Tips for Developing Your Biotech Personal Brand

As a proud member of the biotech industry—and a determined job seeker—it’s important that you showcase your involvement in the industry by developing your brand.  With the Internet in your corner, creating a brand is easier than you may think.  But a bit of effort will be required to really make it “pop”. Continue Reading

Need a Resume Checklist? Here’s One That Spans Most Industries

Isn’t life always easier when we’re able to come up with a list or set of guidelines to follow to complete a specific project?  Whether you’re checking off items on your grocery list or using a checklist to pack your bags before a big trip, this level of organization is great when trying to accomplish a goal.

As a person cranking out multiple resumes a day, a checklist is a good way to ensure you are incorporating key elements into the document that will help get you hired.  If you want to create your own checklist, here are some basic guidelines you can follow that work for most industries and fields: Continue Reading

Switching Biotech Fields? Here Are Some Resume Tips to Ease the Transition

The biotech industry is a vast one with plenty of opportunities for scientists hoping to expand their horizons.  Of course, for individuals looking to switch fields within this industry, it can feel a bit intimidating to know that your competition may already have experience you’re hoping to acquire.

The good news is that scientists change fields often, even in the postdoc portion of their careers.  So don’t feel intimidated.  Instead, focus your energy on reworking your resume in a way that will convince employers to hire you. Continue Reading

Networking Tips You Need to Know

When it comes to your job search, you should not be shy about networking.  After all, no one can help you if they don’t know you are looking for a job.  Networking also allows you to meet new people and build new relationships that can be beneficial to both parties.  Here are some helpful tips for effective networking: Continue Reading

Researching Target Employers to Enhance Your Executive Resume

Competing for jobs at the executive level can be challenging.  As with any other level within the job market, there are many qualified candidates applying for positions every day, which means it’s up to you to find the edge you need to score an interview—and hopefully the job.

One way to make hiring managers notice your resume is to personalize it, meaning you target every aspect of the company you’re applying to.  Of course, in order to do so, you’ll need to conduct research on companies you’re targeting for employment.  Here are some ways you can get this done: Continue Reading

Ideas That May Work Well in Your Job Search

With so many people looking for jobs, it is important to keep your mind open to any ideas that may enhance your job search.  Your resume is an essential factor in this process, but you must continue to be proactive in your search; no doubt the competition is doing so.  Here are some ways to get your job search moving: Continue Reading

4 Goals Your Cover Letter Introduction Should Accomplish

It’s no secret that every element of your cover letter is important from top to bottom.  But the cover letter introduction may be just a bit more significant simply because it works as the bait to lure in your readers, encouraging them to learn more about you.  To make sure that your introduction does its job, take a look at four goals every cover letter introduction should accomplish. Continue Reading

Top Five List for Job Search Repairs and Maintenance

“Just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect.” – Benny Hill

If you’ve been a long time reader of CareerAlley, you will notice that I’ve been including a fair number of “Top List” posts. This helps me shake up the content a bit but also provides readers with a quick hit list on the topic of the day. To make it easier to find my Top lists, I’ve add a page that lists the “Top List” posts on CareerAlley. This will include not only my posts, but guest posts as well.

Speaking of Top Lists, today’s post focuses on repairs and maintenance required to keep your job search on the road. What exactly does this mean? Things change and you need to keep all of your stuff up to date. Some things may not work as well as they used to (or maybe they are not working at all). So while you may think that your job search is in good shape, it’s always a good idea to get an oil change every few thousand miles or so. Continue Reading

Place the Job Search in Your Hands

How would you describe the status of your job search?  Hopefully, you have been proactive, researching companies and positions, sending out resumes, networking, etc.  Or, maybe you’ve been passive, not really trying to find a job because you are waiting for employers to call back or for the economy to improve.  If you’re doing the latter, then you have taken away any control of your job search.  Moving forward, you need to place the search in your hands.  Here are a few tips that can help: Continue Reading

3 Resume Writing Tips to Help Secure a Great Internship

Oftentimes, internship hopefuls are a bit surprised to learn that much of the job seeking process mirrors that of seasoned professionals.  You are responsible for locating great internship opportunities, writing resumes and cover letters, and sitting through interviews on your own.

For some, the most daunting task is writing a resume that can help snag a great interview—and hopefully a cool internship.  The good news is that everyone who has earned a successful career has at some point written their first resume.  By keeping a few tips in mind along the way, the writing process can be made a lot easier. Continue Reading