Acing the Skype Interview

In this world of corporate cost cutting, you may find yourself facing your computer camera rather a hiring manager. Treat the cyber interview as you would a personal interview with a few twists.

· Establish a “clean” background, clutter free. Tidy bookshelves work well, no nick-knacks. Don’t use a background with any moving “traffic” such as passerbys or vehicle traffic. You don’t want anything to distract the interviewers from you.

· Do you best to light your set. Turn on all available lighting, both lamps as well as overheads. You don’t want a spotlight effect with your face popping out of a black hole. That can make you look sinister. Work on your back lighting first, then use lamps to brighten up your face. Your goal is to come as close as you can to what you see on network news interviews, achieving a warm and open feeling.

· Just because you are at home, don’t be casual. Confidence is key! Professional clothes, tidy hair and make up are important. Men should use a touch of powder to avoid that shiny look which can translate to fop sweat from the other side of the camera

· Check your broadband speed well ahead of your interview. If it’s sluggish, your image on the other side will be jerky. Not good. If you’ve got a problem, use a friend’s home instead.

· Practice makes perfect. Do a practice run with a friend or family member on the other side.

· Lastly, look directly into your computer’s camera and don’t glance off. That will make you look shifty, distracted and disinterested.—the last impression you want to make with the hiring manager.

Internships and Co-Ops Deadlines Now!

Attention all college juniors! Don’t miss out on that coveted paid junior summer internship. The most highly regarded companies are accepting applications and interviewing NOW for summer 2012. Don’t wait until spring break to get your act together—if you do you will miss out on the best opportunities. Remember you are only a little more than a year from joining the ranks of the newbie job seeker. You will have a strong leg up on your competition if you have real world experience with one of the best companies in your field.

Internships are where you establish important first career relationships. These relationships could lead to a job when you graduate, or provide sources for the letters of reference when you begin your career outside of college.

Many internships are posted on companies job boards and websites. If you have a connection at a specific company, now is the time to use it.

New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma

New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma

October 26, 2011 — 6:24am ET | By Maureen Martino

Since 2001, 300,000 pharma employees have lost their jobs, primarily in R&D and sales. That's according to Clifford Mintz, the founder of BioInsights, which develops and offers bioscience education and training. Mintz spoke at a session on new job opportunities in biotech and pharma at the annual AAPS meeting in Washington, D.C. While the losses have been steep, they're balanced by emerging, in-demand careers in the industry.

The industry's struggles are well-known: Many companies are facing loss of exclusivity on their biggest sellers but have little in the pipeline to pick up the slack. Productivity is dropping as the cost of bringing a new drug to market soars. Government and payors want more effective drugs for less money. The list goes on.

Developers are looking to new markets and new technologies to address these issues. But how do these trends play out for the pharma job seeker? Many people, particularly Ph.D.s, may have to consider getting additional training if they want to land their dream job. "Companies used to be willing to just hire smart people. But with the economic downturn and global competition, companies can no longer afford to invest in people who have promise. They need to see proven skills," Mintz explained. With the right blend of skills and experience, however, there still some pharma jobs that are in demand.

Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs

"Clinical research is the lifeblood of the industry," Mintz said. As developers expand in emerging markets, there's a particular demand for people to manage and organize overseas clinical trials. "There's a huge need for clinical research professionals worldwide," he said, noting that most Phase I and II trials are conducted outside of the U.S.

Another one of the industry's perennial needs is regulatory affairs professionals. "Regulatory affairs experience is a skill that all companies large and small would die to get their hands on," explained Mintz. The increasingly complex and uncertain world of FDA regulation--particularly when it comes to new technology and science--means that companies are always on the prowl for individuals with solid regulatory knowledge and ability to interact with the FDA. You can read more about the demand for clinical research and regulatory affairs jobs here.

Biomanufacturing

The pharma industry's interest in biologics remains strong--just look at Sanofi's buyout of Genzyme, or Roche's purchase of Genentech. They're lured by disease-altering biologics that are less likely to face generic competition than traditional drugs. As a result, there's been increased demand for professionals who can navigate the complex world of biomanufacturing. Those with a background in upstream and downstream processes, large-scale protein purification, fermentation technology and bioengineering can make the transition to biomanufacturing.

Healthcare Information Technology

The rise of bioinformatics and genomics coupled with the push for electronic medical records has created jobs in healthcare information technology. Health informatics--the intersection of healthcare and IT--is ideal for people with expertise in genomics, bioinformatics or software that understand how to work with and manipulate large data sets and databases. The Obama administration has made EHRs a priority, and there's a need for software engineers and biologists who are comfortable working with medical information.

Medical Devices

"The medical devices industry has been experiencing explosive growth for the past decade," Mintz said. Regulatory hurdles in the medical device industry are much lower than they are for biologics or small molecules, making the industry a more stable alternative to biotech and pharma. The demand for devices, which address problems that can't be treated with medicine, will continue to grow as the population ages. Job seekers with strong backgrounds in bioinformatics, genomics, engineering and translational medicine are best suited to this field.

Medical Communications

Medical communications--which includes medical writing, editing, graphic design and science journalism--continues to boom. The demand for these jobs has risen because companies need a slew of communication materials to send to patients, physicians, researchers, investigators and the general public about their products and business.

Patent Law and Technology Transfer

Recent changes to U.S. patent laws have increased the demand for patent agents and patent attorneys in the life sciences field. Pharma's growing reliance on basic research from learning institutions means that there's a need for technology transfer experts. These experts manage the patent estate and intellectual property of universities and colleges that may engage in licensing deals with the industry. A law degree is a must to compete in this field.

Read more: New job opportunities emerging in Big Pharma - FiercePharma http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/new-job-opportunities-emerging-big-pharma/2011-10-26?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss#ixzz1gLZgZWQO
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Resume No-No #102

Resume No-No #2.

Keep it simple! Bullet points are the way to go. Here's a nice resume template--simple and straight forward. http://appleassocglobal.com/resources_resumes.html

Resume No-No #101

When updating or changing your resume make sure you check your font style AND font size. We see a ton of resumes that have little additions here and there that were changed using either a different font altogether and/or a different font size. Even a one point difference in font size shows up, especially when that resume is printed. This seemingly little error translates to a lack of attention to detail and can be a red flag to hiring managers who will question your commitment to perfection.

How much can you squeeze out of your new company?

You've been recruited by a great company. The location is good, cost of living much lower than where you are now. Career growth opportunity abounds. The comp package works well too. Now comes the whole relocation thing. Most new hires can expect to have their household goods moved, including cars. Don't expect them to move your beloved horse or your ski boat. They will put you into temporary housing, usually for 2-6 months, depending on your employment level. You can expect an apartment situation, don't expect them to move you into a single family home for six months. Don't expect them to BUY your house outright. That can happen, but almost always involves an existing employee and an internal transfer. Most top pharmaceutical and medical device companies will cover closing costs and realtor fees for selling your existing home and the purchase of your new one. This does add up! Some companies offer lump sums to cover incidental moving expenses. Some companies will offer a nice signing bonus as well. When negotiating your new deal, don't get greedy. If this new company really wants you, they will offer most everything up front when presenting the offer. Work through your recruiter to iron out any rough spots. A lot of back and forth and asking for too much is a bad way to start a new job.