Posted on July 30, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

New BioInsights Website Slated for Labor Day Release

I finally decided to redesign the BioInsights website to bring it into the 21st century.  Although I received many kudos for the old site, it was beginning to look old and dated (not unlike me). So, in the spirit of re-invention, I decided to take the plunge and rebuild the site from scratch.  The new site will be more interactive, slicker and a bit more edgy...I like edgy these days.... and will still contain a lot of the old content plus some new stuff!

I hope that you all stop by and take a look at the new site after Labor Day!!!!

Until next time,

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted on July 25, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

Cool Site for Freelancers

I came across a new site called the freelancer forum. It is a nicely designed site that was created as a meeting place for freelancers and contractors who want to commiserate with other folks who live the freelancing life. The site also provides ideas, advice, resources, tools and software that can be used to create and maintain a freelance home office. There are discussion boards, and if you are lucky, you may be able to find a gig or two or three if you hang there. Full access to the site requires registration– which is annoying– but as the saying goes “there is no such thing as a free lunch”!

Until next time….

Good luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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Posted on July 20, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

Freelancing: A Mid-Career Way of Life

An integral part of my original life plan was to go to graduate school, get a Ph.D. in bacteriology and then become a tenured professor/educator at a small, elite liberal arts college. There was just something irresistible about have a secure job doing what I loved to do! Much to my surprise, my career did not turn out that way. Instead, I became a tenure track Assistant Professor at a medical school which turned out to be not what I had expected. After not getting tenure and learning that I could not work for anybody but me, I found myself at one of those crossroads in life that we all encounter. One path would keep me on my long, ongoing entrepreneurial trek whereas the path that I had not traveled would provide me with a steady income that I could use to support my three children, a wife and a suburban lifestyle (ugh!). Decisions …decisions!

The less traveled path that I took is known as contracting or freelancing. Contractors or freelancers are typically mid-career specialists who move from job to job, i.e. contract to contract, depending upon where the need is. In contrast with the healthcare industry, contractors and freelancers have been used in the IT and telecommunications industry for the past 20 years. It was not until recently that pharma and biotech companies jumped on the freelancing bandwagon and began to use contractors in the areas of medical communications, regulatory affairs and project management. The reason for this paradigm shift in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries is simple: money! A company that uses contractors does not pay benefits to the contracted employees. This translates into a cost savings of approximately 30%-40% per contracted employee as compared with full-time workers. To that end, companies are typically willing to pay relatively high hourly wages to contractors in order to attract the best talent to their projects.
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Posted on July 18, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

Business Cards: Are They Really Necessary?

What is the real purpose of a business card? Everyone knows that they ought to have one but do they really help to generate business or aid in a job search? According to the “experts”, a business card is an integral part of any corporate or personal marketing plan (that’s right it is okay to market yourself). Of course, you can't expect a business card to tell the whole story about you or your company. That said, the real purpose of a business card is to present a professional image or impression so that people will remember who you are after they meet you.
It goes without saying that a business card can make or break a client's first impression of you or your company. In fact, it is likely that this little card makes as much of an impression as your personal appearance, the clothes you wear or the blackberry model that you carry! With this in mind, I offer the following suggestions regarding creation of business cards for personal or corporate use.

Information On the Card

You MUST include your name, title, company name, address, phone number (or numbers, if you want to include your cell), e-mail and Web site. After all, if someone wants to contact you after receiving your card, you contact information better be on it!

Business Card Style

Choose a card style that's appropriate for your business, industry or personal style.. When crafting a design, start with the style that best supports the business image you wish to project. To help you get started, here are five different card styles for you to consider:

Basic cards. A basic card is usually printed in black ink on plain white or cream stock.This is a good style to choose when utility is all you need. It's a no-nonsense approach that can appeal to clients and prospects who would not be impressed by fancy design features-the people who want "just the facts, ma'am." The design is simple, and the information is clear and concise.

Picture cards. Having your face on your card-whether it's a photograph, a drawing or a caricature-helps a contact remember you the next time he or she sees you. Images representing a product or service, or a benefit your business provides, can help you communicate your business better than dozens of words. A splash of color (rather than just black and white) is often helpful on a picture card, too.

Tactile cards. Some cards are distinguished not so much by how they look as by how they feel. They may use nonstandard materials, such as metal or wood, or have unusual shapes, edges, folds or embossing. Tactile cards tend to be considerably more expensive than regular cards because they use nonstandard production processes such as die cuts. But for some businesses, this more unusual card may be worth the price.

Multipurpose cards. A card can do more than promote your name and business-it can also serve as a discount coupon, an appointment reminder or some other function. It may also provide valuable information that the average person may need. For example, a hotel may include a map on the back of its card for any guests who are walking around the local area. A card of any type can be made multipurpose by adding any of these types of features.

Outside-the-box cards. A wildly original, fanciful or extravagant presentation can draw extra attention. Creativity knows no bounds-except the amount of money you wish to spend. Some examples are cards made of chocolate or that folded out into a miniature box to keep small items in.

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Posted on July 11, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

Practical Tips on Becoming a Medical Writer

This article was authored by Emma Hitt, Ph.D. a freelance medical/science writer.

1. Become qualified, both in terms of your scientific background and level of writing skill. Depending on your background, you may need to get a four-year degree in a science, finish your masters or your Ph.D., read a book or two on grammar, take a writing course, etc. Very important: get someone (or several people) who know how to write to review your writing. Pay them if you have to.
2. Try to identify what types of medical writing appeals to you. Type in medical writer into jobs boards such as monster.com and see what comes up.
3. Set up a web site for your business. Your web site should have a professional look; you may need to pay a designer to create a web site for you.
4. Put some writing samples on your web site. If you don't have samples, you will need to write some—they don't have to be published. If they are published, you will need to get permission from whoever owns the copyright.
5. Start contacting potential clients that you would like to write for. Aim for 50 e-mails or phone calls a day. Generally, this number of emails will result in one new client. Fifty emails is a lot, I know, but you won’t have to do this for long—a few weeks at the most.
6. Bend over backwards to do an excellent job for your clients so that they give you repeat business. That way you won't have to do so much marketing. Pretty much every new client should become a regular client if you are doing things right.
7. Enjoy being a busy medical writer. Take on projects you like, make six figures, and work at home on your own schedule.

Unitl next time.....

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted on July 3, 2007 by BioJobBlogger

Sci Talking

About 30 years ago the group,The Bee Gees, gave us "Jive Talking"; a catchy tune that was popularized in the movie Saturday Night Fever. Now, a group of  well intentioned and entreprenuerial scientists are offering us some "Sci Talking" via their new website called SciTalks.  The concept is novel;  view and listen to your favorite scientist(s) expatiate on the wonders of nature, science and the universe.  For all you video junkies out there, It is the YouTube for science "nerds"---not that there is anything wrong with that! 

All kidding aside, I think it is a great idea and I wish them great success.  Check them out.....a little sci-talking never hurt anybody!

Until Next Time.......

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!

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