Recruiter discusses prospects and how-tos

Career Development Series

Lindsey Summers, a recruiter for biopharma and medtech industries, spoke and answered questions at a career development webinar from Latinos in Clinical Research. Lindsey, who works for Green Key Consulting in Denver, related that there are personnel shortages in every industry now and there is a lot of movement. Because “the great resignation is upon us,” the opportunities are “bright now and in the future.”

Lindsey advised people to cultivate their networks. Being active in organizations and volunteering are activities that make job candidates stand out, she said.

She added that there is a “hiring frenzy” in digital health, pharma and CROs because of funding and mergers and acquisitions. People have been laid off because of COVID, but now there are new demands for employees and contractors. Openings are being created because of people being burned out during the pandemic.

Companies are looking for people within proximity to them, even if they allow remote work. They are also looking for people with experience in the U.S. Lindsey recommended that people start at the site level when looking for clinical research jobs.

Salaries are increasing, but applicants need to be transparent about what they are seeking. “Don’t wait until the end of the interview process to reveal how much you really want,” Lindsey explained. “Just be honest about it from the beginning.”

Recruiters cannot ask what an applicant is making in his or her present job. Lindsey revealed that companies are “poaching” people and that she has placed people with salaries ranging from $110,000 to $260,000.

“Do your research, and make sure you know what a company does,” Lindsey said. “Talk to people you know about a given company. At the same time, be flexible about your expectations. Job descriptions tell only so much about a job, but if you see words like ‘coordinate,’ ‘compile’ and ‘collate,’ you can be sure that the position is entry-level. If you want to take a less stressful job to accommodate your life situation, avoid certain parts of your resume.”

People make a lot of mistakes when job hunting, according to Lindsey. They should not use an e-mail address that does not sound professional. They should not send long e-mails when applying for a job. If the e-mail cannot be read easily on the cell phone (500-character maximum), it is too long. People should avoid inappropriate posts on social media. These include political statements and comments that might offend people. Additionally, people need to be able to match their resume and their LinkedIn page. Recruiters and prospective employers will check this kind of documentation.

In today’s market people can be hired for contract jobs even without experience. Small biotech companies may also hire people with little or no experience. Most of the jobs Lindsey gets are regulatory liaisons, but some involve clinical trials.

In short, today’s job market in the life sciences is very promising. It is important that job seekers know what to do and what not to do and how to tap into their networks most effectively.