Things that Warm My Heart

As a Recruiting Professional there are 2 things that warm my heart
A) Helping a person find a new job
B) Having a candidate I place call me down the road letting me know they were promoted

Below is a a quick story that made my week.

I recently received word that a Manufacturing Engineer I placed at a company 1.5 yrs ago was recently promoted to Manager. Something I knew was inevitable as this person is a true professional, is as brilliant as can be and is truly one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
Anyway I had the opportunity to speak with this person today, congratulating him on his promotion to which he replied " I couldn't have done it without you". I laughed for a minute to which he replied, " I am being serious, because of you helping me find this job, I am where I am today".

I was immediately humbled, honored and touched by his statement.

Although petty to some, not to me!

Have a Great Week and Happy Holidays!

Resume Do's and Dont's

As a Staffing Consultant I always get tons of questions which I absolutely love to answer. I also came across a Q&A of what HR professionals like and dislike in resumes. Below are a few to help you create that winning resume.

Do's

* Make sure all your contact information is correct; address phone number(s) and some people go as far as putting their linkedin profile links. If you do this, make sure your resume information matches your linkedin profile.

* Make sure your objective is in line with the position you are applying for. If you submit your resume for an Engineer/Associate position, make sure your objective is not geared towards management/manager

* Do make sure your resume somewhat reflects/mirrors the job you are applying for. I am not saying to plagiarize the job description but remember, your resume will only get viewed once. Make that first impression!

* Keep a continuous format throughout

* Do create 2 resumes to specifically outline different roles and responsibilities. If you are an engineer that has worked in say Manufacturing as well as R&D, write one resume more Manufacturing focused and another more R&D focused.

Dont's

* Write your resume in third person, i:e Mr Smith was responsible for x,y,z. Believe me this is a BIG turnoff

* Don't try and cram 20 years of experience into 2 pages. The 2 page rule is a myth. But on the flip side, don't over embellish and wind up creating a 10 page resume. What I am seeing now is a 2-3 page resume with a 3rd or 4th page of brief accolades for each position. I personally think this is great.

* Use colorful fonts, text boxes or boarders. KISS (Keep it short and sweet)

Questioning whether you have an award winning resume? Feel free to send it to me. If you can handle constructive criticism, would be more than happy to lend my eye. sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Make it a Great Week!

Networking/Looking for a job

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked.......What tools do you use for networking??





Well I would be pretty comfortable but to be honest I don't mind answering it.





There is alot of "social media" out there





http://www.linkedin.com/





http://www.twitter.com/





http://www.facebook.com/





And the list goes on and on.





Now the big question is differentiating between personal and professional





Linkedin - is a business oriented networking site with over 60 million regsitered users. This is the absolute best site for business dealings. Keyword Business! Many employers are using this to find talent to join their companies.





Few tidbits:





1. If you are going to use a picture, use something professional. Doesn't have to be suit and tie but something that clearly depicts your face and perhaps a nice shirt/blouse. I have seen pictures of Guitars, and dogs just to name a few. Companies use this site to find future employees, remember, first impression is everything.





2. Make sure info is up to date. Email addresses, job profile, and degrees. If you're seeking a job, dont be afraid to put that in the "share an update" box. "Seeking a new opportunity within Medical Device Manufacturing"





3. Anyone you meet, ask them if they are on linkedin and when you get home, send them an invite. It's all about increasing your network.

Fee free to email me with any questions about Linkedin, networking etc sschantz@cardalifesciences.com

Where has the Year Gone!?!

Hello to any and all followers. My deepest apologies for the lack of updates as it has been a fun and very busy year. It's hard to believe the Summer is almost over, my Daughter starts 1st grade in 2 weeks as both kids are growing like weeds.

Regardless of what you read, unemployment rates do seem to be going up but as I have stated numerous times, the Life Sciences Industry seems to be the area with the least amount of unemployment. Start-ups are still receiving funding, conglomerates like Boston Scientific are still getting hit by the FDA and mid sized companies continue their R&D efforts....what does this mean? Hiring/job openings.

OK so where are these openings? Well this is the fun and interesting part....You and I have to play Colombo and find them as they are not as prevalent and not on all the job boards. Be proactive, be creative and do your homework. Competition is tough.

As always I am here to help......Feel free to contact me any time.

As for a quick list of openings:

Design Assurance Engineer - Boarder of NH/MA......combination of Quality, Verification and Validation

Regulatory Specialists - Domestic and International, 3 yrs+, North Shore, Ma. both Devices and Biologics, 510K, CE Mark (Shonin is fantastic)

Sr Test Engineer - Metro West Ma - Good blend of HW/SW, V&V and can filly implement and commission Testing from A to Z

Electromechanical Technician - Metro West Ma - Jr role, perhaps an assembler that has transitioned into a tech. Must have a great background with Testing, Voltmeters, ESD and the like.

More to come..

As always wishing you a great rest of the Summer.....

Remember...

People are not trained, Dogs are trained.....people are educated! - Herbert Marcus of Neiman Marcus

Plea to Job Seekers

In today's Marketplace time is of the essence. As you know there is alot more competition on the market. In saying this, when you send out your resume please make sure all contact information is on your resume, address, phone number(s) and please make sure it is updated and correct.

Many organizations will not take the time to email you and await a reply with this information but rather move on to the next qualified candidate.

Thanks for reading and Make it a Great Day!

About us:

With more than 10 years of experience, Carda Life Sciences is one of most recognized Life Science Solution firms. We currently service clients in all major hubs, with a Core Focus on New England. Whether you are a company looking to hire the absolute best talent, build an HR Infrastructure or an individual seeking a new job opportunity Carda Life Sciences is your answer!

February - The Month of Love and New Jobs

Happy February Everyone! January came in and out like the one 55 degree day we had.



First off, let me say that everything I am reading is showing an increase in Hiring throughout the Life Sciences Sector (Pharma/ Med Device / Biotech). If it wasn't I would be doing something else.



Carda Life Sciences; www.cardalifesciences.com is fully off and running. Below is a few positions we are actively recruiting for:



Manufacturing Engineer - Southern Mass



Director of Health Economics - Boston



Marketing Manager - Chicago Illinois



Quality Engineer - Rhode Island



Project/Program Manager - Southern Mass



If you are a Life Sciences Professional looking for a new home or a Company looking to add Top Notch Talent, contact me at sschantz@cardalifesciences.com



If anyone is looking for Documents as it relates to GMP's, Signature Logs or anything else related to Manufacturing I encourage you to visit http://wfleonardconsulting.com/nopcommerce/Default.aspx




In closing, Hopefully every one's year is off to a Great Start! If not, make a Better February! Don't be a statistic. Create your destiny!

How Best to Work with Recruiters

Even in today's marketplace, many people have not worked with recruiters and unfortunately recruiters do not fully explain how they work and how best to work with them.

Recruiter - A Recruiter is the person within a staffing firm that is responsible for identifying and screening/evaluating qualified candidates for an open position within a client business.

This is a loose definition but I think it gives you an idea of what we do.

Q.How best do I work with a recruiter?

First off be completely honest; whether it be your salary, job history/reasons for leaving, commute etc. Believe it or not Recruiters have ways of verifying this information.

Keep tabs of where you or other recruiters send your resume. Let them know if your CV has been previously sent to a company they may be telling you about. It puts you and the recruiter in a bad light if your resume has been previously sent. If a recruiter refuses to tell you who their client is, nicely tell them you do not want to work with them.

Before you submit your resume to a job posting online, call your recruiter first and see if he/she may have contacts within that company. Most of the time when you apply online your resume gets lost in the shuffle amongst 10,20,30 other resumes. Recruiters can sometimes bring your resume to light ahead of other applicants. On top of this, recruiters love the leads!!

Be realistic with yourself. If you are a Quality Engineer and have 5 years of industry experience, chances are a company is not going to hire you for a Director/VP level position. Additionally if you are currently earning $95K, you should not ask for $140K with your next position.

Lastly, If you don't hear from your recruiter, follow up with him/her. We are humans and occasionally need that friendly reminder that you are still on the market or need to follow up with a client that we sent your CV to.

2010 is Here

Ahh 2010 is upon us and in full swing. As I reflect back on 2009, I realize although I didn't have a F/T job, life was still Great.

Moving forward I have partnered up some with Great Life Science Recruiters and look forward to working with you as it relates to any and all Staffing Needs.

Why Work With Me and My Partners?

- We only work within the Life Sciences Vertical Market

- We take pride in our work

- We work at your pace

- Before we begin, we go the extra distance and get to know your company's background and culture

- We offer total solutions to your needs.

- For candidate searches, we work only with executive profiles that match your company's unique needs.

- We can build an HR Infrastructure that can be easily transitioned to the next person.

- We focus strictly on Quality and not Quantity

- We truly enjoy what we do.

Tired of working with Recruiters and Agencies that just don't get it?! Contact me, you won't be disappointed!

Wishing you all a Phenomenal 2010...