How to find a job in clinical research: subjects of reflection:
Being based on individualism and free initiative, the organization of corporations in North America is completely different from that in Europe. EVERYTHING is done in a different way. Here are some thoughts as a topic of reflection and discussion that may help drawing the right conclusions:
– Applying is a waste of time nowadays, with a generic CV – even more. Everyone has Internet and for each position there are hundreds of candidates, how can you stand out?
– It is pointless to send a resume before learning every detail on the job and adapting your CV. Send just the cover letter with the right keywords and call the person who will ask where is your CV.
– Search for information about the company and people who work there. Contact them before calling the recruiter and ask them all possible questions about the specificity of the job.
– Over-qualification is a major handicap, hide it – No boss wants an employee who could make him ridiculous in front of his employees. They will also hate to lose their chances of promotion.
– Remove everything that is not asked in the JD, they don’t seek a general manager, but a solution to a specific problem. This is why you need tho know what problem they have to solve.
– Customize the CV for each job by adding the right keywords from the description of the position and proofs (examples) how you have solved the same problem(s)
– Recruiters do not work for you, they are paid a commission by the employer and do not commit themselves to place you. The will push the candidate who is the easiest to sell.
– Most of the companies are small and medium-sized and have no RH. All the staff is overwhelmed with too much work to do interviews.
– A recruiter costs between 15 and 25% of annual salary of the candidate found. For salaries around $60.000 employers will do everything not to pay as much.
– Most of the positions are never advertised, but filled-in either by promoting present employees, or by references: by asking around 'Do you know someone who can do the job?'
– Recruiters and HR cannot be competent in all the fields for which they recruit. They work with questionnaires. You can talk to a specialist only on the 3rd interview (if you get there).
– Pre-selection evaluations of experience are made on a quantitative bases – have you done this particular task and how long (years or mounts). Only experience counts, not education.
– All living creatures are afraid of the unknown. Those who were not afraid have been eaten millions of years ago. We are also a result of the same natural selection.
– Still as children our parents teach us not to talk to strangers. This conditioning is the basis of any xenophobia. We all have it, even if we don't realise it.
– The main problem for those who change the domain (or/and the country) is that they know nobody in the new field and nobody knows them.
– Nobody accepts what he doesn't know. Would you hire a Martian if he arrives with his degree, even if it is recognized by the Ministry?
–Comparative evaluations of skills delivered by the Ministry may not be accepted by the employers. They often don't know much about your country.
–The background of immigrants is difficult to verify: what language to speak to verify it, how do you know to whom you are talking, etc?
– The Canadian experience means actually experience in exactly the same tasks, but in a well–known context, eg. Canadian or American.
– The guerrilla marketing approach to attack all companies hoping to drop there in the right moment and manage to talk to the right person usually also doesn't work; it is a matter of chance
– Networking events are not very productive – usually there is one representative of the company (often a junior one) for some 50 participants. They can be a source of information though.
– HR are eliminators by nature. Their job is to collect CVs, evaluate them on formal criteria (questionnaire), eliminate 99% of them and pass 3-4 to the hirning manager. What are your chances.
– To learn about hidden jobs, the only way is to have 'friends' internally that will tell you when there is a vacancy and to whom to talk. this can reverse the job search process.
– Open positions in your target field are not available every month even in big companies. To make it work fast, it takes a large number of informants in several companies.
Conclusion : To get ideas how to get the preferred job, enroll to a Job search course (or if you are a newcomer, to a Quebec Society Insertion course). It is very useful step as a starting point.
If you are interested in the pharmaceutical field and clinical trials jobs, visit our free consultations every Monday from 5:00 pm in Room 601.2 at 6767 Côte-des-neiges. For a consultation in another time or day of the week, contact the program coordinator of the' Clinical Research Job Insertion program' Mr. Svet KRISTOF at svet.k@cra-school.com or at 514-961-9351