Getting layed off is not uncommon in today's economy. Nevertheless, it is a difficult experience even for the most season employees. I found a video on YouTube that provides some ideas on how to manage being layed off and what you can do to get back up on your feet.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
Angry with recent job cuts announced by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, protesters, this past Saturday, gathered in Basel and beside the villa of its former CEO and Chairman Daniel Vasella to express their displeasure with the company’s decision to layoff workers.
In Basel, about 1,000 people gathered and demanded that Novartis reverse its decision to layoff 1,100 people who work at the company. Meanwhile, about 20 protestors gathered in a field opposite Vasella’s walled lakeside Mansion. Two of the protestors handed Vasella a “fake pink slip” and according to witnesses he laughed and took the gesture in stride.
Vasella, who is not a stranger to protests, is one of Switzerland's highest-paid executives and in 2009 animal rights activists set fire to his Tirolean hunting lodge to protest Novartis’ use of animals to test pharmaceuticals and consumer products.
Currently, the Occupy Wall Street movement in the US has primarily targeted banks and financial institutions. However, two weeks ago, a group of protestors in Croton, CT, staged a demonstration at Pfizer headquarters to express their anger a recent layoffs announced by the company.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
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It seems that big pharma always waits for early Fall to announce pending job cuts. Novartis, Europe’s second largest pharmaceutical company, announced two days ago that it would eliminate 2,000 jobs mainly in the US and Switzerland but add new employees to operations in emerging markets like India and China. Novartis is just another addition to a growing list of big pharma companies that are slashing jobs in the US and Europe and hiring new employees in lower cost markets.
The announce cuts represent a 1 percent reduction in Novartis’ global workforce. The cuts will be implemented over the next three years and are predicted to save the company in excess of $200 million annually.
According to a company spokesperson, Novartis will eliminate 1,100 jobs in Switzerland, with the balance in the U.S., Jimenez said. Some research will be moved to the U.S. from Switzerland, and reductions will be made in technical research and development, data management, clinical trial monitoring, drug safety and regulatory affairs. Novartis will add 700 positions in China and India in data management and trial monitoring.
As part of the reorganization and job cuts the company will close an over-the-counter drug manufacturing plant in Nyon, Switzerland and chemical production facilities in Basel and Torre, Italy.
The current cuts come after Novartis announced last November that it would eliminate 1400 U.S. sales jobs and more recently in March that it would reduce operations in the UK.
Although life science pundits recently suggested that job cuts in the pharmaceutical industry are slowing and may have hit rock bottom, it appears that the carnage is still taking place and will likely continue well into the future as more resources and monies are invested in emerging markets.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
I mistakenly received the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) rather than the NY Times today and while I think that the WSJ is a great example of unabashedly biased journalism, there was an article in the publication about today’s job market that contained some interesting statistics.
The article entitled “Gloom Widespread As College Grads Face New Math” offered the following:
These are pretty sobering facts about the job market in the one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Is it any wonder why the Occupy Wall Street movement is gaining traction among American college age youths? As recommended by the article’s author it may be time for Americans to follow the advice of the actor Peter Finch (Howard Beale) in the satirical 1976 movie Network
"I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs... And go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out and yell, ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!"
If you truly feel like doing this maybe you ought to find your way down to the Occupy Wall Street protest!!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
While LinkedIn is not considered by many to be a “true” social networking site (some consider it to be little more than a place to post an electronic resume), it is increasingly becoming the place to go to look for or find a job. Most recruiters and many hiring managers used LinkedIn to source qualified candidates for job open at their organizations. That said a well-thought-out and carefully written LinkedIn profile can make the difference between employment or not.
To that end, I came across a great article entitled “Five Minutes to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile”. Its author, Ian Levine, provide some excellent advice and tips about how to craft a LinkedIn profile so that you will be found by recruiters and prospective hiring managers. Not surprisingly, the key to success is peppering your profile with keywords that are contained in standard job ads in your industry. According to Levine, LinkedIn appears to scan only four categories: Professional Headline, Titles, Specialties and Industries. LinkedIn scans these categories for frequency of the keywords selected.
One way that Levine recommends to assess whether or not your profile is a good one is to enter specific keywords that are consistent with the type of job(s) that you are interested in landing. If your profile comes up at the top (or close to it) of these types of searches than your profile is a good one. A failure to appear in the search results suggests that your profile may need some additional work to land a job!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
The Pharmalot Blog today reported that a group of protesters aligned with the Occupy Wall Street movement will conduct a vigil at Pfizer's Groton,CT R&D facility to protests recent job cuts made by the company.
Pfizer was targeted because it took tens of millions of dollars in local and state government subsidies to build an R&D facility in New London, Connecticut. But earlier this year, the company abandoned the facility and decided to transfer about 1,100 R&D job from Groton to Cambridge, Massachusetts.Also, the company jettisoned its antibacterial drug discovery efforts at the Groton facility and shipped those jobs overseas to China. Roughly, 2,500 Pfizer jobs are leaving Connecticut which will likely have a negative impact on the state.
One protest leader quipped “When huge companies like Pfizer take tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in public money, and then pull up stakes as soon as the money disappears, that’s what wrong with our economy”
Also, Pfizer is one of the top US ten companies to shed employees despite an estimated $48.2 billion in offshore funds that the company does not pay any taxes on. Between 2004 and 2011, the company laid off 58,071.
Don't be surprised if the Occupy Wall Street Movement spreads from the banking to the pharmaceutical industry. At this point there appears to be little distinction between the two!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
Astra Zeneca today announced that it will eliminate 400 positions at the company’s Wilmington, DE headquarters. Most of the cuts will be in sales and marketing and the downsizing is intended “streamline portions of its commercial business to best serve patients in the US.”
According to a press release, about 70 of the estimated 400 job cuts will come from existing unfilled vacancies. Also, employees will have the option to choose to potentially leave the company with a possible package. All decisions will be finalized by early December.
Like many of its competitors, AstraZeneca is facing fierce competition from generic manufacturers and downward pricing pressures. The company currently employs 61,000 persons worldwide including 14,000 in North America.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!
Piscataway, NJ-based Enzon Pharmaceuticals, the once venerable biotechnology that was the first to successfully commercialize protein PEGylation, yesterday announced that it plans to lay off nearly half its employees by the second quarter of next year.
The layoffs will leave Enzon with 47 employees. The company said that the layoffs are intended to align resources with the company's research and development activities. Enzon, once with a market valuation greater than Merck pharmaceuticals, has been steadily losing revenue over the past 10 years and had essentially abandoned R&D in the protein PEGylation field that it had pioneered. Over the same time period, the company had a succession of CEOs, each of whom had a different vision and strategic plan forward.
Enzon was founded in 1982 by Abe Abuchowski, PhD, who validated the commercial possibilities for protein PEGylation while a graduate student at Rutgers University. Abuchowski licensed the rights to protein PEGylation and formed Enzon several years after receiving his PhD degree. He took the company public in 1985 (a feat that was not easy to accomplish back in those days) and went on to use protein PEGylation to develop two products with orphan drug designations (Adagen and Oncospar) and PEG-Intron a second generation biopharmaceutical used to treat Hepatitis C infections.
Abuchowski was CEO and Chairmen of Enzon until 1996. He left the company that he created because its board decided that PEGylated small molecules rather than proteins ought to be the future focus of the company. Enzon abandoned its biopharmaceutical focus in favor of small molecules in the late 1990s. Although in recent years the company tried to resuscitate its protein PEGylation programs, the PEGylation industry had essentially passed the company by and they were no longer competitive.
Abuchowski is currently CEO and Chairman of Prolong Pharmaceuticals, a South Plainfield, NJ-based, company developing products targeting the treatment of anemia resulting from oxygen deficiency. Not surprisingly, many of the products in the company’s pipeline were developed using protein PEGylation technology. While others have contributed to the protein PEGylation field, Abuchowski is generally recognized as the first person to commercialize the technology. He has received numerous awards for his work in protein PEGylation; a technology that generates roughly $30 billion in drug sales annually.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
Despite the fact that no new jobs were added to the US economy in August, things were pretty quiet in the pharmaceutical layoff space. From what I was able to find, it appears that Alcon Laboratories will be moving about 100 jobs from Atlanta to Fort Worth Texas (I was recently in Fort Worth for the first time and I extend my sympathies to those Atlantans that may make the move). The consolidation is taking place because Novartis purchased Alcon in April and after acquisitions these sorts of things happen. Nestle, another Swiss company, had a majority ownership in Alcon.
Interestingly, there appears to be some consolidation also taking place in the contract manufacturing space. Contract Pharma announced that it would close its Buffalo, NY manufacturing facility (purchased from Bristol Myers Squibb in 2005) and eliminate 128 jobs. Those employees who do not lose their jobs may have an opportunity to work in a nearby Ontario, Canada site. Likewise, UK-based United Drug, another CMO, will cut 150 jobs because of government-led regulatory decision to reduce health spending.
While none of these announcements were particularly noteworthy, Sanofi-Aventis’ announcement today that it will cut $2.9 billion in costs over the next few years was somewhat shocking but not unexpected. Most of the cuts will be in R&D and there will undoubtedly be massive downsizing and reorganization.
According to a post on today’s Pharmalot blog “a presentation indicates that research and development costs are in the process of being cut by 12 percent from 2008 to about $1.1 billion, excluding Genzyme. And the total headcount over this same period is being reduced by about 22 percent, from roughly 13,000 positions to about 10,000 jobs by the end of this year, again excluding Genzyme.”
Today’s announcement of cut back is consistent with Sanofi’s business strategy over the past year or so which included plant closings and large sales rep layoffs Again, the Pharmalot blog reported “The upcoming round involves slashing about $700 million in expenses from Genzyme, the biotech that Sanofi purchased recently, as oncology units in the Boston area are combined.”
The cost cutting measures are in response to the impending loss of patent exclusivity for several of its blockbuster products most notably Plavix and unexpected attrition in the company’s late stage clinical development portfolio. This year sales of products facing patent expiry are expected to decline to $4.2 billion as compared with $10.6 billion in 2008. To cope with these difficulties, Sanofi has gone on a buying spree over the last couple of years spending $23 billion to acquire various companies with Genzyme being the crown jewel.
Meanwhile, Sanofi plans to file for approval of six new drugs this year and hopes that it can introduce 19 new drugs by 2015. I suspect that Sanofi’s aggressive M&A strategy may help the company reach that goal. That said, if I was a Sanofi or Genzyme employee, I would be dusting off the old resume right about now.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
Last week, financial analysts and social media enthusiast were all a twitter (sorry I couldn’t resist) about LinkedIn’s multibillion dollar IPO. There is little doubt that LinkedIn has emerged as the preeminent job search social media platform. However, there are a few “tricks” that jobseekers ought to consider to improve their job prospects and subsequent employment.
To that end, Paul Boutin wrote a great piece in the Gadgetwise section of the NY Time yesterday entitled “Three Things All LinkedIn Users Should Do.” It was so well written that I reproduced much of the post below.
“Post a photo – A few years ago, people who posted photos of themselves to the Internet seemed self centered. In the Facebook, era, though, an account page without a picture seems like the work of someone who didn’t put much effort into it. It doesn’t need to be a professional headshot. Just stand against a white wall in business attire (or, if you’re a software engineer, a Rush t-shirt) and have someone take a cellphone photo of your face and shoulders. To upload your photo, choose the option Profile -> Edit Profile at the top of your LinkedIn page, and look for the Add Photo link.
Think keywords – On the same Edit Profile page, take a good look at your resume. If your past employers gave you odd titles like “gatorbox wrangler” or vague ones like “senior administrator,” replace them with industry standard terms like “sales engineer” and “accounts payable specialist.” Otherwise, you’ll never be found, because no one will type those terms into LinkedIn’s search box.
Search experts call this problem “discovery.” Other people won’t find you if they aren’t searching for words that match your entry. Pack your LinkedIn profile with as many popular job terms as you can think of related to what you do. If you can honestly change a past job title from something like “Web producer,” to something more senior like “product manager,” it’s better to put it in your profile, so you can at least get found and get an interview.
Ask a question – A LinkedIn spokeswoman told me that sending a question to your LinkedIn network is one of the best ways to remind people that you still exist, and are still looking for work. Click the menu option More -> Answers at the upper right of the LinkedIn home page, and look for the box that says “Ask a Question.” Get to the point: “Does anyone know of an office administrator position with a full-time salary and benefits?” These days that might get you a part-time contract, but it’s probably better than blindly sending out resumes and watching your inbox in vain.”
If LinkedIn is too overwhelming or more time consuming than you are willing to invest, check out BioCrowd, an online networking site designed EXCLUSIVELY for life scientists and other bioprofessionals.
Hat tip to Paul Boutin and the NY Times!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (check out the BioJobCenter)
From time to time, I get asked by jobseekers about questions that interviewers are permitted to ask during a job interview. While almost everything is fair game, there are certain questions that interviewers are not legally permitted to ask. A post that recently appeared on the “Interns Over 40 blog” pretty much covers them all.
And, while interviewers are not supposed to ask most of these questions, many do. That said, you need to be on the “look-out” for them and be prepared to judiciously answer them whether or not you think they may be legally acceptable or not. After all, challenging the legality of an interviewer’s question during a face-to-face is not likely to lead to a job offer!
In any event, the post list 13 questions on the forbidden list and how interviewers may be able to garner the information that they are seeking without necessarily violating any laws in doing so.
1. Age
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
2. Citizenship
Inappropriate: Are you a US citizen?
Appropriate:
3. Criminal Record
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
4. Disability
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
5. Family
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
6. Marital Status
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
7. Military
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
8. National Origin
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
9. Parental Status
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
10. Race or Skin Color
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
11. Religion or Creed
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
12. Residence
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
13. Sex or Sexual Orientation
Inappropriate:
Appropriate:
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!
Because of the challenging job market, I spend most of my time advising jobseekers about ways in which they can improve their chances of landing a face-to-face job interview. However, one of the trickiest parts of the whole job seeking process is negotiating an employment offer if one is extended. And, for whatever reason, there is a lot of anxiety, trepidation and misinformation surrounding the entire job negotiation process. That said, in her article “Talk About Pay Today or Suffer Tomorrow” the NY Times THE SEARCH author Phyllis Korkki demystifies the process proves some sage advice and debunks some of the urban legends about job offer negotiations.
One of the more important (perhaps THE MOST important) aspect of the job offer negotiation process is starting salary. While many people tend to downplay its importance, at the end of the day, it is always about money. And, there is no reason why a jobseeker should not try to get the best possible salary from a prospective employer. Therefore, it is incumbent upon jobseekers to gather as much salary intelligence about a possible position before the interview and after an offer is extended. Websites like Salary.com, Glassdoor.com and PayScale.com, which list salary ranges based on industry and geography, are a great place to start. However, because these are self-reporting websites, a better option may be to talk with employees working at the company that extended the offer or with others who work for its competitors.
An urban legend that I feel compelled to debunk is the notion that a job offer will be rescinded if the person who received the offer dares to ask for higher pay. Companies spend a lot of time, effort and money to get to the point to extend an offer to the “right fit” candidate. The prospect of starting the job search process all over again or settling for the “second best” candidate is usually not a viable option for most employers. For this reason, I advise persons who receive job offers to not immediately accept them (unless of course they fit into the category of “too good to refuse” which admittedly are very rare even in the best of times). In fact, since this is the last time that a jobseeker will be able to negotiate with his/her employer, I highly recommend “getting as much as you can.” However, as my financial adviser and longtime friend once told me, “the bears and the bulls make money, but pigs always get slaughtered!”
Until next time,
Good Luck and Good Negotiating!!!!!!!!
I was at the Experimental Biology meeting this year in DC and a career development colleague shared this job interview video with me. As you can see, things have not changed much over the years. Same questions and answers so be prepared!
Until next time..
Good Luck and Good Interviewing!!!!
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Mathew Herper, who writes at the Forbes Blog, reported today that according to a report compiled by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, since 2000 the pharmaceutical industry cut 297,650 jobs. According to Herper “that is about as many people as currently work at the three largest drug makers — Pfizer, Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline — combined.” As he aptly points out “Many of those who were laid off were probably hired back by other drug makers. Some folks have probably been laid off more than once. It’s also worth noting that big mergers are one reason for the cuts.”
Nevertheless, the number of lost jobs is staggering. Interestingly, while almost 300,000 jobs have been lost in the last decade, a majority of the cuts (234,814) have taken place over the past six years (see below). It is not clear from the report whether or not these numbers include the numbers of jobs lost by the aggregate life sciences industry (including biotech and specialty pharma) or only by the pharmaceutical sector.
| Year | No. Jobs Lost |
| 2000 | 2,453 |
| 2001 | 4,736 |
| 2002 | 11,488 |
| 2003 | 28,519 |
| 2004 | 15,640 |
| 2005* | 26,300 |
| 2006* | 15,638 |
| 2007* | 31,732 |
| 2008* | 43,014 |
| 2009* | 61,109 |
| 2010* | 53,636 |
| 2011 (to date) | 3,387 |
| TOTAL | 297,650 |
Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. © (via the Forbes Blog)
With mergers on the way and more jobs being outsourced to Asia and elsewhere, don’t be surprised if the total number of layoffs continues to grow.
Until next time
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
By now, most BioJobBlog readers are aware that internships (paid or otherwise) have become a prerequisite at many companies to secure a full time employment. While I think internships are a great idea to jumpstart a career, not all internships are created equal or worth it. Put simply, it is up to the prospective intern to determine whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Nevertheless, according to a report by the College Employment Research Institute three-quarters of the 10 million American students enrolled at four year colleges and universities will work as an intern before graduating.
The increasing popularity of internships has been mainly promulgated by American colleges and universities who—according to Ross Perlin the author of “Unpaid Interns, Complicit Colleges”—have become “cheerleaders and enablers of the unpaid internship boom failing to inform young people of their rights or protect them from the miserly calculus of employers.” While Mr. Perlin’s comment may sound a little critical—especially to those who have either worked as unpaid interns or are slated to work as one this summer—he has a point both legally and morally. To wit, the United States Department of Labor says that an intern for a for-profit company may work without pay only when the program: 1) is similar to one offered in a vocational school; 2) benefits the student; 3) does not displace a regular employee and 4) does not entitle the student to a job. Further, the employer must derive “no immediate advantage” from the student’s work and both sides must agree that the student is not entitled to wages.
Interestingly, in an attempt get around the regulations, many fortune 500 firms and other companies have cut deals with some colleges and universities to offer its students equivalent college credit for the internship experience. “Not so fast” says the Labor Department; “academic credit alone does not guarantee that the employer is in compliance.” To overcome this objection, some colleges have actually asked interns to pay for the credits, thereby justifying an unpaid internship experience. While this may legitimate in some cases, Mr. Perlin laments:
“Charging tuition for students to work in unpaid positions might be justifiable in some cases—if the college plays a central role in securing the internship and making it a substantive academic experience. But more often, internships are a cheap way for universities to provide credit—cheaper than paying for faculty members, classrooms and equipment.”
In support of this, a recent survey of more than 700 colleges and universities found that 95 percent allowed the posting of unpaid internships in campus career centers and on college websites! And, only 30 percent required their students obtain credit for the unpaid internship experience. The remainder, according to Mr. Perlin: “evidently, were willing to overlook potential violations of US labor laws.”
An easy fix for the unpaid internship crisis would be for colleges not to publicize (or post) unpaid for-profit company internships. Further, many colleges and universities should eliminate the internship requirement for graduation. Finally, colleges and universities should stop charging students to work without pay—that is simply un-American!
Coincidentally, the unpaid internship trend coincides with other disturbing economic and labor trends like the growing numbers of adjunct professors, contract and temporary workers and freelancers who live paycheck to paycheck. Moreover, the growing push for unpaid internships eerily coincides with recent attempts by state governments to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employee unions. Both are attempts to weaken organized labor and labor laws in this country. For those of you who may not know, it was the labor movement that abolished child labor, established a 40 hour work week, guaranteed overtime pay and provided workers with two weeks vacation each year.
Finally, colleges and universities and for-profit US companies that exploit college students as unpaid interns ought to be morally ashamed of themselves. College tuition is already expensive enough and most companies have the financial resources to pay their interns minimum wage. If a company can’t afford an intern’s nominal salary maybe that company shouldn’t be in business. To that I say, whatever happened to the quintessentially American ideal—“fair wages for honest work?”
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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There is no question that Twitter is the new social media tool of the moment. And, it should come as no surprise that scientists and other bioprofessionals have been slow to jump on the Twitter bandwagon. While the jury is still out on Twitter’s effectiveness as a research tool, there is a growing body of evident that suggests that it can be a valuable tool when conducting a job search.
To that end, Miriam Salpeter, the owner of Keppie Careers wrote an incisive piece on leveraging Twitter to find a job or jumpstart your career. I excerpted relevant parts of the post that originally appeared as “Older Job Seeker: Want to Tweet Yourself to A New Job?” While originally aimed at older employees, much of what is presented in the article is germane to life scientists of all ages who are seeking new job opportunities!
Want to Tweet Yourself to A New Job?”
Would you believe that you can tweet yourself to a job opportunity 140 characters at a time? It’s been done! Statistics show that job search networking is much more effective when you make “loose” connections – touching base with people beyond your immediate circle whose networks and contacts are much different from your own. With over 200 million users, Twitter offers an unparalleled opportunity to create an extended network.
Not convinced that Twitter is actually a high-powered job search tool? Read on to learn how Twitter can uniquely position you for job-hunting success!
What Can Twitter Do For You?
1. Afford access to other professionals in your field. When you follow industry leaders, you’ll know who spends time with them, what conferences they attend (and what they think of the speakers!), what they’re reading and what is on their minds. This is great information to leverage for your search.
2. Provide exposure and credibility as well as personal and professional relationships when you connect to others in your industry.
3. Offer you a venue to demonstrate your expertise and share information in quick, pithy bursts of wisdom. This is perfect if you don’t have the time or energy to create a blog.
Unique Aspects of Twitter
1. It is casual and immediate and a great place to “meet” informally.
2. You’ll find an array of people on Twitter, including CEOs, top-level executives, hiring managers, recruiters and everyone in-between! It’s one-stop shopping for your networking needs. You’ll be surprised to find that stars in your field (mentors) may follow you if you reach out to them!
3. Unlike Facebook, where it is kind of creepy if you start trying to “friend” people who are connected to your contacts, it is acceptable (and expected) to follow people on Twitter because another friend or colleague does.
4. It forces you to be brief. Coming up with your “Twit-Pitch” – what you have to offer in 140 characters or less – will help you clarify your value proposition. Remember: less is more!
What To Do First?
1. Brand yourself professionally. If you are planning to use Twitter for a job search, set up a designated profile and account. Choose a professional Twitter handle using your name or some combination of your name and profession that sounds good and is easy to remember. For example, JaneSmith or MarketingExpertJane.
2. Take time to create a professional profile that will attract your target market. If you don’t have a website, link to your LinkedIn profile.
3. Before you follow anyone, start posting some tweets! Don’t succumb to the temptation to share your lunch menu…Tweet about an article, an idea or share a link of professional interest to your targeted followers. Do this for a few days. It may seem strange to be tweeting when no one is following, but you may be surprised to gain an audience before you even try. Once you have a great profile and a set of interesting tweets, start following people in your industry. Aim high! Follow stars – some will follow you back.
4. Continue to build your network by using Twitter Search and Twitter’s Find People tool. Manually review profiles and use Twubble to help you find new people to follow. Use directories such as Twellow and TwitDir. Grow your network slowly – you don’t want to follow 1000 people and have only 30 following you. That makes you look spammy, not professional.
5. Give, give, give! Think about what you can do for others. Don’t blatantly self-promote. Instead, help promote others. “Retweet” (pass along information someone else shared, giving them credit) – you will earn followers and friends this way. Those who know (and like) you will become part of your network and will be willing to help you.
Sustain Your Twitter Network
1. Twitter doesn’t have to be very time-consuming, but if it’s going to be part of your job search strategy, make a point to keep up with it by sending out something useful every day.
2. Read what other people write and respond. Join conversations and start your own.
3. Don’t be afraid to send a message directly to a star in your field. Simply address your tweet to @their Twitter name, and they should receive it. (Be aware that Twitter isn’t 100% reliable, so feel free to try again if you don’t hear back or have reason to believe your message wasn’t delivered).
4. Use the direct message feature if you have a private or personal note. Remember that the recipient may respond publicly, though.
5. Feel free to tweet that you are looking for an opportunity. (See below for a success story!)
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Tweeting!!!!!! (@biojobbblog)
Yahoo jobs pointed me in the direction of an article entitled “22 Secrets HR Won’t Tell You About Getting a Job.” Usually these are so-called fluff pieces but after reading this one, I decided that it was one of the more informative articles on job searching that has appeared on the Internet. Rather then filling up the page with descriptive prose and insightful comments from HR professionals and prospective employers, the authors of the piece use quotes from various individuals involved in the hiring process to reinforce or dispel ideas and myths about job hunting.
The article is divided into three sections: 1) What You Should Know About Resumes; 2) Secrets About The Interview; and 3) Things to Know About Salary Negotiation. Rather then publish them all at once; I will post them in three separate installments so that people at various stages of the job hunting process can read the sections most relevant to them.
What Jobseekers Should Know About Resumes
1. “Once you’re unemployed more than six months, you’re considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don’t want anything to do with you.” –Cynthia Shapiro, former human resources executive and author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know
2. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility
3. “If you’re trying to get a job at a specific company, often the best thing to do is to avoid HR entirely. Find someone at the company you know, or go straight to the hiring manager.” –Shauna Moerke, an HR administrator in Alabama who blogs at hrminion.com
4. “People assume someone’s reading their cover letter. I haven’t read one in 11 years.” –HR director at a financial services firm
5. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Rich DeMatteo, a recruiting consultant in Philadelphia
6. “If you’re in your 50s or 60s, don’t put the year you graduated on your résumé.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina
7. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. So people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm
8. “I always read résumés from the bottom up. And I have no problem with a two-page résumé, but three pages is pushing it.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida* (see footnote)
9. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –Chris Ferdinandi, HR professional in the Boston area
10. “Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.” –Rich DeMatteo
*While this may be true for non-scientists, there is no page limit on CVs. That said, the more concise that you are the better off you will be!
Stay tuned for the next installment; Secrets About the Interview
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
The French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis continues to reorganize and slash jobs in anticipation of its acquisition of Genzyme. Today the company disclosed that it would shed another 700 jobs from its European operations. The job cuts come amid the company’s reorganization of its units in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal Spain, Holland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom (basically the entire EU). The goal is to consolidate and reorganize the 30 European subsidiaries into only 10.
In other news, the Japanese drug maker Eisai announced that it plans on cutting 600 jobs or 20 percent of its US workforce. This announcement comes only one week after the company disclosed that it would trim 900 jobs in the next five years from European and Japanese operations. Impending generic competition for Eisai blockbuster treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, Aricept, is largely responsible for the layoffs. Like most other big pharmaceutical companies there aren’t enough drugs in development pipelines to offset the loss of revenue from generic encroachment on blockbuster brands.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
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According to a post on the Pharmalot Blog, Abbott Laboratories today announced that it will eliminate 1,900 jobs or six percent of its workforce. The company cited its thinning pipeline and the current challenging regulatory environment for the corporate reorganization and downsizing. In other words, we are having trouble getting our new drugs approved and we can’t afford to continue to pay people’s salaries and benefits who aren’t delivering for us. The Pharmalot post didn’t provide specifics on the layoffs. However, Lisa Madden a Delta Pharma Recruiter and BioCrowd member sent me a message and told me that 1,000 of the layed off workers were onsite employees and the remaining 900 were sales reps
Like it or not, this is the new reality for life sciences R&D types, So, if I were a graduate student or postdoc considering a career in the life sciences industry, I highly recommend a well developed and carefully thought out “Plan B.”
Until next time,
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
Over the past few years, life sciences companies have shed over 200,000 jobs. Unfortunately, downsizing at some of these companies may not be over yet. Nevertheless, companies are always looking to recruit new talent to keep up with normal job turnover rates or to replace highly specialized employees whose skills sets are essential to successfully running the business. Because many of these former life sciences employees possessed special or arcane talents and skill sets, advertising for their replacements using conventional methods like job boards and print ad advertising have historically met with limited success. The advent of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have prompted HR professionals and hiring managers at some life sciences companies to test social media as a recruitment tool.
While Facebook may come to mind as the most likely social media tool for this purpose, it isn’t! This is because Facebook is primarily a social, not a professional network like LinkedIn or BioCrowd. Further, despite Facebook’s gargantuan size, the lack of real time interaction coupled with the sheer volume of updates, ads, activities and games at the site render it largely ineffective as a job advertising or recruiting tool.
Twitter, on the other hand, is an ideal medium to advertise jobs and attract new talent. This is because information that is broadcasted on Twitter has the potential to reaches large numbers of persons very rapidly. Moreover, regular Twitter users pay attention to activity on their feeds and like to “retweet” information that they find useful or helpful to their followers. Finally, many Twitter users regularly cull their follower lists to more accurately reflect their interests which suggest that the quality/focus of most follower lists on Twitter far surpasses that of friend networks on Facebook. For example, I manage the @BioCrowd Twitter feed. To that end, I decide who BioCrowd follows and wants to follow. And, not surprisingly, I only follow or allow individuals to follow BioCrowd who are interested or work in the life sciences. Currently, BioCrowd has over 1,300 followers, all of whom work or are involved in some aspect of the life sciences industry. Because, I have intentionally created a highly specialized network of life sciences professionals, the likelihood of a prospective employer finding a “right fit” candidate by tweeting a job ad to the BioCrowd network greatly increases. Further, the ability of Twitter users to direct the job tweet to specific followers or retweet it preserves the longevity of the ad and improves its effectiveness. And, perhaps the best thing about using Twitter as a job announcement platform is that it is free!
The use of social media as a recruiting and retention tool by Fortune 500 companies like American Express, Best Buy and others is not new. However, its use as a recruitment platform by life sciences companies is very new to the life sciences companies. As many you may know, the life sciences industry has been slow to adopt the use of social media. Nevertheless, several companies like Merck (@merckcareers1) and AstraZeneca (@JoinAstraZeneca and @AstraZeneca Jobs) have decided to boldly go where no other pharmaceutical companies have gone before and are beginning to experiment with Twitter as a recruiting tool.
About a year ago, I wrote a post that suggested that social media would be an ideal recruitment and retention tool for most life sciences companies. The fact that a couple of companies are testing this idea suggests that my idea may be a good one!
If you know of other companies using Twitter to recruit new employees, please leave a comment or contact me.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (@BioCrowd)
"I want to know if you're somebody who feels comfortable enough to talk about dumb things that you have done or dumb advice that you have taken. It tells you something about the character of the person."
---Founder and CEO of TheLadders.com, a job search Web site, when asked "What's the most effective question that you use in most interview?"
Despite signs earlier this summer that job cuts at pharmaceutical companies were beginning to slow, it appears that the number of jobs lost in 2010 may come close to the roughly 61,000 pharmaceutical jobs that were eliminated in 2009. This is based on quarterly Job-Cut Announcement Report published by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas.
In past month or so, two big pharma companies, Roche and Novartis, announced that there will be major corporate reorganizations and deep job cuts to reduce spending, increase profits and bolster flagging stock prices.
While things appear to be improving in other parts of the economy, the life sciences industry has been devastated by massive job layoffs in the past three years. Although pharma executives publicly blame the downsizing on the recession, massive R&D units, thinning pipelines and a failure to obtain a sufficient ROI on the huge sums of money poured into new drug development over the past decade are the real reason for the blood letting. Unfortunately, the US job market for life scientists won’t be improving anytime soon; mainly because it is more cost effective for companies to perform R&D and clinical testing in the emerging markets of China, India, Brazil and Russia (BRIC).
The ability of life sciences companies to successfully perform these activities outside of the US is in large part due to the lack of interest by American students in science careers and misguided immigration policies that prevented talented US-trained foreign nationals from remaining in the US after completing their training. This allowed many foreign countries to achieve a critical mass of US-trained life scientists and provide Western life sciences companies with a highly trained and well equipped scientific workforce.
With the holidays approaching, now may be a good time for those of you who work or considering careers in the life sciences industry to re-evaluate or consider alternate career options for life scientists.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
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I frequently tell persons who attend my career development seminars that looking for a job ought to be a fulltime job in itself. Unfortunately, while this may be accurate, it generally is not feasible for many scientists who are working toward an advanced degree working towards an advanced degree (they are suppose to spend all waking hours in the lab). Increasingly, the life sciences job market is becoming extremely competitive and fierce and gainful employment is much harder to come by than any time in the past. And, regrettably, most life scientists—unlike a majority of their non-scientist counterparts—have little or no training to prepare them to conduct even a basic job search.
The lack of emphasis on job searching skills (resume writing, interviewing techniques, etc) for scientists is mainly rooted in an urban legend that asserts that a scientists’ worth (and ultimate employability) is contingent upon the quality of “the science that he or she conducts” or put another way “the quality of one’s science will speak for itself.” This attitude suggests that the ability of a scientist to land a job is based almost exclusively on the quality and number of his/her publications. And, perhaps even more egregiously, scientists are taught to believe that self promotion or attempts to market or brand oneself are abhorrent and strictly forbidden.
Sadly, finding a job in the “real world” requires most jobseekers to develop a strategic plan, network and actively promote themselves to prospective employers. To that end, I found a brilliant and well crafted article by Marat Gaziev entitled “I Asserted Myself, and Got the Job.”
In the article, Gaziev, who is 24 years old and a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist, describes his self-discovered and ultimately pragmatic approach that he used to find a job. He nicely expressed the essence of his discovery in the following passage:
“When I was hunting last summer for a job in search engine optimization, I started by applying for positions advertised on major online job boards. I looked for openings in San Diego, where I was living, and used one résumé. I didn’t research the companies or consider gearing the résumé’s focus toward a particular job.
“I got calls from about five niche e-commerce companies, and all wanted phone interviews. The interviewers would tell me to describe what I did at my existing job, which was also in search engine optimization — how to drive more traffic toward a Web site — and I would tell them. Then they’d pose a hypothetical situation and ask me to respond. I’d answer and wait for the next question. I thought that the more questions I answered well, the better my chances of getting a job. But I never got a callback from any of them.
Looking back, I see what I did wrong. I had an outdated way of thinking about the interview process. I didn’t provide any detail, I didn’t talk about how I saw the industry, and I didn’t offer any tips on how they could improve their online presence. I was doing the bare minimum instead of trying to sell myself.
I guess I thought that I had the qualifications and that the interviewers would see them for what they were. But being passive doesn’t cut it. My capabilities just weren’t coming across. “
Later, he describes how he used his changed attitude and new job seeking approach to ultimately land a job at TMP WorldWide, which ironically is the company that owns Monster.com, the job board where he began his original job search!
Gaziev’s article is a MUST READ for all life scientists who are considering careers outside of academia. I suggest that if you follow Gaziev’s advice, your job search may likely be shorter, less stressful and much more successful!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
With unemployment high and the economy showing little sign of improvement, finding a new job has become increasingly challenging. And, not surprisingly, the types of interview questions that hiring managers are beginning to ask prospective job candidates are becoming more intricate and complex. I found interesting examples of this at the “You’re the Boss” blog sponsored by the New York Times.
In the article, a person who owns a small retail business revealed that he always asks job candidates to describe their most stressful customer experience in previous jobs. The question helps him to ascertain how prospective new employees might cope with difficult situations. Also, it tends to reveals whether or not they speak honestly about their own actions and what their attitudes may be towards customers. Another question that he frequently asks is “Why did you really leave your last job? Were you fired? Did you hate your boss? This is devised to determine whether or not a candidate is being truthful. If the answer is their leaving was “mutual” the owner posits that there is usually more to the story than is being divulged. On the other hand, if the response is “It was time to move on” a follow up question usually is “What does that mean?”
Other examples cited in the post include:
What am I going to hate about you in the next 6 months?
What haven’t I asked that you want me to know about you?
How will we both know in six months that you are succeeding?
Why did you apply for this job?
None of the questions is illegal, improper or out of bounds during a job interview. Consequently, I advise jobseekers to add these new questions to their list of difficult-to-answer interview questions. And, perhaps more importantly, think about legitimate responses to them before your next job interview.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
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Several months ago, I posted an article that suggested that layoffs in the pharmaceutical industry were beginning to slow. Apparently executives at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) didn’t read my blog post (I believe that they have in the past) and today announced that the company will eliminate 840 jobs or 3 per cent of its 28,000 member workforce.
The company says the jobs will be eliminated over the next six months, and the cuts could be spread across all its businesses and geographic locations. A BMS spokesperson indicated that company executives are still reviewing the entire organization to determine which jobs will be eliminated. The new round of layoffs is intended to further streamline the company. Interestingly, BMS purchased Seattle-based Zymogenetics for $885 million two weeks ago.
These cuts coupled with small biotechnology company acquisitions and a recent stock buyback initiative suggests that the company may be positioning itself for sale or merger. BMS’ top selling drug Plavix which represents almost 40 percent of the company’s revenue stream will lose patent protection in 2011.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
It is well established that many scientist are not particularly adept at social interactions and are notoriously poor at networking. Contrary to popular belief these deficiencies are not genetic and likely result from the erroneous notion that scientists don’t need career network to advance their work or careers.
There is no question that face-to-face networking is an acquired skill and that practice is necessary to master it. However, the advent of Google search and social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter permits even the novice jobseeker to establish an online network—in the absence of a real life one—that may be useful in a job search or future career development. To that end, I came across a 2008 post written by Trent Ham that offers insights and tactics on how to incorporate online networking into a successful job search.
Ten Fundamental Steps for Successful Online Career Networking By Trent Hamm
Let’s start with the big question.
Why?
What is the point of doing online networking for your career? How is it any better than simply keeping in touch with people you know via email or at meetings? Isn’t stuff like LinkedIn or Facebook a waste of time, or at least not worth the time you invest in it?
Online networking tools serve two purposes, really.
First, they make it easy for people to find you – or at least find the information about you that you want to be found. Once you set up a proper profile at a social networking site, it’s often the first thing that shows up about you on search engines. Thus, when people go searching for information about you, you can have a lot of control over the information that they find.
Second, they allow you to keep tabs on other people – and allow other people to keep tabs on you. Let’s say, for example, that you’re starting a new project that might interest a lot of people in your field – and you might want input from some of them. Is it easier to collect all their email addresses then send a blanket email to all of them or to just simply update your online networking tool?
Similarly, if you’ve set up such tools properly, you can effortlessly and automatically follow such news and updates about others in your field, which can automatically alert you to any interesting changes without having to hope that that person remembered to send it to you.
Together, these things add up to tons and tons of opportunities to connect with people without having to invest a ton of time continually tracking people down.
Tactic #1: Just Use Google
One problem that many people have with doing this is that there seems to be a giant pile of services available for people to connect to others. Should I use Twitter? Should I use Facebook? Should I use LinkedIn?
Really, though, there’s only one you need to worry about. And that’s Google.
When people want to find other people online, they turn to Google. They type in that name, click on the first few links, and see what they can find out.
That means your focus shouldn’t be so much on which of these services to use. It should be to make sure you’re controlling that top search result on Google.
How can you do that? You need to have a page that’s (a) fully open to the public and (b) linked to by a lot of other people.
Based on what I’ve observed, for professional purposes, the best tool for that is LinkedIn, so if I were just getting started with things, I’d use LinkedIn. Facebook has more users, but it’s a “walled garden,” meaning the general public cannot read your profile. If you’re focusing solely on professional material, that’s actually a pretty big disadvantage.
Tactic #2: Detail Your Profile
When you sign up for such a service, the first step is to add appropriate detail to your profile. The key word here is appropriate.
The purpose for doing this is to attract professional connections, so keep it professional. Describe your career. Enter all of the relevant information and include as much detail as you can, including past places of employment, organizations you’re involved with (that you’d want to share professionally), where you went to school, and so on. Make especially sure to describe your current work (again, in as much detail as you can). Be sure to share it all publicly, too, so that you can easily be found on Google searches.
The more information you provide – particularly interesting information – the more likely it is that people will take an interest in you, follow you, and contact you for further connection, which is exactly what you want.
Tactic #3: Find People You Know (Or Want To Know)
Once you’re in place, start searching the site for people you know and establish connections with them. You may not know anyone – that’s fine – but if you can at least establish a few connections, you’re off on the right foot.
You might want to search whole companies, like your own, just to get a list of people, so you can quickly identify people that you may want to link up with. Don’t be afraid to connect with people above you in rank – or even below you – but focus on connecting to those that might actually have value in that connection. Don’t just connect for the sake of connecting or else you’ll suffer from needless overload.
Tactic #4: Invite Your Friends To Join
So, you signed up at LinkedIn (or whatever site you’ve chosen to use), filled in your profile, and located a few people you know. Now what?
These tools work better if you know lots of people using the tools, so email a bunch of your work contacts. Send them the URL of your LinkedIn page, along with perhaps the URLs of some other people most of them might be interested in, and encourage them to sign up. If people already know that they have at least a few connections in the bag, they’re much more likely to sign up for such a service.
Tactic #5: Keep People Reminded Through Other Means
Once you’re established there, make an effort to remind people through other mediums about your profile page, so they can follow you, too. I’d encourage you to stick a link to your profile in the signature of your emails as well as into the profile of any other online services you might use (like Facebook, for example).
What this does is it gives people many opportunities to visit your page and keep you in their mind – and that’s a pure benefit for you.
Tactic #6: Keep An Eye Out
Once you’ve established a profile and a lot of connections, it’s worth setting your basic page on the site as a bookmark so you can keep up with what’s happening with the people you’re connected to. I tend to look at what’s happening with my connections on various sites every other day or so, just to keep tabs with them.
For the most part, I don’t do anything with the updates – I just try to keep track of them. I usually send congratulations in response to big news and occasional follow-up questions, but I usually try to avoid too much follow-up (see #8 for why).
Tactic #7: Update Regularly
I also make an effort to update my own profile whenever there’s something significant to note. Whenever something happens that’s significant enough for me to wish to contact people professionally, I make sure to update any relevant social networking pages with a global update (so that everyone can see it and anyone who follows me or is connected is alerted to it).
Of course, there’s a fine line here – too much stuff can overburden the people connected to you. To mitigate that, I keep the update count down to the serious stuff – things that I would actually bother to contact others about, such as major project changes, changing jobs, the birth of a child, or another major event.
Tactic #8: Don’t Get Bogged Down
Ideally, you find yourself in a situation with a lot of connections, which means a lot of people are keeping tabs with what you’re doing. The danger in that is that it’s tempting to get involved in a lot of conversations – and that turns the social networking tool into an unproductive time suck.
My suggestion: avoid long conversations on the site. If you see something truly compelling, contact that person directly off the site. If it’s not compelling enough move on and don’t waste your time!
Tactic #9: Add Value
There is one other reason I add updates to such social sites, and that’s when they add direct value to the people following me. If I find a truly great resource or piece of information that many others in my field will find valuable, I add an update letting others know about it.
Why do this? Why share something of value so easily? If you share truly valuable things, people will come to ascribe value to you – and that will stick in their minds. Do it regularly enough with stuff that’s truly valuable and people will share valuable things with you – information, important news, and so on.
Tactic #10: Follow Up
Most of these tactics don’t require much time, and so it can be easy to just put up the profile, check in every once in a while, and not think about it.
If you just do that, however, you may miss out on opportunity. Thus, I’d suggest two methods for regular follow-up on your profile.
First, set the site as a default page in your browser. This way, checking the page becomes part of your normal routine. You can often integrate a number of pages into a single iGoogle start page – that’s the tactic I use.
Second, check your own profile regularly and make sure it’s updated. Don’t let it slag with out-of-date information. Check it once a month or so and make sure that correct, current, and relevant information is easily found by people searching for you.
Follow these ten tactics and you’ll be using online networking to great career advantage.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Networking (try it, you may like it)
I counsel a large number of foreign students as part of my career development activities. Over the years, I learned that questions regarding a job candidate’s personal information like nationality, religion, marital status etc are permissible and perfectly legal in countries other than the US. Consequently, I decided that it may be instructive for job candidates to learn what questions are acceptable and those that are not during a face-to-face interview for positions at US companies.
Much of the information presented in the post was gleaned from an article written by Porcshe Moran of Yahoo Finance.
The following are examples of illegal questions that SHOULD NEVER be uttered by interviewers during a US job interview.
1. How old are you?
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), protects individuals who are 40 or older from being discriminated against in the workplace in favor of younger employees. There is no federal protection in place to protect workers younger than 40 from age discrimination. To determine if you are legally eligible to perform a job, employers are allowed to ask if you are over the age of 18.
2. Are you married?
Questions about marital status are prohibited. Employers might be tempted to ask this question to find out if your relationship could have a negative impact on your work. For example, if you are married you might be more likely to leave the company if your spouse gets a job transferred to a different city. Even a question as seemingly innocent as "Do you wish to be addressed as Mrs., Miss, or Ms.?" is not allowed.
3. Are you a U.S. citizen?
Citizenship and immigration status cannot be used against a potential employee during the hiring process according to The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Employers must wait until after a job offer had been extended to require a worker to complete the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form and submit documentation that proves identity and employment authorization. It is lawful for an employer to ask an interviewee if they are authorized to work in the US.
4. Do you have any disabilities?
This question might seem necessary to determine if a job applicant can perform the required duties, but it is illegal to ask under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Employers cannot discount anyone from a job because of a physical or mental disability. In fact, the law requires that they accommodate disabilities unless they can prove it would cause significant difficulty or expense to do so. Employers also cannot ask you if you have had any past illnesses or operations.
5. Do you take drugs, smoke or drink?
Concerns about drug, alcohol or nicotine addictions are valid as they can impact an employee's quality of work and the rates of a company's health insurance coverage. However, an employer might find themselves in legal trouble if they don't frame questions about these potential problems in a careful manner. They are allowed to ask if you have ever been disciplined for violating company policies about the use of alcohol and tobacco products. They can also ask directly if you use illegal drugs, but an employer can't inquire about your use of prescription medications.
6. What religion do you practice?
Inquires about religious beliefs are a sensitive issue. An interviewer might be curious for scheduling reasons such as holidays that an employee might need off, or if the candidate will be unavailable to work on weekends because of religious obligations. It is illegal to intentionally discriminate against an employee or harass them based on their religious beliefs. Employers are required to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices in regards to things such as dress and grooming policy and flexible scheduling.
7. What is your race?
There is no situation in which questions about an employee's race or skin color should be use to determine their eligibility for a job. This protection is granted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Employers are permitted to ask an employee to reveal their race on a voluntary basis for affirmative action purposes.
8. Are you pregnant?
Questions about family status tend to affect women the most, but they can also pertain to men in certain situations. Employers might have concerns about an employee taking time off work for pregnancy leave or not having child care arrangements during work hours.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act states that an employer cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy, because of a pregnancy-related condition, or because of the prejudices of co-workers, clients or customers.
It is, however, lawful for employers to ease their nerves about an employee's availability or commitment to a position by asking about long-term career goals or the ability for an employee to work overtime and travel.
Click the link common interview questions for other examples of some questions that should not be asked.
The Bottom Line
It is important to know your rights as an employee. Unlawful questions are not acceptable on applications, during the interview process or in the workplace. Although improper questions by employers might be simple mistakes, they could also be intentional cases of discrimination.
While it is good to know your “rights,” I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you may be asked these questions during a job interview. Whether or not you respond to the question(s) is up to you. However, if the personal questions that are asked make you uncomfortable, let the interviewer know as professionally as possible that he/she is treading in dangerous territory. After the interview is over, you may want to contact the company’s Human Resources department to report the incident so that future job candidates may avoid similar unpleasant and illegal experiences.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
Looking for a job can be overwhelming, time consuming and emotionally draining. Recognizing this, BioCrowd founders Cliff Mintz and Vincent Racaniello began searching for a tool that would help to reduce the pain associated with looking for a job. To that end, BioCrowd in association with Career Management Source, Inc— an emerging, life sciences recruiting management software company —are pleased to announce the launch of the BioJob Center at the BioCrowd.
The BioJob Center offers both job seekers and employers ‘real time,’ current job listings, application tracking, and e-mail job alerts. Job seekers can search for jobs (based on job title and/or location) and directly apply for them from the job center.
Employers can list job openings; advertise jobs; call out ‘hot jobs’ or search candidate resume databases. Jobs posted to the BioJob Center are also simultaneously listed on other job sites including www.JobJobHealth.com and Twitter Jobs. Other job boards and sites will be added in the near future.
The search engine that powers the job center was specifically designed to automatically ‘pull’ thousands of job listings from life sciences corporate websites, bioscience job boards and other sources. Job search results are updated in real time and positions that have already been filled are automatically eliminated from search results. This feature prevents job seekers from wasting time applying for jobs that no longer exist!
Job seekers can post their resumes and join the BioJob Center for free! One of the cooler features of the new tool is customized candidate e-mail alerts. Job seekers who use this feature receive alerts when new jobs (that meet specifications) are posted to the BioJob Center or added in real time by the search engine. This helps to save time by avoiding multiple visits to job boards and conducting an endless number of Google searches.
Whether you are a job seeker or employer, Vincent and I believe that the BioJob Center will help to expedite and alleviate some of the stress associated with job searches.
Please visit the BioJob Center today and let us know what you think! Also, those of you who may have suggestions, ideas, kudos, kvetches, etc please feel free to contact me!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
We are now three years into one of the worst economic downturns in the history of the US. While the job market will eventually recover, don’t expect things to be the “way they were” before the recession. In other words, the job market has undergone a paradigm shift and new job seeking rules have replaced the old ones.
To that end, I recently found an article written by Liz Wogemuth of US News and World report entitled “5 Strategies for Surviving the ‘New Normal’ Job Market.” The post is well crafted and offer fresh insights into the new rules and behaviors that ought to help guide job seekers for the foreseeable future.
They are:
1. Be patient
These days, companies are slower to invest and slower to hire. Even rockstar employees will have to work harder to convince companies to bankroll ambitious projects. "For those people who do have the big idea, [return on investment] is going to be absolutely critical," says Brad Karsh, president of JB Training Solutions, a management and business skills training firm. Given their extreme uncertainty about the near future, companies will likely be more amenable to making an investment that pays off in seven months than one that pays off in seven years.
Most companies are also no longer doling out annual raises or annual promotions, which mean workers, need to be patient about advancement in earnings and position. One thing that's slowing down the process: Upper executives aren't moving around as much as they used to. "It used to be you'd lose 25 percent of your [vice presidents] every year, let's say, because they'd go to other companies or start their own," Karsh says. "Well, more people are like, 'I don't want to leave.'" Even top employees are turning down offers from outside companies because they fear taking a risk on a new employer in such an uncertain economy, Karsh says.
Workers who are on the market should be prepared for a longer interview process. Companies are increasingly asking candidates to interview with multiple people at the company and asking them to return for multiple rounds of interviews. "One thing I tell people is, 'don’t take this personally,'" Karsh says. "It's just a function of the economy." Even though the process can be grueling and frustrating, it's critical that job seekers stay fresh and enthusiastic--still smiling and prepared with questions at the eighth interview. Some may be frustrated with companies that can't make a decision, perhaps feeling that the company is giving them the runaround. Employers need to be forthright with candidates about their plans, capabilities, and timetable, Karsh says.
2. In your job search, take the time to tailor
Some job seekers are applying to hundreds of jobs, but if inundated hiring managers can't easily spot the relevance of your experience to the position they're filling, they'll breeze right past. Career expert Ellen Gordon Reeves often speaks to groups of job seekers and says she is still finding that many people are not presenting themselves well--making no effort to tailor their resumes and cover letters to the jobs they are applying to. "Everybody fears rejection, so they don't really pitch themselves," Reeves says. Her advice: Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes. Imagine what you would think of your resume if you were hiring for this position. Would the job experience listed look relevant to you? If not, spend some time recasting your work history and your skills. "Write for the job you want, not the jobs you've had," Reeves says. If you're doing this well, with your resume and cover letter, it should take at least a day (if not more) to apply for a single position. But it's so much more effective than blindly submitting your resume that it's worth the time it takes.
3. Leverage your relationships to find openings
Unfortunately, many job openings are impossible to find with your computer. Companies are skipping posting openings online so they can fill positions without scavenging through the onslaught of (often ill-matched) resumes. A new survey from ExecuNet found that companies and executive search firms are posting fewer executive position openings online this year. Firms said that only 22 percent of positions paying $200,000 or more are being posted on job boards or websites, compared with 30 percent in 2008 and 24 percent last year. In a different survey of recruiters, 92 percent reported that they believe in a "hidden market" for executive positions. Recruiters are relying more on their networks, as well as searching internal databases and doing their own research.
4. Look to add value constantly
As an employee, whether you're bringing in new money or you're saving money, you need to be adding value monetarily, Karsh says. "If you work in sales and you can say, 'I increased my client list by 25 percent, I increased my sales by 50 percent,' that's the sort of thing that employers are looking for right now--anything that can affect the bottom line," Karsh says. "If you're not in sales, you can affect it by saving the company money." Find savings opportunities by refining a process, or even suggesting a cheaper way to, say, buy or use office supplies. One tip: Put your suggestions in an E-mail so you are sure to get credit for them.
5. Find fresh advice
There are a lot of people in the world offering career advice better suited for the job market of the previous decade. In this markedly different economy, old advice may very well cause damage. Sometimes the changes are minor, but they can make you look out of touch. For example, adding the line "References available upon request" can make your resume or cover letter look out of date. "It goes without saying that your references are available upon request," says management consultant and U.S. News contributor Alison Green. "It would be really odd if they were not."
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!
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Although the economy is in the toilet and unemployment remains high, highly skilled and ambitious employees are usually not at risk of losing their jobs. In fact, these employees are highly sought after and frequently contacted by recruiters trying to get them to “jump ship.” In other words, there will always be jobs for these employees even though the rest of us may be unemployed. Companies clearly recognize the value of these employees and will use all available strategies to retain them.
During good economic times, this usually means a promotion and a concomitant salary increase. However, during recessionary times companies tend to promote these “good” employees into position with greater authority without a pay raise: the assumption being that tacking on a fancy new job title with some added responsibilities will be sufficient to stroke an employee’s ego and ignore the lack of additional compensation for a larger workload.
To that end, the folks over at the online masters degree website recently posted an article entitled Job Title Stuffing 101: 12 Buzzwords to Inflate a Job’s Importance. It is a veritable tutorial on inflated job titles and the one that you ought to avoid (see below) if possible.
1. Manager: This title may be given to anyone and everyone who ever heads up a project or department, no matter how large or small. It’s used to give slight leverage to the person in charge of the task at hand, but can mean little to the project manager’s supervisors. Because many companies push team creativity, the manager is primarily responsible for turning things in and will be the one to hear about if the boss isn’t satisfied
2. Strategist: A strategist of any type simply means you plan tasks and have some idea of how these tasks are most efficiently executed. For example, in the case of a content strategist, it means you create and organize the content of a newsletter, website, or blog. Is the job important? Sure. But for some reason content strategist sounds a lot more impressive than web editor. You take your pick, but if the former is going on your resume, you better deliver.
3. Deputy: In the age of the Internet, there’s a deputy for many jobs. What does this mean? Well, it means you aren’t quite a junior or an assistant, but the company doesn’t have the funds to pay you like they would someone with the actual title. An example is an editor-in-chief versus a deputy editor. One issuse that you may run into being a deputy of any sort is more on your plate than you bargained for. But you’re the deputy, so you can handle it, right?
4. Senior: Companies love to tack this one onto a title. Senior web writer or senior designers are common for firms. What does this senior title translate to? Anyone with 5+ years of experience in a field and still utilizing those skills can serve as a senior, usually without the pay or responsibilities of management. Simply put – you do your job well, but the buck stops here.
5. Producer: This one has become popular for the web. Web producer pops up on many mainstream blogs and sites. A producer can wear many hats, and for a company that means more bang for their buck. Sure, you will be producing content, but expect handling anything the project throws your way even if it isn’t in the job description (and there’s a solid chance it won’t be)..
6. Supervisor: Like managers, this title can be hit or miss. For large corporations that have had to cut back and eliminate lower level management, pawning the title of supervisor off on an entry level employee who’s been in their cubicle for six months means having someone in the office to make sure things run well without having to douse them in a raise. There are some supervisors who are able to oversee a small department, but ultimately are not the first in command for their subordinates.
7. Ambassador: This job title buzzword is almost an insult to the actual word! In the age of promoting, you know, everything, the job title of brand ambassador is given to celebrities in a niche group that endorse the product sometimes without appearing in ads. This person is contracted by the company or simply receives perks and free services from the brand. They often do little more than show up at launch parties and events and plugs the company as needed. For Channel, The Misshapes Leigh Lazar serves as a brand ambassador and for AT&T, there’s Internet has-been Justine. The problem with brand ambassadors is often large corporations are the last to discover the new face of a niche audience.
8. Professional: A friend says that anytime you have to tack the word professional onto your job title, you must not have a real job. This is up for debate, but let’s take a look at a couple of titles that utilize the word. How about professional organizer? Or records distribution professional? By the way, the latter is the new uppity name for mail room clerk. Yes, even those fresh out of college need an inflated job title. Professional used to mean you had proper training for whatever you do, now it means you are paid some type of wage for what you do, no matter how little that is or the responsibility it entails.
9. Consultant: Who knows what you do with this title. It can mean you directly fix problems, as in the case of IT consultants or it can mean you merely offer your advice, in the case of interior design consultants. Many consultants bring in the big bucks and are contracted by major corporations, but many others work for themselves and struggle to get by. While this title isn’t necessarily inflated, it doesn’t really give the total picture of what you’re hired to do either (which you may prefer).
10. Vice President: Somewhere in the past decade, a lot more vice presidents have shown up to the company picnic. Instead of having a manager of ____, that job became VP of Public Relations or VP of Human Resources. It means second-in-command, in that department and not much more. There used to be only one
VP per company, but we’re guessing the more, the merrier, even if it is job title inflation in its boldest form.
11. Global: Even a mom-and-pop shop can have a Global Director of Communications. It can be mom, working from the family’s dry cleaning business to update the company’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Many companies are employing social media personnel and since a lot of these companies indeed do business around the world, why not stick the word global onto the job title of someone who represents your business to the world? It makes the job sound more exciting and may get you onto someone’s Follow Friday!
12. Lead: The word lead in a job title can mean a lot or a little. In some cases, it means you are heading up an operation, but in most cases it means the company is utilizing you for your skills and maximum potential without proper pay. Some companies use this title as a stepping stone between entry level and a lower management position to see if someone is ready for the next tier of responsibilities.
While promotion without compensation is not novel, it is rampant in today’s uncertain economic times. A word of advice: if you are being considered for a promotion, the first thing that I would ask is whether or not the promotion comes with a pay increase. If not, you ought to think twice about accepting the promotion and call the recruiters back who are trying to lure you away to a competitor’s company. Accepting a position with increased responsibility without a pay raise sends a signal to management that you can be exploited and taken advantage of. And, management will likely continue to exploit you until you call that recruiter back who tells you that a person with your title and level of responsibility can earn much more at a competitor company! That begs the question: Is job title inflation without compensation really a good way to promote employee retention? I think not!
Hat tip to onlinemastersdegree.org
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
There is no question that interviewing is an art and that experienced job candidates may have a leg up on more junior candidates seekers when it comes to face-to-face (F2F) job interviews. That said, there is a commonly held belief among job seekers that hiring managers frequently ask silly, “bonehead” and irrelevant questions during F2F interviews. Examples of these frequently asked questions include “What are your strengths and weaknesses” and “Tell me how you overcame adversity or a difficult situation at work.”
During a talk that I give on interviewing tips and insights, I usually make light of these and related questions and warn would be job seekers to be prepared for them during F2F job interviews. However, while I poke fun at these seemingly silly questions, responses to them are growing in importance in decision to determine whether or not to extend offers to job candidates. This is because during recessionary times employers have to be more judicious about the qualifications, skills and personalities of the persons that they hire. After all, jobs are few and far between at most companies and hiring managers want to insure that they derive the maximum benefit from all new hires.
A good example of what goes into hiring decisions these days can be found in an article entitled “Hearing the Right Notes From a Job Candidate" written by Carl Diehl a co-owner of a franchised exercise company. In the article, he describes the interviewing and hiring criteria that he used to hire a person into an entry level position at his company. Much to my surprise the final hiring decision almost exclusively hinged on the response to the question “What do you consider to be the dark side or major weakness of your personality?” As Mr. Diehl aptly stated:
This type [of question] focuses on performance and accomplishing tasks, but can be oblivious to the emotional needs of themselves and others. Obviously, an awareness of this kind of flaw is very significant in business as well as in personal relationships.
Most of the applicants did not have a clue about what I was looking for when I asked about that “dark side.” The two finalists, however, told me that while people with this personality type might be very hard-working and results-oriented, they could also be unaware of the effects of their actions and words on other people. That demonstrated the kind of emotional maturity I was seeking.
Also high on his list were, energy, creativity and problem solving skills. I highly recommend those of you who are actively seeking employment to read the article. It will definitely help in your job search and prepare for your next F2F job interview.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
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There are signs that the economy is improving and that unemployment levels have dropped from a high of 10.1 % to current levels which are hovering around 9.5 %. While this is good news, job cuts continue at many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as drug candidates fail in clinical trials and technological advances make certain employees dispensable.
Yesterday, Johnson and Johnson announced that it would layoff 300 of 400 employees who work at the Fort Washington, PA plant that was responsible for the recent Tylenol brouhaha and recall. According to a post on the Pharmalot blog:
”The employees are being let go because it is not clear when the plant will operate again. A J&J spokeswoman says the “best estimate” is the middle of 2011. It isn’t clear at this point whether or not any McNeil executives who oversaw operations at the troubled facility will also be shown the door."
In other news, Adolor, a Pennsylvania-based specialty drug maker, announced yesterday that it was laying off 30 workers or 30 per cent of its workforce to preserve capital and advance its opioid bowel dysfunction clinical development program through proof-of-concept studies in 2011. Also on Friday, the company stated in a press release that two new drug candidates it was developing with Pfizer to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis did not work better than a placebo in a Phase II clinical trial involving 400 patients. The company has one drug on the market, Entereg, a treatment that helps restore bowel function in adults who have undergone bowel re-section surgery. Earlier in the week, GlaxoSmithKline, which co-developed Entereg, scaled back its relationship with Adolor.
Finally, Eli Lilly & Co told its employees that it plans to cut 340 information technology jobs in 2010. Most of the cuts will take place in Indiana (Lilly’s corporate headquarters is in Indianapolis). The company has 1,350 information technology employees nationally. Earlier this year, Lilly has said it will eliminate 5,500 jobs by the end of 2011 to save $1 billion.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
Whenever I do resume critiquing at scientific meetings, someone always asks about how to negotiate a job offer. Most of the people that ask the question aren't even close to receiving a job offer and I do my best to deflect the question. However, at a recent meeting, I spent 30 minutes with a PhD student who had received an offer advising him on how to get a better deal from his prospective new employer. This got me thinking and I invited Joe Tringali, a veteran recruiter with lots of negotiating experience to write a blog post about strategies and things to consider when negotiating a job offer.
The "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Negotiating a Job Offer
by Joe Tringali
Invariably, the topic of salary negotiations in the interview process makes its way to the surface and, as a seasoned professional recruiter, I have a few thoughts that I would like to share with jobseekers. During the course of my almost 30 year career, I have work as a traditional “headhunter” and also as on onsite contract recruiter for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, shifting gears and mindset as warranted by the particular client and the task at hand. In other words, I have been on both sides of the negotiating table either on behalf of a job candidate or a client company.
Fundamentally, job seekers need to understand the “economics” surrounding their search; who—the candidate or employer—has the most leverage in the relationship? Is there more demand than there is supply for a candidate with a specific set of skills or is there an excess of talent allowing an employer to choose the absolute best candidate for job. That said, consider the following:
A candidate who has received an offer can always try to negotiate to see how far they can push the employer. As a rule of thumb, the initial offer that is proffered is usually not the best offer and if you aren’t satisfied with it, try and negotiate for a better deal. If you ask and you don’t get what you want, the initial offer will likely still stand but you won’t have any regrets or say to yourself “I should have asked” if you eventually accept the offer. On the other hand, if the offer IS negotiable, it’s most likely only negotiable within a finite range. To that end, you must “come to the table” knowing your worth and what the compensation and benefits standards are for comparable positions in the industry. Rest assured that the prospective employer is at least as prepared as you are (usually more so) when it comes to negotiating offers. After all, most companies have dedicated compensation departments that spend a good portion of their workweek establishing fair compensation ranges. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ask and attempt to negotiate, but simply that you must temper your expectations and not “expect the world.” Typically, employers are limited with what is negotiable in an offer. Things that are typically not negotiable are base salaries and healthcare and financial benefits. Other things like vacation time, sign on bonuses, relocation costs etc are. The reasons why base salary and benefits are not negotiable are because companies try to maintain internal equity among its employees.
When to negotiate? The obvious answer is to negotiate from a position of strength—when a formal offer has been extended (but never before). The offer signals that a company “wants you” and the candidate ought to consider the offer as it stands. Assuming the offer is fair (and the candidate SHOULD know his/her worth as part of the search process), accept it and move on with your career. Should you feel it isn’t quite up to par based on your understanding of your skills and marketplace demand, you might consider a conversation that sounds something like the following:
“I’m thrilled to receive the offer and am trying to find a way to make this work for both parties. My understanding of the market ( from online research, university career services, friends with similar experience, in similar roles, in similar geography, is that an offer of 2k more might be more in line. IF there is any way you can bump the offer up by 2K, I will accept it and start on XXX date”
In other words, you are offering something back (acceptance/start date) in exchange for a possibly bump in the offer (most companies want you to start sooner rather than later). The worst case is that the employer comes back and says they cannot do any more with regard to compensation. Depending upon your assessment of the situation, you might then try to negotiate additional vacation days or an increase in relocation costs to offset the $2K that you need to feel comfortable to accept the offer. If the answer is still no, the original offer stands until you either accept or reject it—the decision is yours. Generally speaking, most offers are fair and in the range you might expect given your background and years of experience in the industry. But, only you can determine whether or not an offer is right for you. Ultimately, that decision ought to be based on compensation requirements, job responsibilities, geography, and whether or not an offer will meet your needs at this particular time in your life.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
Joe Tringali is a Principal with Tringali & Associates, Inc., a recruitment consulting practice based in Manchester, New Hampshire. He has over 30 years of progressive experience in the field of Human Resources and is particularly well-qualified in the design and implementation of creative staffing programs and executive search practices within the Life Sciences. Some his clients include Pfizer, Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Biogen Idec, Genzyme , TKT/Shire , Harvard University and Infinity Pharmaceuticals.
Under ideal circumstances, job interviews can be very stressful and emotionally draining. After all, how you perform on a job interview will likely determine whether or not you get an offer for a position. Unfortunately, unless you are an experienced jobseeker, who has has participated in many job interviews, you will likely be taken by surprise at your next one. To that end, the following tips, when adhered to, will likely help to reduce your stress level at your next job interview and possibly increase your chances of getting a job offer.
Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. That said, the more job interviews that you go on, the more experienced you will become and the more job offers you will likely receive.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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.
Printing the Cards
Once you've settled on a basic idea for your business card, it's time to head to the printer. There are four primary considerations when ordering business cards:
Weight. Most business cards are printed on 80-pound cover stock.
Finish. Of the three available-smooth, linen and laid-the smooth finish is the most popular.
Color. Right now, two-color cards predominate. If you're selecting from a catalog, there are between five and 15 standard colors to choose from. If you have another ink color in mind, your printer can show you a Pantone Matching System book, which includes every shade under the sun.
Quantity. It generally pays to print more cards rather than fewer, because the printer's cost is primarily in the setup.
Using Your Business Cards
After you have made all of the above mentioned decisions and identified a printer who will print the cards as cheaply as possible, your next task is to give your card to as many people as you can! A good way to promote business card usage is to leave the original box that your cards came in, in a highly visible location. Nobody likes spending money for nothing!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The advent of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter Linked-In and MySpace (does anyone still use it?) have taken the concept of "networking" to new levels. However, is sitting in front of computer thanking people for adding them to their friend's list really what networking is suppose to be about? I think not!
Networking in its most meaningful and seminal form is about interacting with others " in real time" and in "face to face" situations. Yes, I know it takes time and energy to get from in front of that computer screen, but we humans are social creatures and for the most part (with few exceptions) we all crave real-live human contact. So what is the deal about networking and how is it really done?
One of the first things that a person who is interested in networking must do is to design and print about 500 business cards. Yes, it will take time and some cash to accomplish this, but without a business card nobody who you meet will remember you. Business cards ought to contain your name and all of your contact details and provide some basic information about you, i.e. PhD.D. , job title etc. Adding some graphics or design details are a plus if they are done tastefully and do not detract from you as a candidate.
Like most scientists, the questions that I enjoy the most have simple answers. Black or white is much easier to deal with than shades of gray (although shades of gray can be titillating from a research perspective). With this in mind, the answer to my question about online job searches is a shade of gray rather than black or white. It goes without saying, that applying for jobs online is simple, facile, and extremely gratifying. On a given day, you can apply for thousands of jobs and feel like you have done something positive for your future.
However, after you come out of your computer-induced blissful state,I want you to remember that tens of thousands of people have also done the same thing that you just did! Just think of those billions of bytes of information being transmitted to all of those websites. It is a wonder that the job boards never crash from traffic overload. Do you ever wonder why you rarely hear back from employer regarding the positions that you applied for? Have you ever thought about who reviews all of the resumes and cover letters that you and your colleagues send to job board and corporate websites? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is straightforward and obvious data management/recruiting software.In other words, humans rarely look at any of the stuff that you send to their sites.
Typically, resumes are reviewed by computers and if your resume does not contain the appropriate "key words" your chances for that job are remote. Consequently, I do not recommend that you use the internet exclusively to look for that new job. Nothing beats the tried and true method of networking and hitting the pavement to meet as many people as you can who you think can help you find a job. However, there is a light at the end of the job tunnel...at least for the more mature and experienced job seekers out there.
As I like to remind my younger colleagues, "What we old guys lack in stamina we make up for with expertise"! All kidding aside, many of the jobs posted on the major job boards are placed there by professional recruiters. These recruiters are "trolling" for individuals with prior job experience (and a few gray hairs) because today's employers want job candidates with "previous industrial experience". Also, the longer you have been around, the more skills that you acquire which gives you more flexibility with regard to the different types of jobs that you can apply for.
So, in a nutshell, if you have a few years of "real life" job experience under your belt, I highly recommend that you take advantage of any online job opportunities that are consistent with your skills and areas of expertise. If you do not have any prior job experience, I recommend that you spend more time on Facebook or Twitter rather than wasting your time on Monster!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
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BioJobBlog and Career Management Source, a producer of online applications for streamlining job searching and hiring, have teamed to create BioCareers, a life sciences job board and career center. For job candidates, BioCareers offers real time job listings, application tracking, and e-mail job alerts. Employers can post jobs, advertise jobs, search resume databases and have jobs listed on other jobs like Job Job-Job Health and Twitter jobs.
The search engine that powers BioCareers automatically pulls life sciences jobs in real time and updates job searches when positions are filled or new ones become available. Candidates can search for jobs by location or job title. One of the nicer features of BioCareers is candidate e-mail alerts when new jobs are posted or added in real time by the search engine.
I have been looking for a dedicated life sciences jobs search engine and career management solution for the past 10 years. I stumbled upon the Career Management Source platform quite by accident but I am glad that I did. And, the best part of the deal was that I didn’t have to do any of the work—the design, setup and implementation was completed by Career Management Source representatives.
You can test the BioCareers search engine capabilities by conducting a job search using the widget found in the BioJobBlog sidebar (look left). If you are interested in viewing and checking out the BioCareers website please click here.
For those of you, who may be interested in adding a career center to your blog or website, please visit www.JobJobHealth.com or e-mail Career Management Source or call 888-865-8914.
Until next time..
Good Luck and Good Job Searching!!!!!!!!
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While the layoffs at pharma and biotech companies continue, the good news is that fewer jobs are being lost in 2010 as compared with 2009. Despite the massive loss of R&D and sales and marketing jobs, many life sciences companies are beginning to hire again. In general, job opportunities at emerging growth public biotech and venture-backed start-ups appear to be growing while those at big pharma and big biotech are stagnant or shrinking. Specifically companies are looking to hire:
A quick perusal of the list indicates that most of these jobs are not traditional science-related jobs and many may require additional training and expertise; especially in business. That said, now may be a good time to re-evaluate whether or not a MBA may be in your future.
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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The expanding European financial crisis is forcing drug makers to continue to explore ways in which to cut costs. Faced with budget deficits amid a global economic crisis, European countries such as Germany, France and Greece have cut or plan to cut their health-care spending. Greece last month ordered drugmakers, including France’s largest drug maker Sanofi-Aventis, to cut prices by 3 percent to 27 percent to help rescue its economy.
Not surprisingly, Sanofi Aventis responded by announcing new job cuts and more stringent cost control measures. Yesterday, Sanofi’s Chief Financial Officer announced at an analyst meeting in Los Angeles that “We are restructuring. We are changing our marketing model. We are merging sales forces, we are reducing sales forces, having a multiproduct sales force. We will continue to do that.” Most of the job cuts and cost saving measures will come at the expense of sales and marketing personnel. The size of pharmaceutical R&D and sales and marketing workforces have been devastated over the past three years with over 200,000 employees losing their jobs.
Sanofi-Aventis Chief Executive Officer Chris Viehbacher, who joined the company in 2008, shut or sold plants and canceled the least promising research projects in a bid to trim 2 billion euros ($2.46 billion) in costs. These actions, coupled with the most recent restructuring efforts were enacted to ensure 2013 earnings are at least equal to 2008 profit. Like most other big pharma companies, Sanofi has been looking to emerging markets and consumer products for new income as competition from generic drugs hurts sales. The anti-clotting drug Plavix which is Sanofi’s largest selling drug generating over $4.0 billion annually will lose patent protection in 2011-2012. Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi’s marketing partner for Plavix in the US, also exceeded $4.0 billion in sales last year.
Sanofi also announced today that it acquired the assets of Montreal-based Canderm Pharma, Inc a consumer products company for $1.9 billion signaling its intention to aggressively enter the North American consumer healthcare products markets.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
Now that the economy is improving and the job market is loosening up a bit, the likelihood of a face-to-face job interview is increasing. The folks over at Best Online Colleges recently sent me a post about common mistakes made during job interviews and how to avoid them. While some of the proffered suggestions and tips overlap with some of my own, there are several that are new and novel and worth considering.
Like most other things in life, practicing your interviewing skills will improve your performance and increase the probability of receiving a job offer. That said, take a look the list and see whether or not you can avoid these oft time embarrassing mistakes during your next face-to-face.
Hat tip to Best Online Colleges!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
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There is ample anecdotal evidence to suggest that using social media tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook may help to improve your chances of landing a new job. For example, a recent article that appeared in Time Magazine recounts the story of an individual who lost and subsequently found a job in 11 days using a job search strategy based exclusively on social media. While social media tools are still evolving, social media has become part of the fabric of every day modern life. Therefore, it makes sense that social media may be useful when using it to find a job.
In previous posts on this blog, I recommended using a variety of social media strategies when conducting a job search. However, like any other technology tools, if social media is not not used or managed correctly it may backfire and give you less than anticipated results. To that end, the folks over at Online Degree send me a post entitled “The 10 Worst Social Media Mistakes that Will Prevent You from Landing a Job.”
Although some of the tips and ideas may be obvious to some, many jobseekers have little or no understanding of what is acceptable when conducting a social media or traditional job search. I highly recommend that you heed the advice offered here--it may very well make a difference between gainful employment and living at home with your parents or relatives!
1. Don’t Be That Guy : We all have at least one social media friend who shares him or herself too much. Things like realtors putting up each new listing, every sale a business has, or constant reminders on the same event can be as off putting to an employer as it is to a friend. If using your social media account to promote your work, be thoughtful of other people’s time. Chris Brogan has an excellent rule of one promotional update for every 15 casual ones. Check out his blog for more useful moves.
2. Use it or Lose It : Twitter and other sites are essentially a blank canvas. Don’t let them go to waste by using the same backgrounds and graphics as anyone else. Use the opportunity to showcase photos, art, events, logos, and anything else that will make you stand out. Mashable has a great guide on how and why to create a custom Twitter background. For inspiration, click here to see many successful attempts at creating memorable, yet simple backgrounds.
3. You Can Have Too Many Friends : Too many friends and followers actually can be a bad thing. While real people with real accounts are a plus, the more popular an application becomes, the more likely it is to be subject to hacking. Both Facebook and Twitter have had troubles with phishing such as Zombie and Twply. Gullibility does not make you attractive to an employer. Better to have 100 actual friends/followers, than 200 phony ones, both in social media and IRL.
4. Don’t Down the Updates : So you just got a new gadget and it rocks? Or was the sushi overpriced and stale? Did your kid just do the cutest thing? Now think about if a potential employer wants to read every detail about the above. While short, incisive updates are appreciated and even admired, they can also do the opposite. Have a look at this list to see the worst status updates and delete them before they prevent you from landing a job.
5. Sir Mix-A-Little : With social media becoming more and more popular, you likely have more than one account. While there is nothing wrong with having a Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn account all at once, mixing them can be a problem. In an amazingly well thought out article, Nicky Jameson discusses the pitfalls of mixing social media business and pleasure. If still unsure, check out #10 on this list.
6. Too Little of a Good Thing : Now that you have social media account and know how not to update too much, don’t go the other route. Too few updates can show lack of commitment and general spazziness. Updates that come once a month, or even once a week, can be too few. However, with loads to do and little time to do it in, updates can be challenging. Visit this link to get a guide to FeedMyTwitter. It can auto post pre-written updates on the date, category, and more of your choosing.
7. Drive a Manual : Automatic DM’s may be useful to some people when used correctly, but a misstep can hurt those looking to avoid mistakes. If a prospective employer has the courtesy to follow or friend you, thank them properly. A generic “thank you" is just as insulting as it sounds. Write one yourself, make it personal, and stand out just a little more. This site shows you how to disable Auto DM on Twitter.
8. Spelling Isn’t Just for Bees : Yes, its social media and, yes, there is a certain sense of informality. However, especially if going for a writing or editing job, any spelling or grammar mistake can prevent you from landing it. If your browser has a spell check, use it. Even if it does, don’t turn the spell check in your noggin off even if you’re writing about your favorite restaurant. This article from Scrawlbug lists eight stupid spelling mistakes that happen more often than you think.
9. Spam is for Canned Meat : If someone does check your account, an overload of spam cannot only be off-putting; it can also show that you have little technical knowledge. A potential boss can only assume that you will behave the same and subject the whole office to lottery scams and the like. To prevent from making this social media mistake that will prevent you from landing a job, learn the in’s and out’s of your account. This site is entirely devoted to stopping spam on Twitter.
10. You Got to Keep ‘Em Separated : Love your Facebook, Twitter, etc. accounts and will censor them for no one? Go for it. That’s one of the reasons why the internet invented multiple accounts. Simply use one for all of the professional stuff with your proper name, pictures, messages, and such. All the intimate stuff can appear on another account under the nickname of your choice. Visit this link to see a quick and easy way to set up two accounts on the same computer with no problem.
Hat tip to Onlinedegree.net.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting on Twitter and Facebook
While most life scientists that I know have Facebook pages and profiles on LinkedIn, many fewer don’t use Twitter. Perhaps more troubling, many life scientists who have heard of Twitter aren’t exactly sure what it is. For those of you who may have spent too much time in the laboratory for the past two years, Twitter is a microblogging platform (limit 140 characters) that is taking the social media community by storm. Analysts predict that Twitter may become larger and gain a greater market share than Facebook; but I digress.
Unlike most life scientists, many non-scientist types have tried Twitter and have almost immediately recognized its power and worth. It is extremely useful tool for information dissemination, exchange of ideas, branding, advertising, marketing and business development. The rapid uptake of Twitter by businesses and the lay public has led to the use of the platform to transact business and even to search for a new employment opportunities To that end, I recently received a post from Katina Solomon over at Online College.org. entitled “20 Simple Twitter Tips for Your Job Search.”
While some of the tips are very Twitter-specific, others are very useful when it comes to a job search like # 9 Toot your own horn (something scientists do poorly) or #5 Keep a copy of your resume online on the web or #19 Not broadcasting that you are unemployed.
Read and learn.
I would be interested in talking with folks who have actually used Twitter to conduct a job search that ultimately led to a new job.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Tweeting!!!!!!!
If you would have asked me that question before I became a professional recruiter and hiring manager, I would have suggested that body language plays a minimal role in the success or failure of a face-to-face job interview or business meeting. However, over the years, I have come to realize that body language is extremely important; and it may be the deciding factor in whether or not a job offer is proffered or a business deal is consummated.
To that end, Celina Jacobsen from the Career Overview Blog sent me a link to one of their posts. While much of the post wasn’t germane to life sciences career development, parts of it were spot on with regard to the importance of body language during job interviews and business meetings. With this in mind, I reproduced parts of the post that I think would be useful to BioJobBlog readers for career development insights.
Body Language and the Job Interview
Pay attention to your body language using these tips to ensure you are giving the best impression during a job interview.
Body Language in Business and Career Development
What you say with your body language can convey as much to your business colleagues as your words. Learn how to manage your body language in a business setting to help promote your career.
I hope that you found these tips useful and apply them to your next job interview or business meetings.
Hat tip to CareerOverview.com
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
As a career development professional, I frequently offer job seekers tips on how to conduct a successful job search. However, my views on the topic are mainly derived from a five year stint as a professional recruiter and over 20 years as a job seeker. With this in mind, it may helpful for job candidates to hear the other side of the story; that is, what hiring managers expect from job seekers.
To that end, I found a great podcast (created by an HR professional) that briefly but cogently outlines a hiring manager’s views and expectations of job seekers who are applying and interviewing for positions at her company.
If you want to learn more about job searches, the interviewing process and other job-related topics, I highly recommend that you visit the Secrets of the Job Hunt website. It contains hundreds of podcasts, videos and other information on a plethora of imaginative, career development topics.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
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Roche disclosed in a regulatory filing that it will plans to eliminate 500 positions in New Jersey by the end of this month, related to last year's acquisition of Genentech Inc., and plans to cut another 100 jobs in the state by June. While the cuts were expected after Roche acquired Genentech last year and announced it would move its US headquarters from Nutley, NJ to South San Francisco, it wasn’t clear how extensive the job loses would be. The company is closing down all manufacturing operations at the aging Nutley site.
This is more bad news for the State of New Jersey which has borne the brunt of the pharma downsizing trend that began in earnest about 4 years ago. As many of you may know, New Jersey has the highest concentration of pharmaceutical employees in the US. The loss of pharmaceutical jobs coupled with an enormous budget deficit suggests that it will be many years before New Jersey is able to recover from the economic downturn.
Roche, which had 2009 revenue of about $45.9 billion, employs more than 80,000 people worldwide.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget New Jersey)
By now, most of you have heard at some point or another that networking is critical when it come to trying to land a job. Unfortunately, networking is not an inherited genetic trait and it takes a fair amount of skill (some say art) to develop and excel at it! To make matters worse, most scientists are told and frequently reminded that networking for career advancement is equivalent to shameless self promotion and that “good scientists” generally refrain from doing it. Consequently, most scientists are not good at networking and in some cases shamefully inept.
The advent of social networking sites like BioCrowd, Facebook and others provides an opportunity for scientists to overcome their fear or guilt about networking. More importantly it provides a “safe haven” for scientists who want to avoid the anxiety and pressures of face-to-face networking at live events. While online networking may be a surrogate or substitute for the real thing, if leveraged correctly, it can be used to find and land a job or advance a career.
Surprisingly, the use of social networking by life scientists lags behind that of the general public. After all, many life scientists pride themselves as being on the cutting edge or part of the vanguard pushing new technologies that can be used to “push back the frontiers of science.” Nevertheless, social media and online networking sites have become routine parts of most job searches and both are used by employers and prospective employees alike. To that end, I crafted a Powerpoint presentations that describes the “dos and don’ts” of social media for job searches and career advancement.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
Things are just not going well for Natick, MA-based device manufacturer Boston Scientific. Yesterday, the company announced that it lost $1.1 billion in the fourth quarter this year. The losses mainly stem from the company’s $1.73 billion settlement earlier this month with Johnson & Johnson ending a seven year patent dispute over drug-coated cardiovascular stents. Also, Boston Scientifics’ ill-advised purchase of medical device rival Guidant for $27 billion several years ago hasn’t helped matters.
The company said that it would cut as many as 1,300 jobs or 8 to 10 percent of its workforce to reduce operating expenses. Boston Scientifics’ decision to eliminate jobs follows similar moves made by several of its competitors last year. For example, last spring Medtronic, the largest device firm in the world, said it would eliminate at least 1,500 workers. In August, Minnesota rival St. Jude Medical eliminated 200 positions.
Device makers have seen their sales squeezed by safety recalls of top-selling products and cost cutting measures at hospitals because of the economic downturn. Also, new data suggest that drug-coated stents may not offer the benefits (over bare-metal stents) as previously thought. In fact, some physicians are beginning to reconsider the advantages of stents as compared with other surgical or pharmacologic interventions for certain cardiac patients.
While layoffs at medical devices manufacturers don’t come close to the massive layoffs in the pharmaceutical sector, don’t be surprised if other device manufacturers announce layoffs later this year.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
It goes without saying that the competition for jobs in the life sciences industry is extremely fierce. This means that job candidates must use whatever means possible to differentiate themselves from the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others applying for the same job!
While I have written numerous posts on how job candidates can stand out from their peers, I discovered an insightful article that summarizes my advice in a single post. Like I said, there are no revelations here; just a convenient way to jog your memory as the job search slogs on!
Click here to read the post.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
Despite the announcement late last week in the London Sunday Times that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will eliminate 4000 jobs worldwide, company official are refusing to disclose the number of worker who will lose their jobs in the US. Cuts are expected throughout the US including GSK’s R&D facilities in the Philadelphia, PA area and at its US headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC which employs roughly 5,000 people.
GSK officials typically refuse to share detailed information on how layoffs affect its Triangle work force. Nearly a year ago, the company cut an undisclosed number of workers at a customer response center in RTP. GSK announced a first cost-cutting initiative in October 2007, eliminating thousands of jobs worldwide, and then it expanded that effort in February 2009 with many hundreds losing jobs at it North Carolina facilities in RTP and nearby Zebulon.
This coming Thursday is expected to be pink slip day at GSK.
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget RTP)!!!!!!!
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Britain’s largest pharmaceutical company today announced it plans on slashing 4,000 jobs over the coming months. The bulk of the cuts will be in America and Europe, and are part of the company’s efforts to shift resources away from low-growth territories into parts of the world with greater scope to expand sales, most notably Asia. GSK’s currently employs 99,000 workers worldwide. The reduction in headcount will be combined with a drive to make the company’s research and development more cost-efficient.
While the job losses will not be as severe as those announced last week by its rival Astra Zeneca, they will provide further depressing news for a sector that is fighting to contain costs as it reduces its reliance on big-selling blockbuster drugs, many of whose patents will expire in the next two to three years.
The pipeline of new drugs at GSK is much deeper than at many of its rivals, say industry analysts. The company’s roster of planned launches includes Menhibrix, a vaccine to combat meningitis, and Benlysta (belimumab), a novel, monoclonal antibody treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus that it is co-developing with Maryland-based, Human Genome Sciences. In total, the group has more than 30 products in the advanced stages of development and testing.
While GSK continues to develop new drugs, it has increasingly been turning to emerging markets to find and sustain corporate growth. This has meant that thousands of jobs have already been sacrificed in the West, although the company is adding staff elsewhere. For example, it recently cut 2,000 sales jobs in America but added 1,500 staff in China. Also, GSK’s vaccine division has suffered a few regulatory setbacks with its pneumococcal vaccine Synflorix and its cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix. The loss of market share in these areas has put additional financial pressure on the company.
Like many of its competitors, GSK is looking to other divisions of the company to cover projected losses in the pharmaceutical sector. Recently, GSK has shifted a lot of its attention to its consumer products division, which owns brands such as Lucozade and Ribena soft drinks, Aquafresh and Sensodyne toothpaste, and over-the-counter medicines such as Panadol painkillers and Alli, a weight-loss pill. Analysts predict the division will have raised its annual sales 18% to £4.7 billion. A deal signed last year to increase sales of Lucozade in China has provided the blueprint for how the company would like to develop the consumer healthcare side of its business.
Similarly, last week, Sanofi-Aventis, a French rival, announced a joint venture with Minsheng Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese company, to sell vitamin pills and nutritional supplements. Also, Pfizer recently announced it would bid for the possibility of purchasing the financially-troubled German generics manufacturer Ratiopharm; signaling the possibility that the world's largest branded pharmaceutical manager may be toying with the idea of getting into the generics business.
Late last year I predicted that more pharmaceutical company employees would loss their jobs. Sadly, this prediction has come true. That said, I am surprised at the scope and size of the layoffs that have already taken place in 2010. I suspect that more layoffs are likely in the near future if the economy doesn’t turn around anytime soon.
Hat tip to Ed at the Pharmalot blog!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (try medical devices or biotech)!!!!!!!!
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Just when you thought that holding on to a job couldn’t get any worse, Pfizer formally announced yesterday that it would be eliminating 680 jobs from a combined workforce of 4,500 at two former Wyeth facilities in Pennsylvania. According to a company spokesperson, 450 of the layoffs would come from Collegeville and 230 from Great Valley. They will take effect March 12. Persons affected by the layoffs will each qualify for a separation package that will include severance payments, continued medical benefits, and help finding a new job via outplacement services.
While some layoffs were expected, they were much greater than some state legislators were led to believe in earlier discussions with Pfizer. And this isn’t likely to be the end of corporate reorganization at Pfizer PA-based facilities. This is because Pfizer is shutting down the Great Valley facility. There is speculation that after this round of layoffs that the 670 remaining Great Valley employees will be transferred to the Collegeville site or other Pfizer locations. And, it is likely that more Pfizer employees will lose their jobs because Pfizer previously announced that it intended to eliminate as many as 15% or 20,000 jobs after its $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth.
Over the past several months, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline have announced more than 40,000 job cuts which have devastated the pharmaceutical workforces in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Until next time...
Good Luck and hmmmmmm...are there any pharmaceutical jobs left to hunt for?
I am attending the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in sunny Phoenix, AZ where I will be providing career development guidance to undergraduate and graduate students. Ironically, given the dismal job prospects in the life sciences industry for entry level employees, I will be giving a talk on how to find a job! Last year's meeting in Orlando was a great one and I expect this one to be just as good.
While I am on the road, it doesn't mean that I won't be keeping track of the goings on back in my neck of the woods. To that end, Merck announced today that it will keep Schering Plough's corporate headquaters in Kenilworth, NJ open. Merck announced the decision today after closing on the $7 billion deal yesterday. This is good news for the NJ residents who currently work at the Kenilworth site. New Jersey has been extremely hard hit by all of the pharmaceutical layoffs in the past few years. Unemployment continues to rise and things will not get any better since conservative Republican Chris Christie was elected governor on Tuesday (he plans on laying off massive numbers of state employees) once he takes office in 2010.
Johnson and Johnson, on the other hand, announced that it was closing research & development facilities in Radnor and Chesterbrook, PA and consolidating those operations at the company's Spring House site. The New Brunswick, N.J., company would not say how many jobs are at those locations now or how many would remain in Spring House after the move, which is to be completed by 2012. These closure come shortly after JnJ announced earlier this week that is was elimating ca 8,200 employees or roughly seven percent of its global workforce.
Let's hope that things begin to improve soon.
Hat tip to the Pharmalot blog!
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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As somebody who has been unemployed more than once, unemployment can be depressing, very frustrating and extremely worrisome. In addition to sending out resumes and networking, I highly recommend using the free time that you have at your disposal to learn new skills to either make your life more manageable or to increase your employability. Obviously, unemployed persons usually don’t have the money to enroll in formal training programs but thanks to the Internet and social media there are a variety of free tools and options out there for people looking to pick up new skill sets.
100 Skills You Should Learn (for Free) While You’re Unemployed
People Skills and Networking Become a better networker, small talker and listener to improve your job prospects. Life hacks From making your own coffee to saving gas, here you’ll learn valuable skills that save you money, too. Productivity and Task Mastering Stay productive and learn to stay on task, avoid procrastinating and set goals even when you’re unemployed.
Computer and Internet Skills
These skills will turn you into a better Googler, blogger and typer.
Organization
Organize your personal and professional life by learning these skills.
Writing
Write better emails, use better grammar and influence others with your writing.
Confidence
These skills will boost your confidence and make others take notice of you.
Promotion and Branding
The skills you learn to promote yourself now will pay off later.
Speaking and Communication
From better storytelling to learning a new language or becoming an effective public speaker, these communication skills will make you more influential and confident.
Finance
Save money and learn smarter budgeting tips here.
Weird Skills
You never know when you’ll need to win a fist fight or have to know your tolerance for alcohol, so practice now.
Miscellaneous
From tying a tie to taking better notes, here are more skills you should learn while you’re unemployed.
There you have it!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!
Whenever I do resume critiquing at scientific meetings, someone always asks about how to negotiate a job offer. Most of the people that ask the question aren't even close to receiving a job offer and I do my best to deflect the question. However, at a recent meeting, I spent 30 minutes with a PhD student who had received an offer advising him on how to get a better deal from his prospective new employer. This got me thinking and I invited Joe Tringali, a veteran recruiter with lots of negotiating experience to write a blog post about strategies and things to consider when negotiating a job offer.
The "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Negotiating a Job Offer
by Joe Tringali
Invariably, the topic of salary negotiations in the interview process makes its way to the surface and, as a seasoned professional recruiter, I have a few thoughts that I would like to share with jobseekers. During the course of my almost 30 year career, I have work as a traditional “headhunter” and also as on onsite contract recruiter for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, shifting gears and mindset as warranted by the particular client and the task at hand. In other words, I have been on both sides of the negotiating table either on behalf of a job candidate or a client company.
Fundamentally, job seekers need to understand the “economics” surrounding their search; who—the candidate or employer—has the most leverage in the relationship? Is there more demand than there is supply for a candidate with a specific set of skills or is there an excess of talent allowing an employer to choose the absolute best candidate for job. That said, consider the following:
A candidate who has received an offer can always try to negotiate to see how far they can push the employer. As a rule of thumb, the initial offer that is proffered is usually not the best offer and if you aren’t satisfied with it, try and negotiate for a better deal. If you ask and you don’t get what you want, the initial offer will likely still stand but you won’t have any regrets or say to yourself “I should have asked” if you eventually accept the offer. On the other hand, if the offer IS negotiable, it’s most likely only negotiable within a finite range. To that end, you must “come to the table” knowing your worth and what the compensation and benefits standards are for comparable positions in the industry. Rest assured that the prospective employer is at least as prepared as you are (usually more so) when it comes to negotiating offers. After all, most companies have dedicated compensation departments that spend a good portion of their workweek establishing fair compensation ranges. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ask and attempt to negotiate, but simply that you must temper your expectations and not “expect the world.” Typically, employers are limited with what is negotiable in an offer. Things that are typically not negotiable are base salaries and healthcare and financial benefits. Other things like vacation time, sign on bonuses, relocation costs etc are. The reasons why base salary and benefits are not negotiable are because companies try to maintain internal equity among its employees.
When to negotiate? The obvious answer is to negotiate from a position of strength—when a formal offer has been extended (but never before). The offer signals that a company “wants you” and the candidate ought to consider the offer as it stands. Assuming the offer is fair (and the candidate SHOULD know his/her worth as part of the search process), accept it and move on with your career. Should you feel it isn’t quite up to par based on your understanding of your skills and marketplace demand, you might consider a conversation that sounds something like the following:
“I’m thrilled to receive the offer and am trying to find a way to make this work for both parties. My understanding of the market ( from online research, university career services, friends with similar experience, in similar roles, in similar geography, is that an offer of 2k more might be more in line. IF there is any way you can bump the offer up by 2K, I will accept it and start on XXX date”
In other words, you are offering something back (acceptance/start date) in exchange for a possibly bump in the offer (most companies want you to start sooner rather than later). The worst case is that the employer comes back and says they cannot do any more with regard to compensation. Depending upon your assessment of the situation, you might then try to negotiate additional vacation days or an increase in relocation costs to offset the $2K that you need to feel comfortable to accept the offer. If the answer is still no, the original offer stands until you either accept or reject it—the decision is yours. Generally speaking, most offers are fair and in the range you might expect given your background and years of experience in the industry. But, only you can determine whether or not an offer is right for you. Ultimately, that decision ought to be based on compensation requirements, job responsibilities, geography, and whether or not an offer will meet your needs at this particular time in your life.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
Joe Tringali is a Principal with Tringali & Associates, Inc., a recruitment consulting practice based in Manchester, New Hampshire. He has over 30 years of progressive experience in the field of Human Resources and is particularly well-qualified in the design and implementation of creative staffing programs and executive search practices within the Life Sciences. Some his clients include Pfizer, Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Biogen Idec, Genzyme , TKT/Shire , Harvard University and Infinity Pharmaceuticals.
According to a report yesterday, Roche is reducing headcount at San Francisco-based Genentech by merging the information technology departments of its pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions. The company didn’t disclose how many people would be losing jobs as a result of the consolidation.
The company previously merged all of its human resources functions and roughly 20% of HR personnel lost their jobs—although most were able to find new jobs within Roche.
A Roche spokeswoman added that the company will continue unifying its communication processes in an attempt to further reduce the size of its workforce.
Expect more announcements from Roche in the coming months.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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Under ideal circumstances, job interviews can be very stressful and emotionally draining. After all, how you perform on a job interview will likely determine whether or not you get an offer for a position. Unfortunately, unless you are an experienced jobseeker, who has has participated in many job interviews, you will likely be taken by surprise at your next one. To that end, the following tips, when adhered to, will likely help to reduce your stress level at your next job interview and possibly increase your chances of getting a job offer.
Like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. That said, the more job interviews that you go on, the more experienced you will become and the more job offers you will likely receive.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
Back in the late 1990s, applying for jobs online was all the rage! The technology was new and fresh and applying for jobs online was fast and easy. Companies raced to build corporate websites for prospective job applicants, major job boards like Monster and Careerbuilder were launched and human resources professionals though they were ushering in a “new era of employee recruitment and retention.” While applying for jobs online once seemed like a panacea for both job seekers and corporate employers, it never has lived up to all the fanfare and hype!
There is no question that applying for jobs online is quick, easy and most importantly emotionally gratifying. Paradoxically, these are the very qualities that have almost rendered the practice useless when it comes to finding a new job. Before applying for jobs online became de rigueur, large numbers of qualified, prospective employees were hired into new jobs. Unfortunately, these days’ most corporate websites and job boards are swamped by unqualified applicants who submit their resumes when ever and where ever they can! This has prompted many companies and job board site to automate their applicant screening processes—which, in many cases, fail to discriminate between qualified and unqualified job applicants. Frequently, because of the sheer volume of applicants, many companies no longer acknowledge receipt of job applications. While this practice is unprofessional in my opinion, it sends a subliminal—if not obvious message—to applicants that the likelihood of winning the job is remote. It is not uncommon for job applicants to never hear from a company after they have hit the send button to submit a job application.
So, if applying for jobs online isn’t the answer, what should jobseekers do to find gainful employment? Like it or not, the best way to find a new job is through networking. The advent of social networking sites like Facebook, Linked In and BioCrowd makes networking less daunting than it used to be. However, it is important to note, that online networking alone won’t be sufficient! Unfortunately, (for some of you anyway), interacting with people in real life will be required! The best way to begin networking is to use Google (or your favorite search engine) to identify companies or institutions that are looking for applicants with your skills and qualifications. Next, work hard to find a contact at a company who is willing to support your application or at least, forward it to an appropriate hiring manager. If you don’t know anybody at the company ask friends or relatives if they do. If this doesn’t work, post a notice on Facebook or Linked In asking if anybody in your network can provide a contact name or phone number of a hiring manager at the company you are interested in. If this also proves to be unsuccessful, you can run at Internet search on a particular advertised position or go to a company website to find the name of a hiring manager. However, to avert an avalanche of inquiries about online job postings, many companies no longer list the names of hiring managers on their websites. If all else fails, you can always put in a call into human resources and ask for more information about a job with the hope of getting the hiring manager’s name.
Once you obtain the name of a hiring manager, send an e-mail message indicating your interesting the position along with an attached resume/curriculum vitae. One note of caution; managers are usually inundated with e-mail messages (many which remain unanswered) and often have their spam filters set on high. Consequently, it may be prudent to also send a hiring manager an old fashioned cover letter and curriculum vitae authority using traditional or overnight mail delivery.
While networking to get an employee referral for a job remains the best way to get your “foot-in-the-door” at most companies, the referral channels, like almost all others, are also extremely clogged. This may require a direct phone call to a hiring manager to inquire about whether or not to apply for a job or to check on the progress of an application. That said, use this approach wisely—some managers may think that this shows initiative (and will pull your resume from the resume heap) while others may be offended or annoyed by your boldness. Nevertheless, once you make the call, DO NOT call back unless you are advised to do so. If the company is interested in you as a job candidate, they will contact you after they have had sufficient time to review your application.
While companies continue to advertise positions, the best way to land a new job is through word of mouth. This is because many companies don’t advertise all open positions and some companies run ads even though they are not hiring. Nevertheless, building a solid network of contacts and friends (both online and in real life) is critical for successful job searches.
In today’s difficult economy it may be prudent to employ a multifaceted job search strategy that includes a mix of networking, job boards and online applications. Also, it is important to cast as wide a job net as possible and not limit your search to a specific job type—especially if you have skills and qualifications that cut across disciplines. Finally, I always tell prospective job candidates that looking for a new job must be a “full time endeavor.” Devoting less than a full time effort to your job search will likely yield disappointing results!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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Another useful post for job seekers from Job Profiles.org.
The recession may be the worst in recent memory but modern technology can blunt the added frustration of searching for a job. While visiting countless employment sites and emailing resumes can be time consuming and fruitless, your browser may help make the search more efficient. Firefox 3 has proven itself remarkably popular, especially thanks to the add-on feature which allows users to customize their browsers to perform a wide range task specific functions. Check out these 50 helpful Firefox add-ons to make the job search easier.
While the Internet offers an unlimited amount of information about any number of topics, sorting though the details can be extremely tedious. These Firefox extensions will help you sort through the mass of information job sites regularly update.
Research has shown that pre-existing social networks often play a key function in helping people find a job. In the Internet era, the popular conception of a "social network" has changed significantly to include Facebook, Twitter and the like. Of course, actually keeping up with even a few networking sites is an easy way of losing real friends. These Firefox add-ons let users simplify their social networking into easier to manage applications.
Researching and keeping track of job openings can be more than a little confusing. These add-ons are perfect for condensing the clutter.
Patrolling the Internet for your next great job can be time consuming. Over a long enough time period, clicks and key strokes add up. Here are a few Firefox extensions perfect for trimming unnecessary steps.
The job hunt often takes unsuspecting internet users to a host of new and unfamiliar websites. With the recession affecting millions of Americans, employment websites are becoming popular methods of inserting spyware and viruses into unsuspecting computers. Getting a virus while searching for a job only adds insult to injury, these Firefox add-ons will help protect your computer from attack.
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I came across an article posted on the MSN career site by Anthony Balderrama that described 10 workplace behaviors that must be kept in check to keep your job—especially during tough financial times. The idea here is to not give your boss an excuse to fire you. I thought it would be informative to pass on the essence of this information to BioJobBlog readers.
1. Procrastination
Many people claim to work best under pressure or at least they think so. In my experience leaving things to the last minute is usually a recipe for disaster especially when working in team environments.
2. Sloppy e-mails
Sending e-mails with typos and poor grammar or addressing them to the wrong recipients is a definite no-no. I highly recommend that all e-mails should be proofread before they are sent. It may take some extra time, but in the end, it may be worth not sending your boss the e-mail where you criticize him or her!
3. Remember who’s the boss
Using your supervisor's first name and going for some drinks after work are common in many industries. Still, you are the employee and the boss is the boss -- the one who can fire you and tell you what to do. Don't cross the line by talking to her as if you're talking to one of your direct reports or even your best friend.
4. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”
Some companies are strict about the time you clock in and out. Others have guidelines but no hard rules, so you can arrive at 8:35 a.m. and no one cares. If you continually arrive late and leave early (with plenty of breaks in between), your reputation will suffer and so will your bonus. Remember everyone is keeping track whether or not they let on that they are!
5. Don’t be stand offish or anti-social
Conventional wisdom suggests that it isn’t wise to mix your personal and professional lives. However, refusing to take part in any workplace social activities -- such as the office potluck or a happy hour – won’t help your career. Interacting with your colleagues helps build camaraderie. You get to know other people better and they get to know you as more than the person they pass in the halls.
6. Always running late
Everybody is busy and constantly showing up late for meetings or presentations etc is unprofessional. Nobody wants to work with somebody who can’t manage their own time—especially when it impacts theirs. Being late may be fashionable but only in your private life not your professional one.
7. Inflexibility
I have worked with people who adamantly refuse to go above and beyond what their job description calls for. While annoying there wasn’t much I could do or say to them to convince them otherwise. That said, it is never a wise thing to say to your supervisor or your boss’ boss that "You don't pay me to do that" or “That’s not my job.” You may have a point but you may also lose your job.
8. Acting as the resident naysayer
I think many people admire the person in a meeting who is willing voice opposition to an idea or suggestion that is a bad one. Voices of opposition are often missing in many workplaces because too many eager employees want to be "yes" men and women. But too much negativity grates on nerves especially those of management. It is okay to question things, but when you do, make sure that you have a solution to problem at hand that is in the best interest of your company.
9. Badmouthing the company
With blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, there are plenty of opportunities to vent your frustration with work. However, if you're going to complain about how dumb your boss is and how much you hate your job, try to keep those rants private. The Internet is public domain and comments have a way of finding their way back to all the wrong people. Also, most companies routinely monitor the web for things that are said about them to get a better idea about their perception in the marketplace. Be careful what you say!
10. Politicking
Office politics are often unavoidable, but you shouldn't spend more time strategizing and masterminding office warfare than you do working. Getting caught in the throes of a workplace controversy may out of your control, but if you're the one instigating the drama, you're earning a reputation as a person who starts trouble and whom no one trust. In my experience, nobody trusts or respects people who are good at playing the game but deficient in doing their jobs!
While managing and correcting these habits may not ensure continued employment, they certainly won’t hurt your prospects of hanging on to your job when things get shaky!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
As expected, Merck announced today that it would eliminate an additional 16,000 job after the merger with Schering Plough is completed. The combined company is trying to get its headcount down to around 90,000 employees. The new job cuts represent a 15% reduction in the workforce of the combined company.
While the merger may have made business sense, it doesn’t bode well for future employment for life scientists in New Jersey.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (are there any left?)
Last month, while I was presenting my seminar “Interviewing Insights and Tips: Winning That Next Job” at the Experimental Biology Meeting in New Orleans, LA, I realized that I hadn’t covered what to wear to a job interview. Until the meeting, I didn’t think I had to mention— that while interviewing men—must wear suits (and appropriately-colored, professional-looking shoes) and women should wear suits with pants (or a skirt with an appropriate length) and shoes with reasonable heels (usually less than 3 inches). I saw more cleavage, bare thighs and high heels, not to mention men with atrocious footwear choices at the meeting than I care to admit. Not that I am a prude or complaining about the cleavage, thighs or high heels that I observed—what red-blooded American male would? That said, it is vitally important to remember that there are professional dress codes that everyone is expected to adhere to while on the job or at national, regional or local professional meetings.
Phyllis Korrki, who writes the Career Couch for the New York Times, wrote a great piece on professional attire in this past Sunday’s Times that I think every prospective job candidate or employee ought to read. And, when it comes to cleavage, exposed thighs and high heels in professional settings she had recommendations similar to mine. She wrote “Women think they have to dress sexy to get noticed in the work world. It’s what they see on campus and what they see on TV and in movies. Cleavage is not a corporate look or what you want to be remembered for. The same goes for very short skirts and extremely high heels. Also, make sure the top of your thong, if you wear one, doesn’t show above your pants.”
For you guys, as a rule of thumb, wear black shoes with gray, blue and black suits and brown shoes with all others. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
While we scientists are trained to ignore appearance and not pay attention to dress codes—the reality is—the way you look may make the difference between having a job or not!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
As the recession slogs on, it is likely that many more people will lose their jobs and you might find yourself in the unenviable position of having to commiserate or console a friend or colleague was layed off. Not surprisingly, this is often a difficult and delicate situation that requires some sensitivity and tact.
Because many of us have never been layed off or fired, it is often difficult to know what to say or more importantly determine what a person who lost their job may want from family and friends. To that end, there was a wonderful article in today’s New York Times that offers some insightful suggestions and guidance on navigating a conversation or meeting with a friend or colleague who recently lost their job.
Read and learn!!!!!
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
Using Facebook and Twitter to find jobs is becoming routine in many industries including healthcare. However, the life sciences industry is lagging behind most others when it comes to social media and recruitment. Nevertheless, many companies and academic institutions are beginning to realize that Facebook (FB), Twitter and other science social networks are good source of qualified candidates for those difficult-to fill job openings.
Lindsey Pollak, a GenY career guru who, writes on the use of social media for job searching, alerted me to a post (via Twitter @biojobblog) that describes how to effectively use FB to find a job. While FB may be useful to scientist looking for work, there are many other bioscience social networks like BioCrowd (@biocrowd) that regularly post jobs and career opportunities for life scientists.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
The US economy has lost about 7.1 million jobs since December 2007 and nationwide unemployment is hovering around 8.5 percent. Despite the lost of about 80,000 pharmaceutical jobs over the past three years and unprecedented consolidation taking place in the life sciences sector—Merck-Schering Plough, Pfizer-Wyeth and Roche-Genentech—the job prospects for scientists at biotech companies, medical devices and diagnostics, and government appear to be stronger than anticipated. While drug discovery and sales jobs may be scare, there are rapidly emerging opportunities in the fields of medical communications, regulatory affairs, biomanufacturing, clinical trials management , bioengineering, medical devices/diagnostics and website development and management.
President Obama’s promise to restore science to its rightful place, his reversal of the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and an unwavering commitment to alternate energy technologies suggest that the future may be very bright for bioscientists. For example, there are massive hiring initiatives at federal agencies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Unites States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) — as the Obama administration attempts to overall these agencies— and funding levels at the National Institutes of Health are on the rise (aided in part by a $200 million Challenge Grant stimulus program).
While the road to economic recovery may be a long one, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are currently engaged in life sciences research should “stay the course and not jump ship just yet.” The life sciences industry is more recession proof than others and it will be one of the first to experience an economic turn around. And, when it does it is best to prepared to find a job!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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There is a perception out there that cover letters are old school and that they are no longer necessary when applying for a job. I suspect that this is largely a result of the notion held by many online job applicants that software programs rather than humans evaluate the suitability of prospective job candidates. While this may be true, it never hurts to differentiate yourself from the thousands of others who applied for the same position and didn’t include a cover letter. Further, adding a cover letters allows you to pepper your job application with key words that you may not have been able to squeeze into your resume and may give you a leg up on the competition!
Writing in this Sunday’s New York Times, Phyllis Korkki offers insights and tips on writing cover letters that could mean the difference between employment and not. The take home message—cover letters are not expendable.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
In the wake of last week’s Pfizer-Wyeth M&A feeding frenzy, I suspect that most analysts were hoping that this week would be a little quieter. Unfortunately for many pharmaceutical company employees, this week may be shaping up to be almost as nerve-wracking as last week!and declared that it was on the hunt for a merger or acquisition partner. A ll of the usual suspects have been cited as possibilities. They include: In ot
While the domino theory was incorrect when it came to the spread of communism during the Cold War, there may be a kernel of truth to it when it is applied to today’s pharmaceutical industry. On Tuesday, Pfizer announced that it would lay off 800 researchers. Not to be outdone by Pfizer, Roche announced today that it plans to lay off about 780 workers over the next two to three years because of “worsening economic conditions.”
After spending the last decade or so associated with the pharmaceutical industry, one thing that I have learned is that there isn’t a single company that I can think of that wants to be the first to do anything. However, when a pharma company makes a bold move, the others are very quick to follow because they “don’t want to be perceived as not being “cutting edge” or keeping pace with their competitors. To that end, the domino theory may warrant some further investigation when it comes to day-to-day operations of big pharma.
Until next time,
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
The recent spate of corporate layoffs has forced many people to reconsider what their next career move ought to be. While looking for another corporate job (similar to your old one) is the most obvious thing to do, the likelihood of quickly finding a new job in these economic times is remote. That said, now may be a good time to consider leaving confines of the corporate world and striking out on your own! Based on my own personal experiences, this can be a very frightening and overwhelming undertaking fraught with anxiety and uncertainty. But, not to worry! Sharon Jaffe, a self described “passionate digital marketing and media strategist and former corporate executive” has written a great blog post that offer some helpful tips and suggestions for people who may be thinking about leaving the comforts of the corporate world and striking out on their own.
Sharon’s Tips and Suggestions About Starting Out on Your Own
1. Feel the fear and do it anyway. This is a great book by Susan Jeffers, and it's my main point, since 96% of people don't start a new busineness because of the fear of failure. Don't expect to be fearless, but don't be paralysed by your fears. Help and seek help, especially where you need it – be it logistics, network, introductions etc.
2. "Do unto others..."- The Ethic of Reciprocity. Don't underestimate your own value and your ability to help others. Realise that others want to see you succeed and need your help too, so jump in the "informal economy" of networking, connecting, giving and asking for help. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for key people who gave me their time and guidance. In turn, I always make time for others since you never know when the favour will be returned. ;-)
3. Network isn't everything, it's the only thing! It's what you know AND who you know. The people who've worked with you and know what and how you do it are the key people to hire you, help you and recommend you on. Almost all my business has come from my own network where I have spent many years building a reputation and building my personal brand.
4. Be resilient! Be prepared to bark up a lot of wrong trees. When there's nothing up the trees, pick yourself up and move on to the next one. Set-backs and disappointment are par for the course. Protect your self-esteem and be positive. Matt Crabtree, from Positive Momentum, was instrumental in helping me with most of these tips as well as recognising the power of the right attitude and positivity.
5. Be your own guiding light. Trust your internal instincts when making decisions and be true to yourself. If you're asked to do something which doesn't feel right or by someone who doesn't feel right, it generally isn't right. Don't accept work which you don't feel good about i.e. is not the type of work you want to be doing (you'll be hating every minute of it). At the same time, be open-minded. I was asked to do training and figured, "why not?". It has since turned out to be my main source of business second to consulting.
6. Quality is key! Maintain your own professional quality standards. Invest in your brand and pay attention to everything from the way you dress to showing up on time. Now more than ever it's important to realise that you are your own business card.
7. Have a clear vision. Always hold clear the vision of where you see yourself in 1 or x year's time. Let that motivate you! Make sure you create some goals and milestones, be it a revenue target, or your first press interview. Remember to also reward yourself and congratulate yourself on your achievements along the way with rewards.
8. Think big but start small. Don't be arrogant or overconfident in what you charge. Be willing to do stuff for free to build experience, reputation and a solid track record. Trust me, the rest will follow.
9. Watch your costs. Don't splurge unnecessarily but don't skimp on the important things like a good laptop and a business card. It's not necessary to have a glamorous website to get started – one year on I still don't advertise what I do on the web and yet I've been fully booked.
10. Manage your work-life balance. It's easy to start working evenings and weekends and it's hard to give yourself a break. I think this is a key driver of entrepreneurs and a danger in the general unwillingness or inability to take time off. I think I'm still learning this one, which is why I put it last.
I hope these tips are helpful! Good luck!
You can follow Sharon on Twitter @sharonjaffe
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
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In a previous post, I suggested that more layoffs would occur at Bristol-Myers Squib (BMS) by December, 1, 2008. The Pharmalot Blog reported today that 800 more BMS employees ( including scientists) would lose their jobs before the end of 2008. Okay, so I was off by about two weeks.
A company spokesperson told the Pharmalot folks that “We are reducing the global Bristol-Myers Squibb workforce as part of our previously announced second wave of productivity initiatives designed to enhance our ability to address the significant challenges and uncertainties our company faces in the short- and long-term. Headcount reductions associated with the second wave of productivity initiatives will continue through 2010, with a goal of a 10 percent reduction in our global workforce. This [layoff of 800] is in addition to the 10 percent workforce reduction previously announced in December 2007.”
Things are obviously not going well at BMS these days. Look for more layoffs in early 2009 and beyond. Who do you think is going to buy BMS?
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (Try Lilly I hear ImClone is looking for a few good men and women)
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I’ve blogged on this topic many times in the past. However, I came across a great blog post that summarizes at least five of mine into a concise, practical and resourceful guide to finding a new job.
Read it and keep on looking—there are still jobs out there for highly specialized individuals like scientists!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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Over the past few weeks, the blogosphere was rife with rumors and speculation that Pfizer would be laying off additional R&D personnel in December. However, it seems that the layoffs have been postponed and nobody at Pfizer seems to know when they will take place. Conventional wisdom suggests that job cuts will likely take place sometime after the holidays, probably in mid -January, 09.
Rod MacKenzie, Pfizer’s worldwide head of discovery research told reporters “Given the complexity of the changes within research, I have concluded that we will not be able to provide that clarity [for the layoffs] or communicate them by the end of the year." I suspect that he knows who will be getting pink slips but is reluctant to make the announcement until early next year because it would look awful if Pfizer lets people go right before the holiday season.
Call me crazy, but I don’t think that publicizing lay offs (to be determined later) is good for employee productivity and morale. I have no doubt that rumors about the impending layoffs have been circulating at Pfizer for months. Unfortunately for Pfizer, one or more of its employees leaked the information and company executives are in damage control and spin modes. The inability of Pfizer executives to control internal information flow is just another example of why many industry analysts believe that Pfizer grew too quickly over the past decade. Nevertheless, hundreds and perhaps thousands of Pfizer employees will lose their jobs in the not so distant future.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget Groton, CT)
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I know this is kind of odd, but I have recently begun to wonder which life sciences companies have layed off the most employees this past year. Well, for those of you out there who were also wondering we don't have to wonder any longer because Ed Silverman over at the Pharmalot blog has conveniently compiled a list of the top offenders for us. For those of you who may be wondering which company was number one on the list, it’s name begins with a “P” and ends with an “r.”
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
Over the past few weeks, I have seen many posts on various career and job blogs offe.jpg)
ring people advice and tips on how to hold on to their current jobs. In my opinion, most of these posts didn’t offer any new or insight tips on this topics. Instead most of the suggestions were obvious and rather pedestrian. For example, be pleasant to your boss, show up on time, don’t leave before the official work day ends, volunteer to take on new projects yada, yada, yada.
While these suggestions may help to some extent, I think that the best way to keep a job is to think strategically and learn how to manage it to your maximum benefit regardless of prevailing economic conditions. In other words don’t wait until you are in a precarious situation to become a model employee. With this in mind, I came across an extremely insightful article on job retention in the business section of today’s NY Times.
The author, who has been a practicing psychologist for 22 years and a “boss” for the past couple of years, provides insights on job retention from both employee and managerial perspectives. I highly recommend that you read this article—even I learned a thing or two!!!
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (hang on to your current one if you can—its tough out there)!!!!
Astra Zeneca announced today that it would cut 1400 jobs and close several manufacturing facilities worldwide. According to a post on the Pharmalot blog “about 600 full-time jobs will be lost in Sweden as packaging operations are expanded in Wuxi, China. The cuts will come on top of the 7,600 positions the drugmaker plans to eliminate by 2010. The plant closings will occur in Spain, Belgium and Sweden by 2013. Manufacturing jobs will also be trimmed in Sweden and the UK as production is shifted to lower-cost countries in emerging markets.”
On Tuesday Wyeth disclosed that it was eliminating 70 positions at its Pearl River, New York, facility (which employs 3,200 workers, 118 employees at its Rouses Point facility in upstate New York that employs 725 people work, and 124 jobs at its Sanford, North Carolina manufacturing facility. Ironically, as more and more US workers are laid off, many big pharma companies like Merck, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are expanding operations at their research facilities in India. In fact, Merck is doubling its headcount from 800 to 1,600 employees at its research facility in India that was opened a little over a year ago.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Keep on Looking!!!!
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Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) made a presentation this morning at the Credit Suisse Healthcare Conference that showed the company plans on saving an additional $2.5 billion in “productivity initiatives.” According to its new CFO, the company plans to squeeze the savings out of “headcount and related costs” — which likely means more downsizing and layoffs. Rumors have it that these job cuts will take place by December 1, 2008 just prior to when employee bonuses are traditionally decided.
To make matters worse, the Pharmalot blog reported today that "the drugmaker earlier this week sent a voicemail to employees saying a 2 percent cost of living increase will be given this year to those who are meeting or exceeding performance standards." The announcement has lead to speculation among BMS employees whether or not the same ceiling will be applied to the bonuses and stock rewards handed to Bristol-Myers CEO Jim Cornelius and members of his executive team.
Heavy losses incurred by its former CFO who "bet the store" on mortgage-backed securities coupled with the recent, highly publicized failure of Jim Cornelius to purchase ImClone (to gain complete control over the multi-billion dollar Erbitux franchise) suggests that the future of the company may be in serious jeopardy.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
I think that it is safe to say that we are in a recession. Even though unemployment is rising to record levels, there are still jobs to be had. To be successful in tough economic times, job seekers must manage expectations and modify job search tactics. To that end, I came across an insightful article that provides jobseekers with a variety of suggestions and tips that may lead to employment during the current economic downturn.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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According to the WSJ Health Blog “Wyeth is overhauling its early-stage research by slashing in half the number of therapeutic areas and diseases for which it will pursue new medicines. The idea is to concentrate on more innovative products and get them to market faster.” Whenever large companies restructure or announce reorganization plans, job cuts are soon to follow. So, if you are a Wyeth employee I recommend updating that resume as soon as possible!
People close to the R&D restructuring (part of a larger plan, dubbed Project Impact) said the overall number of scientific jobs won’t change under the plan but some scientists will be cut because their skills aren’t transferable to other areas. Wyeth will eliminate discovery work in women’ health, reduce its therapeutic areas from 14 to 6 and continue to focus vaccines and biologics, where it has had great success with its pediatric pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar, and the anti-inflammatory biologic Enbrel.
Wyeth joins several pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, which have already decided to narrow the focus of their development efforts and focus more on biotechnology products. Don’t be surprise if other pharmaceutical companies announce similar restructuring plans. I predict that within 10 years or so, pharma companies will no conduct basic discovery research and abandon their internal pipelines. Instead, they will become drug “clearing houses” that specialize in developing products that were either purchased or in-licensed from smaller biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical companies.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but according to a recent survey of 3,000 job seekers conducted by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas the time it takes to find a job is growing longer. For example, the median time for job searches conducted by those winning positions grew from 3.6 months in the second quarter to 4.4 months in the third quarter of 2008. Also, it found that 13.4% of job seekers relocated to take new positions in the third quarter of 2008. While this is up from a first quarter figure of 8.9%, it is still lower than the percentage of job seekers (15%-16%) who relocated in 2006 and part of 2007.
As layoffs increase and the US economy worsens the percentage of people willing to relocate for new positions will likely increase even as home prices continue to fall. Unfortunately, some job seekers may find themselves trapped (despite a willingness to relocate) because of an inability to sell their homes. Put simply, this may be one of the toughest job markets in recent history.
However, as a well known recruiter once told me: “All too often, job seekers allow themselves to get mired in the doom and gloom of a failing job market. However, if they can remember to approach a job search with a mindset of “all I need is a single job offer” then they will undoubtedly be successful.” That said, while your next job may not be the one that you really wanted, simply having a job is what matters in uncertain financial times.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!
Pfizer announced earlier today that it was going to cut R&D jobs and abandon its research efforts in the areas of cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol management, osteoporosis, anemia and liver and muscle diseases. The company plans to refocus it drug development in five therapeutic areas including Alzheimer’s; diabetes; immune disorders and inflammation; cancer; pain; and mental illness, including schizophrenia. Also, the company will continue its work on anti-thrombotic agents to prevent blood clots.
The job cuts and refocusing are part of a previously announced plan to cut about $2 billion dollars from Pfizer’s operating budget. Over the past 15 years, Pfizer has gone on an unprecedented buying spree in an attempt to acquire blockbuster drugs and bolster its flagging internal drug development pipeline. Unfortunately, the gamble has not paid off and Pfizer must now attempt to reinvent itself to restore shareholder value and instill investor confidence.
Unlike many of its competitors, Pfizer failed to invest in and capitalize on early opportunities in the biotechnology industry. The company has been trying to play catch up ever since. To that end, over the past year or so, Pfizer invested in or purchased several small biopharmaceutical companies to demonstrate its commitment to biotechnology. It may be “too little too late!” Unfortunately, because of a lack of vision and foresight by company executives, many Pfizer employees will have to pay the ultimate price of losing their jobs as the US falls deeper into recession.
Hat tip to Pharmalot and the WSJ Health Blog.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
Online career sites like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and Yahoo Hot Jobs have gotten so big and over subscribed that they are no longer useful to most jobseekers. Many career development experts have discovered that the large career sites tend to overwhelm jobseekers because of the enormity of job possibilities that appear on them. Unfortunately, this seemingly endless supply of job opportunities frequently induces jobseekers to spend too much time applying for online jobs and not enough time exploring non-internet based job possibilities. While applying for online jobs is facile and may be emotionally-gratifying, it usually doesn’t culminate in many face-to-face interviews or job offers for that matter. This is because most online job applications are screened by software programs looking for key words or phrases and, if your resume doesn’t contain them it will not be reviewed by a human. Further, many of the openings posted on job boards are actually placed there by recruiters and contract employment agencies—not actual companies seeking to fill positions. Often times, recruiters post expired or fictitious job descriptions on the boards to “pad” their candidate databases with qualified applicants who can be used for future job orders. Finally, sometimes unscrupulous people/companies place false or misleading ads on the big job boards. Unfortunately, these people have no qualms about taking financial advantage of job seekers who may be desperate or “down on their luck
The declining usefulness of the big online job boards has given rise to smaller career sites like Indeed.com and Simply Hired.com which are driven by powerful search engines and permit jobseekers to customize job searches based on industry, geography, salary and job availability. Other companies like BioInsights.com and OneScience.com have built niche job boards that specialize in industry-specific job listings (in this case pharma and biotech). While these new careers site are more focused, easier to navigate and frequently yield better results than the large job boards, they too can be exploited by recruiters and unscrupulous would-be employers.
The growing popularity of social networking sites represents an important paradigm shift for jobseekers and employers. Belonging to popular social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook or Plaxo allows job seekers to cast a wider net by taking advantage of the contacts or connections that their “friends” may have at various companies and organizations. Further, it is not uncommon for people within a network to pass on resumes or put in a good word to hiring managers on behalf of friends or contacts from their network who are seeking employment. However, it is important to also point out that recruiters and contract employment agencies have also recognized the potential and power of social networks. Recruiters and HR specialists now routinely troll social networks (particularly Linked In and Facebook) for qualified candidates and don’t hesitate to contact “qualified candidates” whether or not they are actively looking for a job. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, hiring managers and recruiters are becoming increasingly reliant on social networks to screen and gather personal information about job candidates to assess their suitability for certain jobs. According to a 2006 study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, recruiters use social networking sites 23 per cent more than they did in 2006 to verify resumes, screen applicants and fill vacancies. Also, the study found that possible negative information posted on social network profiles—personal views, alcohol or drug use, sexually-oriented pictures or social commentaries— have a greater impact on hiring decisions than any positive information that may also appear on job seeker profiles.
The growing use of social networks by job seekers to find employment and employers and recruiters to screen job applicants has profound implications for people who belong to these networks. With this in mind, if you currently have profiles associated with your legal name on social networks like Face Book, MySpace or Linked In, I strongly recommend that are completely devoid of the following: 1) sexually suggestive or explicit photographs, 2) posts or photos depicting excessive alcohol or drug use, 3) any rants that you may have posted about your boss or a current place of employment and 4) personal information about your age, marital status, children or sexual orientation. Also, if you are actively involved in a job search, it is a good idea to upload a short bio or resume to your profile and to post any bonafide recommendations or career award and honors that you may have received. However, if you find the prospect of having to sanitize your MySpace and Facebook profiles unpalatable, then I suggest that you remove your name from your current profile(s) and replace it with an alias (your friends will still know who you are) and build another profile with your real name for professional use only.
We live in a highly competitive, constantly-changing world where even slightly negative perceptions about a person may mean the different between employment or not. Ironically, while the Internet allows greater freedom of expression, it also permits people with decision-making powers to more easily scrutinize our daily activities and gain greater insights into our personal lives. Consequently, the onus is on jobseekers to regulate or control what prospective employers may learn about them online. Put simply, the success or failure of your career may literally be in your own hands. That said, the next time that you update your Facebook or MySpace profiles take a moment (before you hit the “send button”) and ask yourself whether or not the new information “is going to help or hurt my career?”
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
The Pharmalot Blog reported today that Schering Plough will eliminate 1,000sales jobs or 20% of its sales force by October. This latest round of layoffs is part of a reorganization plan that was announced last year to cut 10% of it workforce by 2012 (although must of the downsizing will occur by 2010). The reorganization was announced shortly after Schering purchased Organon Biosciences and the “wheels came off” of its Zetia/Vytorin anti-cholesterol medication franchise.
In other news, BioJobBlog heard through the grapevine that Merck has been quietly laying off workers (since Labor Day) in an attempt to reduce its workforce by 20% over the next few years. Many very talented people who have been with Merck for years are looking for new jobs.
Finally, Montvale, NJ-based Memory Pharmaceuticals announced that it was laying off 55 workers or roughly 50% of its workforce. The company, which went public in a much heralded IPO in 2004, focuses on developing treatments for cognitive disorders. Although the company has never been profitable, the person who ran the company for the past three years (first as president, then CEO and finally CFO) earned $876,807 last year. Not surprisingly, he will be leaving the company as part of the downsizing initiative.
The ongoing pharma slowdown coupled with this week’s Wall Street meltdown (many people who work on Wall Street live in New Jersey) should make New Jersey a very challenging and interesting place to live in the coming months.
Hat tip to Ed at Pharmalot.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (I would avoid NJ)!!!!!!
Astellas, a company formed in 2005 following the merger of Japanese-based pharmaceutical giants, Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, announced that it is hoping that 200 pharmaceutical workers in its production facility in Norman, OK will take early retirement to cut labor costs. The downsizing is in response to impending patent expiry of the company’s blockbuster urology product Flomax.
A company spokesperson said “The early retirement program seeks to reduce the workforce by about 30 percent, which would leave about 140 people at the Norman plant.” The loss of these jobs is likely to have a substantial economic impact on the small Oklahoma town many of whose residents have worked at the plant for over 20 years.
Astellas employees around 17,000 workers worldwide. When pharmaceutical jobs are cut in OK, you know the industry is in bad shape.
Hat tip to Ed at Pharmalot
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
After returning from a job interview, the most frequently asked question by your colleagues and friends is likely to be “So how did it go.” Unfortunately, in most cases, the answers that you provide are purely speculative because the only people who really know whether your interview was successful or not is the hiring manager who interviewed you. That said, are there any telltale signs that your interview went well and that a job offer may be in your future? Peggy McKee over at the Medical Sales Recruiter blog came across an informative post that may provide some answers.
FYI, in my experience as a professional recruiter, the best indicator that a job candidate’s face-to-face was a winner, was a rapid response (usually a telephone call) from the hiring manager. Since many of you will likely not be working with a recruiter, read and learn!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
Ed Silverman at the Pharmalot blog reported that Abbott disclosed in a Securities and Exchange filing that it will cut about 1,000 jobs in medical diagnostics over the next four years to cut costs and save about $150 million per year.
According to an Abbot spokesperson “The streamlining includes the closing of a clinical chemistry plant in South Pasadena, California and transferring production of some diagnostic products to plants in Europe that are closer to a big part of the company’s customer base.”
I guess this is good news for Abbott employees—the company could have eliminated all 1,000 positions in one fell swoop. The four year timeline gives current Abbott employees some time to beef up their resumes.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
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As expected, Genentech summarily rejected Roche’s offer to purchase it for $43.7 billion. Genentech executives claim that Roche’s offer is too low and it undervalues the actual worth of the company. Roche offered Genentech about $88 per share for remaining 44% of the outstanding shares of stock that it doesn’t already own. Many Wall Street analysts think that the actual value of Genentech stock is roughly $100 per share. As any business person knows (with or without an MBA), the first offer is usually not the last offered that is tendered in any deal.
Because Roche owns a majority controlling interest in Genentech, it is not clear whether Genentech can avoid actually being purchased by Roche. Genentech executives have publicly stated that earlier agreements between the two companies that guide the sale of Genentech may no longer be in effect and that they will not abide by them. I suspect that only time (or perhaps the courts) will tell.
Roche has already indicated that if it acquires Genentech, there will likely be job cuts to its 10,700 member workforce (something that Genentech wants to prevent). I suspect that Genentech’s rejection of Roche’s offer is the first in a series designed to maximize shareholder value for Genentech (not to mention the large sums of money that company workers and executives who own stock options will make as a result of a sale).
I predict that Roche will ultimately buy Genentech. The only thing that remains to be determined is how much Roche will have to pay to acquire the biotech giant. Roche cannot afford to let this deal go south—a bright and successful future depends on it!
If I were a Genentech employee, I would be dusting off the old resume right about now.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!
Pfizer announced today that is it closing a .jpg)
manufacturing facility in Cork Ireland. Approximately 180 people will lose their jobs. Pfizer tried to sell the plant but was unable to find a buyer. The Cork plant will officially be closed sometime in 2009. Another of Pfizer’s five Irish manufacturing facilities located in Ringaskiddy is also on the block. That facility employs about 300 people. Pfizer cites the 2006 failure of torcetrapib, an experimental cholesterol drug as the reason for the plant closings.
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As much as I hate to admit it, I have been fired at least three times (usually for insubordination or rabble rousing) from jobs in my long and illustrious career. My guess is that anybody who has worked in the private sector has been fired at least once! Of course, nobody ever admits (unless asked) that they have been fired from a job. The point is that many people get fired and if you’re one of the unlucky people who get does fired; you will need to know how to deal with a “termination” on your resume. After all, once you are fired, you will likely need to look for a new job!
I came across a well- crafted post that provides ideas and insights about dealing with being fired and employment gaps when constructing a resume. Check it out—someday you may need to use some of the proffered tips.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
Despite an increase in profits, BMS announced today that it will continue with its Productivity Transformation Initiative (PTI) that was instituted last fall. According to the PTI, BMS must save $1.0 billion over the next 2 years. Of course, the only way to accomplish this is by laying off employees whose jobs are not directly related to the process of transforming BMS into a “ next generation biopharma company” (Would somebody please write me and explain what that means)???? I suspect that BMS employees will be receiving “pink slips” after Labor Day.
This has been a devastating week for the NJ-based pharmaceutical industry. First, Teva announced last week that it will buy Montvale NJ-based Barr Pharmaceuticals and then earlier this week Roche issued a press release indicating that it will move its corporate headquarters from Nutley NJ to South San Francisco (Genentech’s headquarters) by 2010. The impending layoffs at BMS coupled with job freezes and downsizing at other NJ pharma companies like Schering Plough and Merck may signal the beginning of the end of New Jersey’s status as the “nation’s medicine chest.”
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget New Jersey)!
Who doesn’t like to gossip? The intrigue…the drama….the sheer joy of it! But, can gossiping hurt your career? Based on my experiences and numerous job losses.jpg)
, the answer to that question is a resounding yes!!!
That said, others may feel otherwise about workplace gossip. After all, doesn’t everybody gossip? And, why would a little gossip hurt one’s career? I found an interesting article on the effects of workplace gossiping and how to safely indulge and manage the impulse when it strikes you at work
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (a good friend of mine heard a rumor…..)!!!!!!!!
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On the heels of yesterday’s announcement that it wants to buy Genentech, Roche, in a surprise move, announced today that it will move its Nutley, NJ-based US corporate headquarters to California. According to a report, research and development activities in oncology and metabolism at the Nutley site will be expanded. However, the company will consolidate all Nutley-based finance and information-technology operations and close manufacturing facilities on the site by 2010. It is not clear how many of Roche’s 3,240 New Jersey employees will be affected by the proposed move to South San Francisco. Suffice it to say, more than a few Roche employees are likely to lose their jobs after the company’s headquarters heads west.
Once dubbed the”nation's medicine chest”, New Jersey has steadily been losing pharmaceutical jobs since 1990 when 20% of all US pharmaceutical jobs were in NJ—at present 13.7% of American pharmaceutical jobs reside in NJ. It has been a long, slow burn for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology workforce in the Garden State.
The Roche announcement comes as several other New Jersey drug makers, including Schering-Plough and Johnson & Johnson's Ortho Biotech unit, have been laying off workers because of the economic downturn and tough times in the industry. It also comes several days after Barr Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Montvale, announced that it is being acquired for $7.5 billion by Israeli generics giant Teva.
The growing scarcity of pharmaceutical and biotechnology jobs coupled with the highest property taxes in the US may cause a mass migration from the state. Not that there is anything wrong with that!!!!!!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!
Pfizer is at it again. The company announced today that it will cut 275 jobs from its manufacturing operations in Kalamazoo County before the end of the year. The cut will reduce the company’s total employee roster to about 2,500 at the Portage, MI site.
Pfizer has been steadily streamlining and downsizing operations in Michigan ever since it inherited several Michigan-based sites after it acquired Pharmacia in 2002.
Not surprisingly, a company spokesman said “We operate in a highly competitive and constantly changing environment, and we have to adapt to that.'' Easy for him to say—he still has a job.
The announcement comes on the heels of a rumor circulating last week that some Pfizer employees at its Croton R&D facility may lose their jobs next fall.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (avoid Michigan)!!!!!!!!!!
According to apost at Pharmalot, rumor has it that Pfizer will lay off a number of chemists at its main R&D facility in Groton, Connecticut as early as next Fall The rumor supposedly began at an R&D blog run by a former Pfizer employee (always a reliable source for inside information).
M y colleague Ed Silverman who runs Pharmalot contacted Pfizer about the rumor and received this response “A leading R&D organization must evolve, continue to build on its strengths, capture competitive advantage wherever possible and be realistic about what it will take to return Pfizer to growth. What I can assure you is that if and when there are organizational changes, those decisions are never taken lightly. Our guiding principle is that colleagues hear about important Pfizer news from company leadership first and are treated with the utmost respect.” In other words, Pfizer will likely be laying off more employees in the very near future.
Hat tip to Ed!
Until next time…
Good Luck, Good Job Hunting and Happy 4th of July!!!!!
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With the price of gas and travel skyrocketing, many companies are cutting back on the number of face-to-face job interviews that they conduct. Instead, companies are resorting to alternate interviewing strategies that include multiple phone interviews, videoconferencing interviews and yes, even virtual interviews (check out Second Life) —how cool is that!!!!
This means that job candidates must adapt to these new format in order to remain competitive. I came across an article that discusses how to approach and successfully manage these new interviewing formats.
Just remember to keep those wings and halos to a minimum during your next virtual interview!!!!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
Peggy McKee, the medical sales recruiter, offers some words of wisdom and advice on finding a job in today’s challenging job market. Read and learn….Hat tip to Peggy for the insights!
We’re in some tough economic times right now, and that can make it that much harder to find a job. To help you out, Fortune magazine has 7 tips for job hunting in a tougher market. They include:
1. Request more face-to-face meetings. Get your face in front of recruiters and your network instead of relying on e-mails and phone calls. It will make more of an impression.
2. Step up your job-search activity. This makes sense. In many ways, a job search (like sales calls) is a numbers game. Increase your odds by increasing your activity.
3. Try to be as flexible as you can. Consider contract work, part-time work, or starting at a lesser salary than you were hoping for. It gets your foot in the door for other opportunities later. Besides, less money is better than no money, right?
4. Consider relocating. Top jobs aren’t always where you are. I love the idea of relocating and expanding your horizons…trying something new.
5. Scour the hidden job market. Many jobs aren’t advertised. Be proactive. Use your network. Or contact employers directly. They might appreciate your initiative.
6. Spend very little of your time on Internet job boards and help-wanted ads. Look, but don’t focus. Everyone’s looking here.
7. Take advantage of social networking sites. Personally, I love LinkedIn. But also, use MySpace or Facebook as part of your networking tactics. Just be careful to keep it professional.
Here are some more great tips to heat up your job search. One last great idea (from the Sales Hub):
Until next time,
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
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The Avandia debacle is still ravaging the employee ranks at GlaxoSmithKline especially at its Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and in Philadelphia locations. According to a post at Pharmalot, the UK-based drug manufacturer is cutting as many as 350 jobs (2.0% of its workforce) at both locations. This represents an almost 40% reduction in drug discovery and development activities that take place at both sites.
These cuts come after GSK closed a factory and drastically cut its sales force late last year. To make matters worse (particularly for those folks who lost their jobs) GSK purchased an early-stage drug discovery company called Sirtris Pharmaceuticals for about $720 million earlier this year. Clearly, company executives have more faith in external rather than internal drug discovery at GSK.
The saga continues……
Until next time
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget North Carolina)!!!!!
Peggy McKee wrote an interesting piece on her Medical Sales R
ecruiter blog about personal branding and developing an online presence to find a job. For those of you who haven’t heard about personal branding, it is de rigueur and the hottest thing on the net these days. Put simply, you, the jobseeker, are the brand and to be successful (get a job), the brand must be vigorously promoted! Personal branding can be easily achieved by creating profiles on social networks like MySpace, Facebook or Linked In or creating your own promotional website using your name as the domain name. However, there are a few things that you ought to consider before you embark on your personal branding campaign. Peggy offers a few pointers and recommendations when it comes to both personal branding and your online persona.
Employers and recruiters research prospective candidates online to get more information about them before an interview is scheduled or an offer is extended. This can work against you if your MySpace page is filled with “party” pics (or worse), but it can work for you if you have an effective online persona.
Web Worker Daily rounds up several tips for developing an effective online presence:
The 6 P’s of Personal Branding (Persona, Positioning, Packaging, Presentation, Promotion, and Passion)
Three Keys to Building a Strong Personal Brand. “A good brand has 3 main features: clarity, consistency, and constancy.”
Dan Schwabel’s podcast, Top Social Media Tools for Turning Your E-Brand into a Powerhouse. Let Dan show you how to choose what to use.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (personal branding can’t hurt)!!!!!!!
As a self-anointed career development professional, I frequently read blogs and online articles dealing with jobs and career development advice. That said, I happened upon a piece in Yahoo Education entitled “Risky Business: Finding Job Security in Tough Times”. The article featured careers that may provide greater than average job security to employees. Everything was going great until I read the no. 4 career on the list–Medical Scientist– I kid you not. This is what the author had to say about medical/life scientists:
“With increases in funding for treating cancer, AIDS, mental illness, and other diseases, corporate pharmaceutical, biotech, and university research labs need more people to develop vaccines and treatment drugs. Depending on your medical specialty, you'll typically need a master's degree or PhD. Often M.D.-holders choose research work over medical practice. You can begin traveling this path by earning a bachelor's degree in a biological science, and focusing on chemistry, biology, statistics, and research methods. Salaries in private sector biotech firms are typically higher than those offered at the college research level. There are also jobs with government medical-research agencies. Median salary range: $44,830 to $88,130.”
I ‘m not sure where the author has been or what she has been smoking but it seems to me that she is not in sync with industry trends. Maybe I ought to write to her and ask her to send me a list of companies that are currently hiring. I guess you really can’t believe everything that you read!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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When the job market gets tough, it is the “little things” that can make the difference between a job offer and a rejection letter. As you all know by now, face-to-face interviews are the “make or break” event in any job search. To that end, any edge that you can get may make the difference between being employed or receiving unemployment benefits in today’s job market. Although I am not a big fan of quizzes or surveys, it may be worth the time to take an ‘interview preparedness’ quiz that I found on Monster.com. I want to state upfront that I didn’t take the quiz nor can I vouch for its accuracy. That said, remember; it is the little things that frequently determine your fate at job interviews.
Let me know how you fared!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
Roche Diagnostics plans to transfer about 300 jobs from its Indianapolis facility to Germany over the next three years as part of a consolidation plan.
A Roche spokesperson announced yesterday that transfers will start in October and most will be completed by 2011. A limited number of employees will be offered transfers to Germany, but most will be laid off.
Most of the positions are in research and development of reagents, which are chemicals used in test kits for HIV, West Nile virus and other diseases. The company says about 85 percent of production for the unit affected by the transfers is already in Germany. Roche has about 2,800 employees in Indianapolis.
Like other sectors of the US economy, the pharmaceutical sector is getting whacked.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting??????
The key to successful negotiations of any kind is realizing that you ARE NOT going to get everything that you want or expect. Likewise, this means that the person(s) sitting on the other side of the proverbial table is not going to get everything that he/she wants either. Simply put, you have to “give-to-get” during negotiations to reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable to all parties. Please note that I used the word “acceptable” rather than “satisfied” when referring to a negotiated agreement. In my experience, neither party is ever COMPLETELY satisfied with a negotiated agreement. Rather, the respective parties each received enough of what they initially wanted/expected to consider the deal ‘acceptable.”
When working as a professional recruiter, I determined, early on, that job offers are generally extended to “right-fit” candidates within several days after an interview. That said, if you haven’t heard back from a company within a week or so after your interview, it is likely that you are not their first choice for the position. Nevertheless, when you receive a job offer, the most important thing to remember is that ALL offers are negotiable. Based on my own personal and professional experiences, a company’s first offer is usually neither their best nor final offer.
Frequently, inexperienced job candidates are reluctant to negotiate an initial offer because they are afraid that the company might retract it if they appear “too greedy.” This is simply not the case. Because companies/organizations typically offer jobs to only those individuals who they want to work for them ,their primary objective is to do whatever is “reasonable” to induce the candidate to join their organization. Of course, companies sometimes have limited resources or flexibility regarding what they can offer a candidate to accomplish this! That said, job candidates are obliged to test the limits of corporate flexibility to negotiate the best compensation package they can before they are required to make a decision of whether or not to join a company/organization. Simply put, most nonprofit organizations and corporate entities expect some back and forth negotiations before a candidate makes his/her decision to accept or reject a job offer.
In my experiences, there are certain things that can and can’t be negotiated after an offer has been extended. Things that can be negotiated include:
In contrast, items that are rarely or cannot be negotiated are:
Although most employers expect candidates to negotiate job offers, the way in which the negotiations are handled and conducted are extremely important. Candidates must remember to be cordial and professional at all times and to never give a prospective employer an ultimatum–e.g., “If I don’t get this salary, I will not take the job”. Ultimatums are the “kiss of death” for any prospective employee because it signals that the individual is demanding, inflexible and likely to not be a team player.
Another thing to remember is to not become emotionally invested in the negotiations taking place between the company and you. When a candidate becomes overly emotional or demanding during negotiations, exchanges between a company and candidate may become acrimonious and unpleasant. To increase the likelihood of success i.e. to get what you want, it is best to be as dispassionate and business-like when negotiating a job offer. Nobody likes to negotiate with an overly emotional or unreasonable individual (take it from me–I know!).
When it comes to negotiating a job offer, the best case scenario is to allow a recruiter to negotiate the offer on your behalf. Because a recruiter usually has a preexisting relationship with the hiring manager, he/she can do all of the so called “heavy lifting” to help a candidate get what they can from a company. To that end, the recruiter generally knows before entering into negotiations with a prospective employer exactly what his/her candidate’s “needs” are and how far he/she can push the client to help a candidate secure the best offer. Needless to say, this option is only available to those candidates who used a recruiter to interview at the company/organization in the first place.
Negotiations become unnecessarily “nasty” or belligerent may come back to haunt you if you accept an offer and work at a particular company. To that end, you may find yourself working for or with the person(s) who you negotiated with! And, if bad feelings were generated during the negotiation process, it may take some work to overcome the negative impression you created for yourself. For those of you who may not know, organizational/corporate memory has a long shelf life!
In my next post, I will discuss some strategic approaches and tactics that candidates can use to optimize a job offer from a prospective employer.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!
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Eli Lilly & Co. announced today that it will eliminate 500 jobs at its manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, IN. The cuts will affect sites that manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients for Lilly’s insulin products Humalog® and Humulin® and its osteoporosis medicine Forteo®.
Lilly is offering incentive packages for those employees who voluntarily leave the company. The company has already reduced its global headcount by twelve percent or about 5,500 people since 2004.
Times are tough and getting tougher each day in pharma land. Buckle up–its going to be a rough ride for jobseekers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (avoid Indianapolis, who wants to be a Hoosier anyway?)
According to a post on the Wall Street Journal Health blog, Wyeth announced today that it is laying off about 1,200 marketing and sales representatives who helped support Protonix, its blockbuster heartburn and acid reflux medication. The job cuts are part of a previously announced “asset reallocation plan” that is designed to reduce the size of the company’s workforce by about 5% this year, and by 10% over the next three years.
The company employees about 50,000 people worldwide with roughly half of them in the U.S. Like some of its competitors, Wyeth is facing stiff generic competition for several products that are slated to lose patent protection over the next couple of years and recently has had trouble getting many of its new drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!
I happened upon a Sunday morning talk show yesterday where one of the guests was discussing strategies that employees ought to adopt to keep their jobs in a recessionary economy. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, the US economy lost 63,000 jobs last month; another bit of evidence that we are sliding into an unavoidable recession.
The talk show guest posited that only those employees who were able to quickly adapt to rapidly changing corporate/business environments would keep their jobs; the other less adaptable employees would find themselves jobless. Call me crazy, but his analysis sounded eerily similar to Darwin’s principle of natural selection or “survival of the fittest”–only those members of a population who were able to adapt (through mutations in Darwin’s case) to changing environmental conditions will survive; the other less adaptable members will perish. Imagine that, using a recessionary economy to illustrate one of the fundamental principles of Darwin’s theory of evolution–how cool is that?
Here are some insights into how to keep your job during a recession when many companies are unstable and in flux. First, employees who work at financially-troubled companies must embrace the changes frequently instituted by management whether or not they agree with them. Invariably, there will be a cadre of employees who openly and publicly criticize the “new corporate policies”–these will likely be the employees who are demoted or “right-sized” out of the company. In Darwinian terms, these employees are unable to adapt to change and they will either be eliminated or their standing in the population (company) will be diminished. On the other hand, the employees who are able to embrace change will not lose their jobs and will likely be able to maintain or improve their standing in the population (company). In other words, adaptable employees have a selective, competitive advantage over unadaptable ones which will allow them to survive and flourish in their new environment. Second, it is probably not wise during periods of corporate upheaval, for mid-level managers or employees to tout their past accomplishments or remind management about their worth to the company. In times of change, management embraces individuals with forward-looking ideas (to facilitate change) not those who are rooted in the past and are invested in antiquated corporate policies and practices. Again, only those employees who adapt will be able to survive and compete in their new corporate environment. Finally, as a science educator, it is always exhilarating and exciting to find new ways to teach Darwin’s Theory (sic) of Evolution so that it makes sense to lay audiences. Maybe watching Sunday morning talk shows isn’t a waste of time after all!!!!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (adapt)!!!!!!!!!
As some of you may know, I worked as a professional recruiter for about 3 years in the late 1990s. What surprised me the most during my recruiting sojourn was the undeserved disdain that people have for recruiters (or “headhunters” as they are known in the vernacular) and how little they understood about the inner workings of the recruiting industry. Like it or not, professional recruiting is an accepted part of corporate life!
Contrary to popular belief, recruiters don’t work for the people who are looking for jobs–they work for and are paid by the companies that engage them! Generally speaking, there are three types of recruiters. Retained recruiters are usually hired by corporate clients to fill senior level corporate positions and are paid a predetermined and agreed upon placement fee whether or not they fill a position. In other words, these recruiters are “on retainer” and work for companies on an “as needed basis.” Contingency recruiters, as the name implies, only get paid when a client company hires a job candidate that was brought to them by a recruiter. As you might imagine, contingency recruiting is a very fast paced, highly competitive and often stressful job–I was a contingency recruiter. Finally, the third type of recruiter, an exclusive contingency recruiter, is an amalgamation of executive and contingency recruiting. In this case, a recruiter receives a portion of his/her placement fee in advance and only receives the remainder when the position is filled with a candidate recommended by the recruiter.
Recruiters are expensive and they cost the companies that use them substantial sums of money. Placement fees usually range from 20% to as high as 45% of a new hires’s first year total compensation package. With this in mind, hiring managers use recruiters only when they need to find candidates for critical or difficult-to-fill positions. In general, companies rarely use recruiters to find entry level employees. However, most bioscience companies use recruiters and they typically have a stable of contingency recruiters that work with on a regular basis.
How Recruiters Work
Recruiters use a variety of tactics ranging from referrals to cold calling to get job orders from their corporate clients. Once a recruiter receives a job order, he/she develops a profile for right-fit candidates largely based on the job description, the salary range for the job, the company’s benefits, bonus and relocation packages and its corporate culture. Recruiters find prospective candidates by searching job candidate databases (compiled by the recruiter or the company the recruiter is working for), getting referrals from colleagues, industry professionals and other recruiters and by placing ads in specialty and trade magazines, or listing ads on web-based job boards (e.g. like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, Linked-In, etc).
Once a qualified candidate(s) has been identified, a recruiter will contact the candidate(s) to review and discuss the job opportunity with them. During the conversation, the recruiter will likely ask you about your background, years of experience, skill sets that you have mastered salary requirements and whether or not you are willing to relocate for the opportunity. When a recruiter determines that you may be a “right-fit candidate”i.e., you meet many, if not all, of the job specifications outlined in the job description, he/she will ask for a copy of your most recent resume/CV. Sometimes, after reviewing a resume/CV, a recruiter might ask a candidate to modify or rearrange it before he/she submits it to a client for consideration. Some recruiters will even do it for you–I can’t count the number of resumes that I modified or rewrote before I submitted them to my clients for review. For those of you who are interested in learning how to write a proper resume click here.
Typically, you will hear back from a recruiter within two or three days if a company is interested in moving forward with your candidacy. However, if you don’t hear back from a recruiter within a week, it is unlikely that you are being considered for the position. That said, it is not unreasonable to call or e-mail the recruiter if you don’t hear from him/her after several days.
Working with Recruiters
Because recruiters are expensive, most companies don’t use them to hire entry-level employees. Consequently, if you are a first-time or entry level job seeker, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time fielding calls from recruiters–it is unlikely that they will be able to help you in your job search. People who benefit the most from working with recruiters are individuals who have several years of work experience and are seeking new career opportunities.
Based on my experiences as both a recruiter and jobseeker, I offer a few suggestions on how to work with professional recruiters. First, you MUST tell the recruiter that he/she is NOT ALLOWED to send your resume/CV to a client without first discussing the opportunity with you and getting your permission to submit it. If left to their own devices, many contingency recruiters will submit your resume/CV to any jobs that vaguely resemble your background and skill sets. Because the life sciences industry is rather small, recruiters who blast your resume to multiple employers can jeopardize a candidate job at his/her current place of employment. Nobody wants their boss to know that they are looking for a new job!
Second, it is a good idea to limit the number of recruiters who you worth with. There are a limited number of job orders in the bioscience recruiting universe and it is not uncommon for different recruiters to submit the same resume to multiple clients. While this does not hurt the recruiter’s reputation or business, it may signal to a prospective employer that a candidate is desperate to find a new job–something that may hinder your negotiating power if a job offer is proffered.
Third, work only with recruiters who you think are competent and have a proven track record of placing candidates into jobs. There are a lot of bonehead recruiters out there. Fourth, it is important to remember that you are probably not the only candidate whose resume he/she has submitted to a client company. Most recruiters try to submit at least three candidates per job order–it increases the likelihood and probability that he/she will make a placement (and actually get paid for their hard work). Finally, it is a good idea to stay in touch with recruiters who contact you to discuss possible job opportunities. I almost always return phones from recruiters who call me whether or not I am looking for a job. It never hurts to hear about the types of jobs that are out there especially with the current economy. Also, you may need a recruiter some day to find a new job!
Conclusions
Recruiters are a fact of life in the corporate world. That said, the next time you receive a call from a headhunter, I highly recommend that you be polite, carefully listen to the job opportunities that they are pitching, get their contact information into your e-mail/cell phone address book and don’t hesitate to contact them if you find yourself out of work!
Germany’s GPC Biotech announced another round of job cuts as it tries to regroup after its failure to win US approval of its experimental prostate cancer drug satraplatin.
The company said that this latest restructuring will sharpen its focus on oncology clinical development efforts and further reduce costs to extend its cash reserves to cover three years of operating expenses. The restructuring is mainly focused on GPC’s early-stage research activities in Munich and will result in 38 job losses. The remaining work force will be 14 in Munich and 49 in Princeton, New Jersey. These latest cuts come after an announcement in November that the firm was slashing its workforce by over 100.
A GPC Biotech spokesperson also announced that the company is discontinuing internal development of the 1D09C3 monoclonal antibody, which is in Phase I clinical trials for relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. However, RGB-286638, a broad-spectrum cell cycle kinase inhibitor, is expected to enter the clinic within the next six months.
Things are looking pretty dicey at GPC Biotech.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
Astra Zeneca and Sanofi-Aventis announced job cuts today that will take place in the UK and Germany.
AstraZeneca says it plans to cut more than 300 jobs at its research and development hub at Alderley Park near Wilmslow England, 60 more than unions had feared.
The company, one of the biggest employers in Cheshire, said last week that it was examining its global R&D structure, prompting trade unions to claim that 244 jobs were likely to go at Alderley Park - its largest site for research - which employs more than 3,500. The majority of those affected at Alderley Park work on R&D into respiratory conditions, while there will be a smaller number of job losses from the cardio-vascular team.
Sanofi Aventis plans to eliminate 380 sales and marketing jobs in Germany, one-fifth of the total, because of difficult market conditions, a company spokesperson said. Sanofi Aventis currently employs 1,900 sales and marketing personnel in Germany. The company has 10,000 employees in the country.
The cuts will be made through a voluntary departure plan and retirements, the spokesperson said, citing difficulties in obtaining reimbursements, competition from generic drugs, and falling prices as reasons for the cuts.
The spokesman declined to comment on German press reports which said Sanofi Aventis's sales in Germany fell 8 per cent last year.
I wanted to follow up my post last week–Part 2: Ask the Recruiter--Job Searching –with a short post about writing cover letters. As I mentioned in my post last week, the purpose of a cover letter is to summarize your background and skill sets so that a hiring manager (who reads the letter) can quickly determine whether you are qualified for the job for which you applied. In addition to mentioning your background and skill sets, it is vital that cover letters be customized to include buzz words and job qualifications found in the ad that induced you to apply for the job. By showing the hiring manager that you meet all the job requirements and possess the requisite skills listed in the job ad, it makes its easier to determine whether you are qualified for the job. Writing a strong, customized cover letter rather then sending out a form cover letter can make the difference between getting a job interview or not.
Rather then try and describe how to craft a strong cover letter, I highly recommend that you take a look at the following cover letter example that came to me by way of the Monster Career Newsletter. Although most of the articles in the newsletter are geared for Monster users, this is that provided insight into crafting a winning cover letter.
Please let me know whether you found the article useful or helpful!
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Allergan Inc., the maker of Botox, will close a plant in Ireland, eliminating 300 jobs, and transfer production to a factory in Costa Rica.
Ireland has lost about 10 percent of its manufacturing jobs over the last six years, as labor costs climb. As many of you may know, many US pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies set up production facilities in Ireland over the past 10 years or so because of its well trained workforce and lower labor costs. However, because the Irish economy has grown so quickly and its middle has prospered, labor costs have been rising and manufacturers are now looking elsewhere to control costs. Unfortunately, this is likely to be harbinger of things to come for markets that were once sources of cheap, skilled labor.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting Lasses and Laddies!!!!!!!!
Overview
Once a job search has been organized and you have identified: 1) what you are qualified to do; 2) where you want to live and 3) how much money you want to make, it is time to begin looking for that dream job. However, as many of you know, looking for a job is very time consuming; requires a great deal of attention and can be extremely stressful and frustrating at times. Don’t expect it to be easy and certainly do not wait until the less minute to start your search. Finding a new job in today’s economy can take as long as 6 months to a year or more.
Unfortunately, many inexperienced jobseekers tend to conduct job searches employing a method that I call the “shotgun” approach. Much like a shotgun blast, which is imprecise but hits many targets, these jobseekers mindlessly apply to any and all jobs that they find appealing–usually oblivious to job qualifications or requirements. More often than not, shotgun jobseekers are disappointed and, often, downcast because they rarely find jobs. Based on a lack of employer responsiveness, shotgun jobseekers usually conclude that they are “simply unemployable”. While this may be a possibility, it is more likely that they lacked the qualifications to win the jobs that they applied for. To avoid the pitfalls, anxiety and emotional anguish of the shotgun approach, I heartily recommend that jobseekers utilize a job search strategy that I call the “cruise missile” approach. Like cruise missiles, these job searches are well crafted, very targeted and executed with pinpoint accuracy. This approach requires the jobseeker to be highly organized, extremely disciplined and to insure that he/she is qualified for a job before submitting a job application. While this approach will result in fewer actual job applications as compared with the shotgun method, the success rate will be much higher.
The Job Search Process
The first step in a job search is to find out who is hiring. These days, the best places to look for job ads are:
After identifying possible jobs that interest you, the next step is to determine whether you are QUALIFIED for them. This means that you must carefully read the job description and determine whether:
You may have to compromise on some of these items but if you meet most of the job specifications and requirements, the next step is to apply for the job(s). However, before you do this, it is imperative that have previously prepared 2 important documents:
One note of caution–it is not prudent to add the name of a reference to your list until you have talked with them to insure that they will write a “good letter” on your behalf. A bad letter of reference is the “kiss of death” for any job that you may apply for! Finally, never send the names of your references to prospective employers unless they have specifically asked for them–it is a small world and you never know who is saying what about whom!
Applying for a Job
I highly recommend that you include a cover letter when apply for a job in response toeither a print or online job ad. The cover letter should clearly express your interest in the position, provide a brief description of your academic credentials and scientific background and MUST emphasize that you possess the qualifications that the employer spelled out in the ad. For example, if the job requires a PhD and one or more years of industrial experience you MUST point that out to the employer in your cover letter. A reason why this is important is because cover letters and resumes are initially reviewed by individuals who don’t necessarily have scientific backgrounds–they have been trained or instructed to look for keywords and phrases in job applications/CVs to identify qualified job candidates.
After constructing a cover letter, and carefully reviewing your CV for the 100th time (to insure that it is the most up-to-date version and devoid of any typos or spelling errors), your application is ready to be submitted. If you are responding to a print ad, and must mail your application, I strongly recommend that you print the cover letter and CV on good quality, white bond paper and to not fold them so that they can fit in a standard-sized (4 x 9 in) white envelopes. This is one of those times when it is worth spending extra money on 9 x 12 envelopes (and paying the extra postage) to insure that your job application materials are in pristine condition when they are evaluated.
In the old days, job applicants typically received a postcard from prospective employers after they had received a candidate’s job application. Unfortunately, times have changed and this is no longer standard practice. In fact, most companies and organizations no longer interact with or contact job applicants unless they are interested in them as prospective employees. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep a log or list of the names and dates of the placed where you submitted job applications. If you don’t hear from prospective employers within 2 weeks, it is perfectly reasonable to contact the employer by phone or e-mail to inquire about the progress of your job application. Also, it may provide some insight into the employer’s level of interest in you as a job candidate and to determine exactly where the employer may be in the job search process.
If you are applying for a job online, you do several things before you hit the “SEND” button. These include: 1) insuring that all of the required fields on the application form are filled out correctly, 2) making sure that your resume and cover letter have been attached to the document (or pasted in the appropriate boxes) and 3) carefully reviewing the application for accuracy, spelling errors and typos. Remember once you hit the send button the document is in the ether and irretrievable. Once you have submitted the online application, you will likely receive a message thanking you for applying for the job. You may also receive an identification number or tracking number to check on the progress of you application. I highly recommend that you print all of these “thank you messages” and keep them in a file in a safe and secure place. This should help to keep your online job search organized and allow you to easily keep track the various jobs that you applied for.
Conclusions
I cannot guarantee that if you follow my recommendations that you will be able to land yourself that dream job. On the other hand, I think that my advice may help to reduce your stress and possibly make yourself more successful!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!
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that 660 jobs will be lost at a Pfizer manufacturing facility in Terre Haute, Ind., a result of Pfizer Inc.'s decision to stop production of its inhaled insulin product Exubera.
Nat Ricciardi, president of Pfizer Global Manufacturing, announced Pfizer's decision to cut staff in Terra Haute because the company did not have another use for the specialized Indiana-based production facility.
Facility workers were told of the decision on Monday morning and that told layoffs would begin in March. The production facility employs about 800 workers in total and a majority of the affected employees are those hired within the last five years to produce Exubera. The remaining 140 workers will support the company's sterile manufacturing operation that included antibiotic production.
When the company announced plans in October to discontinue Exubera, it also said about 60 jobs would be lost at its manufacturing plant in Portage, Ind. They are among a total off 200 jobs the company has said will be cut here before the end of this year.
A Pfizer spokesperson said the company is "committed to providing whatever assistance our colleagues need, including internal job postings, job search tools, career and retirement counseling and severance benefits for those who leave the company." It appears that the Midwest is starting to feel pain associated with contraction of the pharmaceutical industry.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (forget the Midwest)!!!!!!!!!!
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Wyeth said on Friday it is considering cost cuts that could eliminate 10 percent of its work force over a three-year period.
Wyeth, whose earnings prospects have been hurt by delays last year in approvals of new medicines and the recent launch of a generic form of its blockbuster Protonix ulcer medicine, currently has 50,000 employees worldwide.
A company spokesperson said "It is premature to even begin to discuss which positions will be affected or how (job cuts) will be achieved. We are evaluating our business and trying to find ways to be more efficient, and part of that is to keep costs under control". He noted that details of the initiative will be presented to employees toward the end of March.
Stay tuned for more details!!!!!!
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (avoid Collegeville, PA)!!!!!!!!!
Many people think that organizing a job search requires little more than quickly throwing together a resume, applying for online jobs or answering print ads and then kicking back to wait for responses from prospective employers. While this scenario may have been accurate 10 years ago– when jobs were abundant and the economy was humming– it is no longer the case. In fact, the current science job market may be one of the most challenging in the past 20 years or so. This is likely due to shrinking government research spending, contraction of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and the possibility that the American economy is slipping into recession. Nevertheless, there are still available jobs out there. But, in contrast with the past few years, getting them will require a carefully planned and well orchestrated job search.
The initial steps of any job search require answers to several key questions. These include:
Although answers to these questions may, on the surface appear easy, I can assure you that they are NOT and require a great deal of thought! First, not everyone knows what they truly want to do after completing 6 or more years of graduate and postdoctoral training. More importantly, many people are convinced that they know what they want to do (largely based on discussions with mentors and advisors) but are ill- informed or have little idea about the actual day-to-day responsibilities and specific duties of certain types of jobs. Therefore, before you apply for a particular job, you must critically assess whether you possess the requisite skill sets or experience to successfully compete for the job. For example, if you are protein biochemist and have no industry experience, it wouldn’t be prudent to apply for business development jobs that require a year or more of industrial experience. No matter what lab you trained in or how many publications you have, I guarantee that you will not get the job. Therefore, it is vitally important that you understand the requirements, qualifications and types of jobs that you will be able to compete for. If you don’t understand these parameters, you are in for a long, frustrating and unsuccessful job search.
Second, it is important to have a clear understanding of the career path that must be traveled to achieve individual long-term career goals. If, for example, you are a PhD with postdoctoral training and are interested in a business development career –but lack a business background–it may be advisable to first attempt to get an entry level job as a research scientist at a large pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. After all, you were trained and have the qualifications for this type of job. Once you have your proverbial foot-in-the-door and, hopefully, picked up some business buzz words you can begin to apply for internally-posted business development jobs. The good news is that internal candidates always have a substantial edge over external candidates for these job openings. Sometimes you might not be able to exactly follow the career roadmap that you created for yourself. Not to worry, if you have a carefully crafted career plan it can easily be modified or amended to get back on track and ultimately achieve your career objectives and goals!
Because most scientists subscribe to the notion that “no sacrifice is too great for science”, we frequently are willing to take jobs (because of a possible scientific upside) in geographical locations that are not commensurate with our personal needs or lifestyle. Taking a job solely based on the “no sacrifice is too great” adage is often misguided and, in my own experience, a BIG mistake. After receiving my PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I decided to take a postdoctoral position in Portland, Oregon– a decision that was made almost exclusively on the prospect of upward scientific mobility. After arriving in Portland in early January, and experiencing my first Oregon rainy season (which really lasts until July no matter what the natives say) I realized that I had made a bad geographical decision. Nevertheless, I worked hard in the lab and published two or three papers in reputable journals. Unfortunately, I was miserable most of the time and lived in Portland for almost two more years. I subsequently secured a second postdoctoral position at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and had the time of my life– both inside and outside of the lab. After three more years of hard, painstaking and enjoyable postdoctoral work, I was able to secure a tenure track position at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine. I attribute my success to being happier (both socially and professionally) in Manhattan than I was in Portland. To that end, I highly recommend that you identify, early in your job search, places where you won’t or cannot live. And, no matter how scientifically or financially enticing a job may sound, don’t even bother to apply if the location of the job is not right for you or your family.
Finally, it is essential before you begin a job search to determine what your minimum salary requirements are. Salary requirements can vary depending upon your family situation, the location of the job and your personal lifestyle requirements. For example, if you determine that $50,000 per year is sufficient to accommodate your needs, then it makes no sense to apply for jobs that advertise salaries less than $50 K per year. No matter how talents or skilled you are, you will not be able to get a company to pay you $50K per year if the job was advertised at a lower salary. Also, it is never wise to accept a job when the salary that is offered is less than the salary that you expected to receive–you will always feel underpaid or undervalued and you will not be able to do your best work (because you will always be looking for a higher paying job).
I hope that you find the comments in the first installment of the Ask the Recruiter series insightful and helpful. In my next installment, I will attempt to provide some ideas about how to conduct a highly- focused and targeted job search.
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
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Bristol-Myers Squibb announced today that it will close a 37-year-old pill manufacturing plant in the city of Barceloneta in Puerto Rico. The company plans to shut down operations at the facility over the next 12 months, eliminating about 225 jobs. The reasons for the closing were slowing demand for drugs manufactured at the facility, including two AIDS treatments and an antibiotic and a general need to cut corporate manufacturing costs. As you may recall, Bristol-Myers recently announced a restructuring to eliminate 4,300 jobs and save $1.5 billion.
This is the second time in the past few months that Bristol-Myers has announced plans to close a Puerto Rican production plant. Last October, BMS announced that it intended to close a manufacturing facility in Mayaguez that made Pravachol (cholesterol-lowering), the Abilify (schizophrenia) and Glucophage (diabetes) that cost 400 employees their jobs. Not to worry–the company said it will continue to operate two other plants in the Puerto Rican cities of Humacao and Manati. About 3,000 high-paying pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs have been lost in Puerto Rico over the past year–given this growing trend, I think that the Puerto Rican government ought to begin to worry about its economic future.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (try China, India and Singapore)
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Ed Silverman at Pharmalot alerted me to this tidbit. Daniel Vasella, CEO of the Swiss drug maker Novartis AG, mentioned in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that he is planning a companywide restructuring aimed at reducing “layers of management and bureaucracy—following through on reorganization comments he made several months ago.
Novartis, plans to disclose more about its restructuring plans by mid-month and elaborate further in February, adding that the restructuring will involve some job cuts, but Vasella declined to say how many. In an October briefing for analysts, Novartis executives said there would be 240 jobs cut in US headquarter functions Hanover, NJ) and 510 sales reps and 510 contracted rep positions eliminated, for savings of $230 million.
Novartis is one of several big drugmakers to cutback - AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Glaxo and Johnson & Johnson have all announced layoffs in the past year. And Merck and Wyeth continue to trim selectively as part of ongoing savings programs.
According to the Journal, the changes at Novartis will follow recent management changes and comes after a tough year for Novartis. The drugmaker, faced generic competition on some of its
biggest drugs and failed to gain FDA approval for two new products–including the anti-diabetes drug Galvus (vildagliptin) which was predicted to be a blockbuster. Earlier this year, it also was forced to withdraw from the US and Swiss markets its drug for irritable-bowel syndrome, Zelnorm, after safety concerns.
One new rule Vasella has set: There should be no more than six layers of employees in any Novartis division, from the lowest-ranking person up to the division head. Novartis has four divisions: pharmaceuticals, generics (Sandoz), vaccines and diagnostics, and consumer health, which includes over-the-counter medicines.
Vasella says he realized the pharma division, in particular, was bogged down with bureaucracy after he had recent lunch with a group of its employees. The reorganization will also cut costs from Novartis’s procurement activities. One area that will come under particular scrutiny: the use of third-party CROs to oversee Novartis’s clinical trials which has been extremely costly for the Company.
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (China and India?)!!!!!!
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Johnson & Johnson announced a “series of organizational changes, including the creation of a new strategy and growth organization to sharpen its focus on opportunities outside its traditional areas of interest and in the growing intersections of health care and the creation of two new business operating groups.” Ed.jpg)
Silverman who runs the Pharmalot blog reported that Novartis is slated to cut about 1,200 jobs to save the company about $230 million a year. According to the post at Pharmalot, Novartis will let 240 employees go at its US- based headquartersin Hanover, New Jersey and eliminate over 1,000 full time and contract sales representatives from its workforce. Also reported was that Novartis is planning to create a biologics division within the company. I find this extremely interesting because Novartis already has a strong footprint in the biologics biz via its wholly-owned subsidiary Sandoz, which is one of the market leaders in the follow-on biologics aka biosimilar sector.
I guess having a biologics division is de rigueur these days if you are a big pharma company. I am still wondering why it took so long for all of these high paid pharmaceutical executives to figure out that biotechnology was the next big thing? You would think that after 30 years, they would get the hint. But then gain these are some of the same people who brought us Vioxx, Avandia, Exubera and ...go ahead ....pick your favorite.
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monster Worldwide, the company that runs the largest job board site Monster.com, quietly announced three weeks ago that is was laying off about 800 workers or approximately 15% of its workforce.
Monster Worldwide Inc. said mounting legal expenses associated with defending a growing U.S. government probe of its stock options grants practices were the reason for the job cuts.
The layoffs will mostly be in non-sales jobs in North America, Monster said.
The company also plans to streamline functions such as human resources and finance, Monster said.
It is not a harbinger of good things to come when the largest site on the web dedicated to helping individuals find employment downsizes its workforce to cut costs!
Until next time....
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
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