Summary: In this podcast, Cliff helps listeners better understand how to work with outside recruiters. Having worked as a recruiter and with recruiters, he explains the advantages and potential pitfalls of using of “headhunters” in your job search. To download this podcast, click hereCliff’s first piece of advice is that it is important for candidates to understand that recruiters are hired by companies to find the harder than average candidate. There are two primary types of recruitment processes: contingency and retained. Contingency recruiters don’t get paid unless the candidate they bring forward to the company gets hire. Retained recruiters get paid a deposit upfront and keep it regardless of whether the person they bring forward is hired. For most undergraduates, working with a recruiter isn’t in the best interest of the recruiter because recruiters are looking for qualified candidates with previous work experience. However, a graduate with an MBA degree from a good university is a much more desirable candidate. Companies consider people with MBAs as smart, ambitious, and trainable. On the other hand, recruiters generally don’t work with Ph.D. students straight out of graduate school due to the differences between the private sector and academia. Recruiters generally prefer the Ph.D. candidate to have at least a year of industry work. Recruiters gravitate toward the “hotter” professions, and so candidates with a background in these professions have a better chance of working with good recruiters. For example, health informatics is emerging right now, so those with IT and healthcare backgrounds are in good position. Cliff also offers some key points to remember. First, recruiters have a vested interest in placing candidates to get paid, so they convince people to look at jobs they aren’t interested in. He warns you to be careful to not go on interviews for jobs that you know you aren’t interested in. Second, make sure not to work with a “bad” recruiter that is only in it for the money. They will flood their employees with a candidate’s resume, making the candidate look desperate. You need to tell the recruiter not to send out your resume to anyone without checking with you first. Take time to get to know the recruiter before deciding to work with one – get a feel for how they work. Finally, remember that the recruiter will do everything in their power to help you get a job. While there are some pitfalls, recruiters can definitely give the right candidate an advantage. Clifford S. Mintz, Ph.D. has an extensive background in biopharmaceutical drug development, biotechnology training and bioscience career development. Dr. Mintz has held a variety of positions including stints as a medical school professor, professional recruiter management consultant and medical/science writer. Cliff is the founder of BioInsights a biopharmaceutical education and training organization, a co-founder of BioCrowd a social networking and career development website for bioprofessionals and author of BioJobBlog. He teaches product development and regulatory affairs in several biotechnology training programs and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Georgetown Medical School. Cliff received a B.S. in microbiology/animal science from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed his post-doctoral studies at Oregon Health Sciences University and the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University. www.biojobblog.com www.biocrowd.com cliff@bicrowd.com Like this podcast, why not share it?
