By Max Mifsud, PharmaLogics Project Specialist

As life sciences recruiters, our goals in working with any candidate is to help them find the role that will take them to the next level in their career. In order to get them there, we spend time before the first round of interviews preparing to help them land the job. 

Verifying a match

Before sending a candidate off to speak with a hiring manager, I spend time speaking with them to dive into their general motivation. First off, are they even in the market for a new role? If not, there isn’t much to dive into. If they are, we can narrow down what they are looking for. Having the candidate think about these questions will help them once they get to the interview stage:

  • What do they want in a company? 
  • What do they want in their next role? 
  • Are they looking to change job responsibilities or the job environment? 
  • Are they seeking more career growth? 

If their responses align with the hiring manager’s, we have a match! 

First round interviews 

The best advice I give my candidates before they head to their first interview is to interview the company as much as they are interviewing you. Take the time to learn from the hiring manager if the company has what you are looking for. What is the growth path for the role? What is the department’s vision for the next two to five years? This gives the hiring manager the sense that you see yourself in the role long term, and allows the candidate to learn more about the role. 

Going into the first interview, I also tell my candidates to do their research! Research the company, research any work the company currently has in the pipeline, and research the LinkedIn profiles of people you will be meeting with. You should be able to give a minute-long pitch on what the company does in the first few interviews based on the research you’ve completed. When it comes to the life sciences industry, show your investment in the work. You want to learn how this role will fit into the company’s projects and what will be expected of you as an employee once you join the team. 

Often, companies will share a slide deck of information with recruiters that we can share with candidates to assist in their research. You want to ask specific questions to show that you’ve understood what the company does and how your role will assist in the bigger picture. The more general the question is, the more inexperienced the company will think you are.  

Interviews with the team

After the initial meeting with the hiring manager it is time for the candidate to decide if they want to move forward and meet the team. In these interviews, make sure you keep the same energy you had with the hiring manager. Show why you’re interested in moving forward with the interview process. Extend each person the same courtesy of eye contact, saying thank you, asking questions, and sharing your excitement about the role and the team.

Over these next few conversations, you can give your interviewers a well-rounded view of yourself and your previous experiences by sharing unique examples of your work based on their questions. They will likely be comparing notes, so don’t tell all the same stories!

Other important things to remember 

When looking at the life sciences job description, there should be a few areas that you want to grow in. After sharing all your great experience with the team and letting them know how great of a fit you are, share how you think the role can help you grow and what interests you about it. Also, be sure to share where your prior experiences align and show where your value add is. What extra component do you bring to the team that they are currently missing? 

Job interviews are a two-way street, and the candidate should be as excited about the company as they want the company to be about them. Our goal at PharmaLogics is to make sure that all the candidates we work with have the information they need to make an educated decision about the future of their career.

 

About the Author:

max mifsud

Max Mifsud, Project Specialist at PharmaLogics, has taken a deep dive into the world of life science recruiting over the past 2.5 years. In gaining a thorough understanding of the full life cycle of recruiting from candidate outreach to offer acceptance, Max seeks to keep those he works with informed, excited, and ready for the next great step in their career. For any question or comment you have, Max is available, ready to take your call, not only because he loves talking, but because he knows time is of the essence. This is not just another job but an opportunity that helps candidates find meaningful roles where they can impact and save people’s lives.