Is Job Hunting Getting You Down? |
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Travis Medley |
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Not a day goes by (and we’re now at about day 400 of “these” days) that we do not hear from candidates about how frustrated they are with their job search. It doesn’t matter if you have just graduated or have 20 years of industry experience; it’s a rough market out there. What is absolutely crucial is that you do not give up. Many people are faced with having to search for a job when opportunities have typically fallen in their lap for the last decade or two. It’s not you – you’re great!
People within our industry are extremely bright – among the smartest in the world, and when you give smart people time, they think. And when thinkers think, they tend to over think – and this is how we get into trouble.
It is important that you constantly review your strategy to ensure that your resume reflects the job, keep your network active, follow-up directly with decision makers, etc. However, be careful not to go too far overboard. We talk to candidates who have changed their resume literally a dozen times or more. These people are driving themselves crazy over very minor revisions (and many times, their “latest” version has come full circle and looks a lot like their first version)!
My message? STOP.
Spend your time and energy on building and using your network, and on hunting down contacts at companies where you would like to work. It’s likely that the problem is not your resume, it’s not that you are a missing a certification, and it’s not that you left out one key word. It is simply that the market is rough. This is not an excuse to lay low and avoid the job market; this is just a reminder that we’re all in the same boat.
Today, it takes more calls, more resume submissions, more follow-up, and more networking to find a position. It’s even likely (we can hope) that it may never be this hard again. But keep at it! Do not let the “market” get you down and don’t rethink everything to death. Formulate a strategy and execute that strategy.
After a while, assess your strategy. If it’s sound, keep going. If not, change it. But no matter what, keep at it. Your next opportunity may be right around the corner.
Job Hunting: Who Do You Need To Impress?
Job Hunting: How to Use Your Network
Job Hunting: Wake Up Your Village
Measure Twice, Cut Once |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
This old construction adage has a home within your job search. Attention to detail is crucial, especially in the “e” age. You no longer have your sense of humor, wit, charm, personality or infectious smile to fall back on. Instead, you only have the cold black and white of the written word. So why is it that when your computer will automatically check your spelling and grammar, so many people miss this basic step?
I think most people would be surprised at how many cover letters, resumes and back-and-forth emails are filled with incorrect spelling and grammar. This is 100% inexcusable and may cause you to lose a position before you were ever considered. Additionally, if you are committing these errors, you probably do not know it and have committed to the same error many times over.
The solution - SPELL CHECK! Spell check everything, including your resume, cover letters, emails, LinkedIn profile, Facebook site, etc. After you spell check it, do it again for good measure. Copy and paste your information into multiple formats to check for errors. Ask peers and friends to review your documentation. Each of the documents you employ in your job search will be used over and over; the more refined they are, the better you will look to prospective employers.
The same goes for communicating with your recruiter – take the time to use proper spelling and grammar. Recruiters are much more likely to represent candidates who can communicate clearly and don’t make simple errors. Every candidate a recruiter represents is a reflection of their company to their client. Companies have passed on some of our candidates because of misspellings in a thank you note. Do not underestimate the crippling impact of poor spelling or grammar!
But beware, spell check and grammar check cannot and will not catch everything. Read, re-read (and even read it backwards). Ask others to review your information when appropriate. There are many aspects of your career search that you cannot control, but spelling and grammar are completely within your grasp. Control what you can – measure twice, cut once.
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Holy Cow! How to Negotiate Your Salary |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
Now that you’ve aced your phone interview and your in-person interview, it’s time to negotiate your salary!
Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry. Here’s my advice.
First things first. Be sure you remember what you have already communicated about your salary; consistency is key. If you are working with a recruiter, be sure they know what salary expectations you have been communicating and be sure you know what the recruiter has been relaying to the company.
Second, it’s important to be paid fairly, but it is more important to get a job you are happy with; if you think it’s fair, it’s fair. I strongly caution against web sites that purport to provide “accurate” salary information. Each person and each position is unique. The skill sets possessed and required are different and a “fair” salary will vary dramatically.
Third, before you can negotiate with a company, you have to know what your expectations are - we find that many people don’t have a good grasp of their own expectations and it can be disastrous during this critical phase.
I recommend knowing your “Absolute Bottom” - the number which you would say “no” to if it was literally one dollar lower. This is a very important number to know. The longer you are looking for a position, the lower this number may be, and that’s okay.
This is about the position being fair to you. From here, I would find the “I think that’s fair” number and lastly the “holy cow!” number. Armed with these three numbers, you can confidently negotiate salary and know how hard to push.
If the company offers you a number below your “Absolute Bottom” - tell them that you were expecting something in the “I think it’s fair” to “holy cow” range. You have nothing to lose because you are not going to take the position at this compensation level.
If the company offers an “I think it’s fair” salary, you need to decide if it’s worth pushing back and potentially losing the offer. A great way to approach this is simply to ask “Is there any wiggle room in this offer?”. If the answer is no, thank them and tell them either you will accept it or you’ll get back to them within 24 hours (if you know you are going to accept, there is nothing wrong with telling them at his point).
If the company offers a “holy cow” salary, tell them thank you and you cannot wait to start!
Finally, if you are anything less than thrilled with the offer, I would encourage you to sleep on your decision. Give yourself some time to consider it and don’t act impulsively. The offer will still be on the table tomorrow and you will feel more confident after having carefully weighed your options.
Climb The Career Ladder Faster With These Cover Letter Tips
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How To Shine in a Job Interview |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
If you mastered my ‘Nailing Your Phone Interview” tips, you will, of course, now be preparing for your face-to-face interview. So you will be glad to know that I have some killer tips for that too!
Often, it’s the subtle nuances and attention to detail will make the choice clear for a hiring manager. So you should leave nothing to chance and prepare for this important meeting.
These tips are meant to help you secure one of two things: an invitation to the next round of interviews OR a job offer. Communication is key here and, unlike in a phone interview, you communicate in several ways including verbal communication and body language, as well as your eyes and your facial expressions.
This is a lot to keep in mind during a nerve-inducing interview. However, if you keep these tips in mind and practice with a spouse, friend, family pet or just in the mirror, you will have more confidence and a better shot at landing the job.
Tip #1: Prepare questions
Take 20 minutes to review the company’s web site and prepare 2-3 questions. These questions should both show that you’ve taken the time to prepare for the interview, and should absolutely not focus on salary or benefits. Should an opportunity come up to utilize these questions, start with “When I reviewed your web site…”.
Tip#2: Bring your resume
As a part of your preparation, print your resume on resume letterhead and bring enough copies for each person you are meeting with plus one. Be sure to bring a portfolio to carry these resumes and a pad of paper and pen to take notes.
Tip #3 : Wear a suit
…and, Guys, wear a tie. Don’t over think this one – you can’t over-dress for an interview.
Tip #4: DO DISCUSS
…positive experiences, ways you have contributed to organizations, successes, career goals, etc. Be prepared with examples of each of these that you can weave into the conversation.
Tip#5: DO NOT DISCUSS
…negative experiences, things you hated about your previous boss, how much money you want, how important vacation time is, how much you hate companies that are open the week of Christmas, etc.
Tip #6: Smile. A lot
People should enjoy speaking with you – whether it’s someone you say “good morning” to in the parking lot or the receptionist when he asks you to sign the log book.
Tip #7: Observe lobby etiquette
If you are going to sit in the lobby, do not bury your head in a magazine. Stay alert and be prepared to immediately stand and shake the hand of the person who comes to get you. A firm handshake and warm smile goes a looooooong way.
Tip#8: Be likable
Amazingly, the hiring manager automatically puts most candidates are in one of two pools when they arrive for an interview. There are the “I don’t know if this person has what we need” people and the “I hope they don’t screw this up because I want to hire them” people. Unfortunately, you have little way of knowing which group your interviewer represents, so it is important that they both like your personality as well as your background. Liking the person generally supersedes experience (when experience is within the parameters) and most hiring managers will hire the person they like and forsee enjoying working alongside.
Tip #9: Watch your body language
While interviewing, sit up straight, lean slightly forward, take notes, smile where appropriate and make lots of eye contact with everyone in the room.
Tip #10: Keep it professional
Do not discuss your personal life. If you find the interviewer’s favorite baseball team is your favorite baseball team, great! Make a personal connection and talk about the team. But do not talk about the party you went to last weekend and how much you drank; your personal life should not be a part of the interview at all.
Tip #11: Be excited about the job!
Even if you are unsure, even if you “know” you do not want the job, stay positive and excited. You may change your mind. If you intimate in the slightest way that you are unsure, the company will decide against moving forward.
Tip #12: Ask relevant questions in the conversation
Often times, interviewees ask things that would be “nice to know”, but have no bearing on whether or not they would take the job. Spend your time focused on the areas that matter to you or, if you know you want the job, focus on questions that allow the interviewer to talk about how great their company is.
Tip #13: Be confident
You have every reason to be! Remember, they are interviewing you for a reason: you have the skills they need. Be confident in your skills and share examples with your interviewer on how you made your most recent firm better by being a part of the team. Do not be arrogant. Remember, personality will outweigh experience most of the time.
Tip #14: Take the bull by the horns
By asking this question to anyone who interviews you: “Do you have any concerns about my ability to succeed in this position?”
9 out of 10 times a direct question yields a direct response. The interviewer will either say “no” (great!) or they will say “yes” and tell you their concern. If their concern is accurate, acknowledge that it is accurate, but share experiences you have that would mitigate the concern and what you would do to address their concern if given the opportunity (examples include self studying, taking classes, staying late, research, etc). Either way, it is better to know what you are up against rather than hanging up and not knowing. IMPORTANT: If you know what their concern is, then work to address it before the interview and show that you are proactive (i.e. “I took the liberty of reviewing the most recent GLP standards as it pertains to your company in an effort to demonstrate my commitment to this job.”).
Tip #15: Ask for the job
If you are interested in the position, do not leave the interviewer in any doubt that you are.
In my experience, following these tips will give you an opportunity to viably compete for any position. What tips would you give from your own experiences?
Using People Skills to Get that Job
Job Hunting: How to Make a Good First Impression
How To Nail Your Telephone Interview
How To Nail Your Telephone Interview |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
The past five years has seen the “phone screen”, where employers interview a large number of candidates over the phone then choose who they’d like to invite for a face-to-face, become an often-used tool.
This is unfortunate because it only allows the candidate a short period of time to convey their skills and strengths and, likewise, it only allows the interviewer to a narrow snapshot of the person with whom they are speaking.
But it looks as though the technology is here to stay so mastering the phone interview is a key skill for the modern-day job hunter.
Your aim in a phone screen interview
Your goal in a phone interview is to get a face-to-face interview, not to get the job. As such, your focus should be communicating enough to get the company to interview you and this often means you have to decide on many, many things to leave out.
So here are our top tips to get you through the phone interview with the best possibility of getting the interview (NOT necessarily getting you the job). Each of these tips comes from our knowledge of how real candidates lost their opportunities. Hopefully by reading these you can make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes!
Tip #1 – Use a land line whenever possible. You will be easier to understand and you eliminate the possibility of a “dropped call”.
Tip #2 – Find a quiet place. Be sure there are no distractions (not distractions to you, distractions to the person on the other end of the phone) including kids, dogs, cars, airplanes, other people, television, radio, etc.
Tip #3 – Be brief and to the point. On the phone you are at a disadvantage and cannot read the body language of the person conducting the interview. You should always answer questions briefly and succinctly and then ask, “Would you like me to elaborate?” or “Would you like me to share an example?”. If you ramble on too long, the interviewer will get bored and start checking their email or, even worse, not get to the critical information and assume you are not qualified. Your job is to convince them you have enough to warrant a face-to-face interview….not get a job offer from a phone call.
Tip #4 – Do not eat or drink while you are talking on the phone. It will be heard, no matter how subtle you think you are being.
Tip #5 – Smile. It shines through the phone when the person on the other end is smiling.
Tip #6 – Do not ask about salary or benefits. That is for the face-to-face interview.
Tip #7 – Plan. Review the company’s web site, have the job description in front of you, know their name and title, have the same resume you sent them in front of you. Inevitably, every phone interview ends with the interviewer asking “Do you have any questions for me?” and the smart answer is ALWAYS “Yes.”. So prepare a couple of questions about the company that reference their web site, their products, where the company has been and where it is going.
Tip #8 – Do not discuss your personal life. If you find the interviewer’s favorite baseball team is your favorite baseball team, great! Make a personal connection, but keep it brief. Do not talk about the party you went to last weekend and how much you drank….your personal life should not be a part of the interview at all.
Tip #9 – Keep it positive. Do not say anything negative about your former employer, boss, co-workers, professors, spouse, parents – no one and nothing. Keep everything positive. “I was really disappointed the company had layoffs, but I am excited about my career prospects and the opportunity to work with firms like yours.”
Tip #10 – Be excited about the job. Even if you are unsure, even if you “know” you do not want the job, stay positive and excited. You may change your mind and want to meet the company, but if you intimate in the slightest way that you are unsure, they will not bring you in for an interview.
Tip #11 – Be confident. Remember, they are calling you for a reason. They need someone with your skills. Be confident in your skills and share examples with them on how you made your most recent firm better by being a part of the team….but don’t be arrogant.
Tip #12 – Ask “Do you have any concerns about my ability to succeed in this position” when you end the interview. 9 out of 10 times a direct question elicits a direct response. They interviewer will either say “no” or they will say “yes” and tell you their concern. Often times, their concerns arise because they are doing a phone interview and they have not asked the right questions to learn the best information about your background. When this happens, simply apologize for not being clear and tell them about your experience that would alleviate their concern. If their concern is accurate, acknowledge that it is accurate, but share with them experiences you have that would lesson the concern or what you would do to address their concern if giving the chance. Either way, it is better to know what you are up against rather than hanging up and not knowing.
If you follow these tips, you will greatly increase your chances of being one of the select few to come in for a face-to-face interview where you can truly complete for the job!
7 Ingredients for a Successful Job Application
Job Hunting: How to Make a Good First Impression
How To Shine in a Job Interview
Job Hunting: How to Make a Good First Impression |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
There is a lot of truth in this old adage and it is especially true for job hunting. Previously, we discussed the importance of the impression your resume leaves on the reader but when you are selected to meet with a company in person, that first impression may decide whether or not you get the job.
More and more often, I am hearing about candidates who were “rejected” for reasons completely unassociated with their skill set. Like it or not, most hiring managers have their minds virtually made up in the first 5 minutes and it generally consists of one of two different thoughts:
“I really like this person, I hope they don’t screw this up.”
OR
“This person is not it. I need to give them just enough time to get them out of my office without being rude.”
Your goal, of course, is to get included in the first group and the impression of you starts from the moment you get dressed for the interview.
The 3 mile rule
I recommend the 3 mile rule – once you are within 3 miles of your interview, pretend that the interview has started. Drive safer, don’t cut people off, don’t smoke, don’t play air drums on your steering wheel as you never know who is inthe car next to your…it could be your interviewer. Visualize that you are “on”.
Arrive with confidence, and manners
Do not park in the Visitor Parking or directly in front of the building if you can help it, but rather in a “regular” spot off to the side. Assume that people are watching you through the tinted windows and you should act accordingly.
Walk confidently to the front door smiling at everyone you see and add a “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” to people that you pass. In companies, the receptionist often plays a vital role in the selection process though they rarely are responsible for screening people “in” to the company, they play a huge role in screening people “out”.
Most hiring managers trust their receptionist’s opinions and do not take kindly to people who do not treat them well. If you are asked to fill out an application, do it quickly (a candidate of ours was bypassed last week for taking too long to fill out the application) and efficiently and remember that people are waiting for you to finish.
A firm handshake, and all that
Stand up when your interviewer comes out and look them in the eye, smile and give them a firm handshake. Make small talk as you walk to the interview room and ask them about their day.
Do not ask your interviewers if they want a copy of your resume, just give them a nice copy printed on resume paper – it will make yours stand out from the photo copies of other candidate’s resumes.
Then sit up straight, look them in the eye and nail the interview!
It’s all about you
Do not fool yourself, this meeting is about being liked more than it is about skills. Your skills have already been largelt assessed by the time you re sitting in front of the hiring manager and your being “liked” will play more into a job offer than your skills.
What else would you suggest is a great way to make a first impression?
Job Hunting: Who Do You Need To Impress?
Job Hunting: How to Use Your Network
How To Shine in a Job Interview
Job Hunting: Wake Up Your Village |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
When you are searching for a job, sitting at home mailing out resume after resume might work. But if you get everyone in your village out on the hunt for you your chances of success are greatly increased.
Your village is everyone you are connected to in your industry. People love to help others in their village if they can so if someone in your village know someone who is looking for someone just like you, they will pass on the referral.
The trick is to make your village as big as possible, and, of course, to tell them that you need their help. Get yourself plugged into the conversations and watch how fast you start getting a positive response.
So here are three steps to waking up your village and getting them in on your job hunt:
Step One:Â Friends and Colleagues
Once you decide that you are in the market for a new job, let all your friends and acquaintances know! No need to be shy. Let’s assume you know 30 people in your industry. It’s a conservative guess to say that those 30 people know another 30 people each. You already have a network of 900 people who know that you are looking for work!
With each person you add to your social network, that number grows exponentially. Don’t be afraid to send out an email with a short paragraph (4-6 sentences) explaining what your skillset is and what type of job you’re looking for, as well as a copy of your resume and your permission to forward it on.
If you’re lucky, your contacts will have the “light bulb” moment and forward your information on to people they know who may be hiring or know someone who is hiring. Doesn’t everyone “know a guy who knows a guy”? Your search is off to a great start!
The next place to go is online. This is where your connections will begin to grow exponentially. Which leads me to:
Step Two:Â Online Networking
I’ve written previously about souping up your online network through LinkedIn and using it in your job search. A good LinkedIn network, and any other social networks you might have – be it Twitter, Facebook or whatever – can help you find someone who is looking to recruit a scientist just like you. Make sure your pages are professional in nature (no photos of you wearing a beer hat!)
Wake up your online networking village by telling everyone you are looking for a job and, again, don’t be afraid write a short paragraph about your skill set and the kind of job you are looking for. Make sure you have a thorough LinkedIn profile (see previous blog for details on how to do this). Don’t forget to put your contact information where it is easily seen – both phone number and email address.
A bonus tip for using LinkedIn: join as many groups as you can. All you have to do is ask to be included and people are rarely turned down. Then, you can get daily summaries of the group’s activities - including job postings, discussions, and upcoming meet-and-greet events. If you join 5 groups with 100 people each, you just expanded your village by another 500 people! That was easy.
Step Three:Â In-Person Networking
No matter what technology is available, there will never be any networking tool better than meeting someone in person, shaking their hand, and looking them in the eye.
They will remember you much better this way and it’s a great way to build lasting relationships.
Ask around to see what networking events are in your city and area of interest. One of the great ways to do this is to ask your recruiter (we are networking experts!) for referrals to groups. You will also find many cocktail hours and networking events through your LinkedIn groups. For San Diego, some of the biggest events are the bi-monthly San Diego Biotech Discussion Group (www.sd-biotech.org) and the newly created San Diego Biotechnology Network (www.sdbn.org). These meetings attract 200+ attendees each – you never know who you are going to meet.
Another way to find networking events is through Meetup.com, which is a great service for finding meetup groups on specific topics in your local area. For example, the map below shows the location of biotechnology meetup groups all over the world… and you are invited to them all. (Or you can go to the site and start your own meetup group!)
Print up some resumes, bring some contact cards and dress to impress. It can be difficult to get started if you’re shy, but an easy way to get over the hump is to just pick one kind-looking soul in the room and introduce yourself. Once you get started, you will find that the room is filled with people just like yourself who need to expand their network and will be happy to both share their story with you and listen to yours.
After you attend these events 2 or 3 times, you will find that your network has again doubled or quadrupled in size. There are also smaller, niche groups that will be more focused and intimate, such as the San Diego Regulatory Affairs Network (www.sdran.org). These are great in that you will meet the same people over and over again, and friendships start to evolve with people you have so much in common with – a great side benefit!
Finally…
What do you think of this sort of approach to job hunting will you use it – or do you already? Any questions, comments or further ideas are, as always, very welcome.
Scientists - Get Networked
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4 Steps to Harness The Power of LinkedIn
Job Hunting: How to Use Your Network |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
If you are frustrated with applying to job after job with no response, you probably wonder where your resume ends up after you click “submit” on a job board or a company’s web site.
You know it lands in a pile with everyone else’s pile, and you have to make your resume impress the right people to ever have any chance of making it out of the pile and onto the next stage.
But the unfortunate fact is you can never really know if your resume gets out of the pile, or makes it to the right people, no matter how good it is.
So what if you could avoid the pile completely? If you could get your resume straight to the people who matter, your chances of getting the job would be dramatically increased.
The good news is you can do that, with some care and hard groundwork. And the secret is to use your network. We’ve talked about networking, how to build your network, using LinkedIn, etc. Now it’s time to put those networks you’ve been building to use. But you must use your network selectively and decide with which positions to leverage your network.
We’ve all been guilty of applying for positions that were not quite in line with our background (yes, I know you have done this!). Â But if you are going to leverage your network, you are effectively asking someone else to vouch for you. People are usually happy to do this, but it’s a little tougher when they cannot see the connection for themselves (like when I applied to be the VP of Marketing for Hilton with very little experience – it was worth a shot though!).
When you review a job description that just screams your name and background or see a job description that reads like your resume, then you know you have found one of these “select” positions.
But now what? Â Well, rather than submitting your resume as normal, Â it’s time to leverage your network.
All you are looking for is an “in”. Ideally, you would identify the hiring manager – in some cases this is easy and in some cases it is not. In the absence of finding this person, find people connected with the department in which you are interested in working.
Best case, someone in your network can introduce you directly. If not, perhaps you can at least identify someone who can help.
Note that LinkedIn is excellent for this. With science being such a small world there is a good chance that, if you have built up a reasonable network, some one in your network will be connected (hopefully directly) to someone in your network and you can ask for an introduction.
Now is the fun part….craft your resume and cover letter and tailor them exactly to the position. Then, call the person you’ve identified or email them (a couple of Google searches can identify the structure of nearly any company’s email address) with a personal note asking them to forward your resume to the hiring manager.
Leverage, leverage, leverage. Now…this will not work in every instance. Someone in Marketing at Hilton probably would not have forwarded my resume to the Exec. VP because I was no where near qualified for the job. But….they probably would have sent my resume to a Manager for a Marketing Analyst position.
The long and the short of it is: use your network and be mindful of how you use your network.
Job Hunting: Who Do You Need To Impress?
4 Steps to Harness The Power of LinkedIn
Job Hunting: Wake Up Your Village
Career Clinic #1: Advice for Eclectically Trained Scientists |
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Travis Medley |
To enable tagging you will need to register on Bitesize Bio. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but it's free, only takes a few seconds, and it will enable you to view our seminars for free, ask questions from the professional community, and take part in the lively community of Bitesize Bio
Vijay, a Bitesize Bio reader with an eclectic array of degrees and diplomas contacted us for advice on his career options:
I have 3 diplomas in Fashion Designing, an undergraduate degree in Medicine and a Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. I need some career advice.
This situation will be familiar to many of our readers. How many of us truly knew what we wanted to do when we were 17 or 18 and heading to college? We may have had an idea but we didn’t really understand what those careers might entail.
Fast forward 8 years and you are well-educated and you have a ton of debt and are still trying to answer the question that plagued you at 18: “where do I go from here?”
What do you want to do?
The first thing you need to do is to choose what you want to go. Which of those career directions do you want to take?
Only you can answer that and it may take some research and soul-searching to do so.
Browsing through current job listings of the sort you think you might be interested in and talking to people who are in those jobs will help focus your mind.
Once you have decided on your chosen path, then this becomes an exercise in
positioning yourself. And that means working hard on your resume.
Critical note: what you put on your resume is as important as what you leave off.
Your resume is a place for you to showcase why you might be a fit for a specific position not just a general mish-mash of your background and everything you have ever done.
If you decide to pursue a position in fashion, I would suggest removing all references to your scientific experience, apart from the MBA is a great cross-over degree that applies to just about any position.
If you were focused on pursuing a position in science (since you are reading Bitesize Bio, my guess is that this is the case), remove all references to design.
Focus your entire background on scientific studies, courses, projects, experiences, etc. Keep the MBA of course this is always a great degree for biotech professionals.They tend to put a lot of reverence in the MBA (something I personally never understood. As an MBA, I was always far more impressed with the MS and PhD folks. I guess the grass isn’t greener!).
Think about your resume the way you think about presenting a poster, do you put everything you ever did on the poster? Of course not (if you do, check out our 10 tips for designing research posters immediately for some guidance!)
You put the relevant data to communicate your findings same goes for the resume.
If you can’t decide what you want to do…
…and I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be the case, your focus should be on getting a job, hopefully in an area that interests you.
In this effort you will be applying for a lot of different types of jobs e.g. in bench science, management or fashion. And for each of these, your resume should be tailored towards the requirements of the job.
So you should have a whole series of resumes.
Take these resumes and pursue careers in design, business and science until the right career path (i.e. job) emerges.
Remember this basic rule of job hunting:
It is always easier to find a job when you are employed. This applies to the fashion designer who wants to be research associate and to the marketing professional with a passion for design.
Whatever you pursue (whether it’s one career path or 3), be sure you only send information relevant to the position.
I hope this answers your question Vijay but if you have any questions, please put them in a comment below.
If anyone else has a specific career situation they need advice on, please feel free to contact us. We can’t promise to answer every question, but we will try…!
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Career Options After Academia
Should You Use a Recruiter? |
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Travis Medley |
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Q: Is there a place for a recruiter in your job search strategy?
A: A huge, underscored, emphatic YES
Recruiters should have a prominent place in anyone’s career decisions.
They are, after all, professional networkers whose job it is to make the �match� between company and candidate. They know the lay of the land and can provide insight on what is happening.
Recruiters often have relationships with people you want to know and they have the time and the incentive to keep their networks thriving. These are people who can help you get your foot in the door, ensure the hiring manager actually reviews your CV, and help you navigate the treacherous waters of phone and face-to-face interviews…they’ve been there before and watched the people who made it and can help you do the same!
However, your career is an extremely important and sensitive topic.
Would I advocate you turning this crucial transition exclusively to a recruiter or recruiters?
Absolutely not. You are in charge of your career. No one cares about your career as much as you do. Recruiters can help you, but you have to guide them.
When you seek out recruiters, ask colleagues and friends for referrals. When you speak with recruiters, ask lots of questions.
You have to stay in control of the process.
But…. given proper guidance, a recruiter can super-size your career search.
They can get people on the phone that you might not be able to reach, they can leverage long-standing relationships and explain why you are a fit instead of relying on a resume.
Recruiters can be a tremendous advocate for you as these people will work hours and hours, making dozens of calls on your behalf in addition to all of the work you are doing – and they will not charge you a dime*.
* Run the other way and do not stop running if a recruiter is trying to charge you money to help with your career search. This is not standard practice within the industry and, to me, it is a horrid practice that preys on people unfamiliar with the industry.
Recruiters are not just for the active job seeker – and this is important.
Consider the economic events of the past 12 months and think about the people who suddenly found themselves out of work. Those with the best networks – including recruiters – were able to put together a formidable job search while the pink slip was still in their hands.
Even when you are working, take calls from recruiters occasionally, return their calls and if you find one you really like, provide them an occasional lead….they’ll love you for it!
Three quick tips on choosing a recruiter:
In the end, these folks are there to help and most of them are genuine and helpful (those that aren’t…stop talking to them and go find someone else who you trust).
Have you had dealings, positive or negative, with recruiters? Let us know about them in the comments section.
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