical sales is especially important. In an industry where candidates who have model looks (literally) are favored, it would behoove you to take extra steps to ensure you look your best.

Interviewers will expect you to have an assertive approach during the process. You will score points if you ask for the job at the end of the interview. Remember an interview is a “sales” call, so go for the close.

Certified in all three areas of the job search
Certified Interview Coach™ (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW)
Linda Matias is qualified to assist you in your career transition, whether it be a complete career makeover, interview preparation, or resume assistance. She is also the author How to Say It: Job Interviews (Prentice Hall Press). You can contact Linda Matias at linda@careerstrides.com or visit her website http://www.careerstrides.com for additional career advice and to view resume samples.

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Technorati Tags: interviewing skills, sales position

1. Start with a clearly stated job objective or background summary. An objective works best when you can be specific as to the type of position you are looking for. If you are flexible and can consider several types of positions, the background summary may be the best way to highlight your skills and abilities.

Examples:

Objective: Position as a Controller utilizing successful accounting and managerial experience.

Background Summary: Experienced manager with excellent team abilities and strong leadership skills. Enthusiastic, highly motivated and can be counted on to get the job done.Excellent communication skills with the ability to relate to all levels within an organization.

(Note: If you have your resume on your computer, you can change the objective and/or background summary to fit a particular position.)

2. A good resume sets forth your accomplishments. It should not be a list of job duties. Employers want to know what can do for them and how you have contributed in your previous positions. Begin each statement with an action verb and provided quantifiable information whenever possible:

Examples:

Increased sales by ___% each quarter for the past two years.

Developed a ___________program resulting in savings of $__________.

Served as team leader on a project which resulted in cost savings of $________.

Designed and implemented a performance appraisal program for six locations.

3. It is not necessary to list every job you have ever had. Employers are most concerned about what you’ve done recently and not what you did fifteen years ago. Listing many years of work experience could be a liability in competing with younger workers.

4. Do not list hobbies or outside interests unless they have a direct correlation to the skills and abilities an employer is seeking.

Examples:

The following could raise a red flag with an employer: Hobbies; skydiving, racing – employer may consider you an insurance risk

However, if you a volunteer for a hospice program and you are applying to a social service agency, this could be a plus.

5. There is nothing magic about a one-page resume. In fact, if you have been in the workforce for any length of time, it would be impossible to communicate everything you have to offer in one page. Try not to go beyond two pages or your resume might not get read.

6. DO NOT FALSIFY your work history or education. More employers than ever are doing background checks and you will not get hired if you are found to be dishonest. The employer can terminate you at anytime if they find out your application and/or resume was false.

7. Use a quality bond paper, white, cream or grey. Don’t get cute or fancy with bold colors or graphics unless you are applying for a position in the arts. Do not include a picture!

8. Do not overuse bolding, underlining or mix fonts. Make sure your resume is easy to read and has lots of white space. Check and double check for spelling and typos. Using spell check is not full proof. For example, if you use the word their when you really meant there, spell check would not pick this up as the word is not misspelled. Have two or three people proof your resume. After you’ve been working on it awhile, you can easily miss something.

9. Make sure your contact information at the top of your resume is current. If you are using your cell phone, be sure your voice mail message is professional! You will definitely turn a recruiter off if your voice mail is offensive. When job hunting, do not have little children on your voice mail.

10. Seek professional help if you do not have good writing skills. It is well worth the cost as you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

One final piece of advice! When sending out your resume, you increase your chances of getting an interview if your cover letter specifically addresses how your background and skills match what the company is looking for. Do not use a one-size-fits-all cover letter. It will be obvious to the recruiter. Do your research and find out something about the company. You will truly stand out if you do this as most people don’t take the time to go that extra step.

Good luck and happy job hunting!

Cathy Baniewicz has over 30 years experience in human resources. Her career began at Beatrice Foods Co., where she progressed to Assistant Director of Affirmative Action and Corporate Personnel Manager. Prior to joining EffortlessHR, Cathy was Assistant Director of Human Resources at Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc. (Budweiser). Cathy has her B.A. degree from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, and MBA from George Williams College, Aurora, Illinois. Cathy obtained her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in December of 2004.

EffortlessHR is an online Human Resources Program for small businesses. This program will guide you through the maze of human resource laws and issues. You will have access to your employee information anytime, anyplace. Federal and State laws, personnel forms, “How To” guides, posters and reports are at your fingertips.

For more information, go to http://www.effortlesshr.com/, or call us at (520) 546-3947. We now have business forms available at http://www.effortlessforms.com/

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Technorati Tags: career resource, writing a resume

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I came across an October 2008 Nature article by Jason Brown on the venture industry titled “So you want to be a venture capitalist?” It is well worth a read for any of you aspiring to have a career in venture capitalism. A couple of takeaways from the article:

– Venture capitalists provide both financing and guidance to companies that have technologies that have great potential. It is important to realize that a large part of being a good venture investor is not just providing the upfront money, but also providing your expertise to aid in the companies success.

– Responsibilities as a venture capitalist include performing due diligence to thoroughly evaluate investment opportunities, negotiating investing terms, and providing ongoing support to the management team.

– There are many different pathways to become a venture capitalist, but there are a limited number of entry-level positions, making it challenging to get into right out of school. Getting biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience first can open the door to landing a position.

The article goes into more detail about what venture capitalists do, their main responsibilities, and transitioning out of the laboratory. To read the entire article, click here. You do need a subscription to access the full text article, but most of you as graduate students and post-docs should have institutional access.

Technorati Tags: alternative science career, career opportunity, venture capitalist