Asking Star to help you find your next opportunity will give you the best possible chance of securing the job you want. We'll use our network, industry expertise and recruitment savvy to help you perfect your CV, secure an interview, and then prepare for it. But in the interests of being as useful as possible at all times we've put together some advice with the help of Samantha Wise - pharma recruitment specialist since 2001 and the pharma business unit's Team Leader - to give you an understanding of what's expected of you.

How to write a great CV

Do it now

The biggest error most people make is to rush out a mediocre CV at the last minute; a good CV gives a recruiter a detailed impression of you from only a glance. They can tell right away who's taken time to prepare, and who's rushed it. Regard your CV and application letter as work in progress and give it a polish every couple of months. You never know when you will be asked for it.

Think like a journalist

For each occupation, and each level of each occupation and for changes of career and country, there are key things you need to be saying that recruiters want to hear. If you already know what those things are, make a list before you start writing to help concentrate your thoughts. If you need more information, speak to your recruiter to find out what buzzwords, concepts and competencies will carry conviction.

Make it interesting

A boring format or copy of your job definition makes very dull reading for recruiters; you need to hook your recruiter's interest pretty much straight away. Spend a bit of time thinking about how you'll sell yourself to your reader; what makes you stand out from the crowd? The story of your career needs to convince your recruiter that you're worth meeting. You need to contextualise your achievements and tell your recruiter what value you can add to an employer's future.

Make it look good

Structure and presentation is critical. Keep it short and punchy. Write a small personal profile including your contact details and education, including a degree if you have one and its classification, then move on to what you're doing now. At the beginning of each employment section make sure that you state the role, the company and the dates you were there, beginning with your most recent post. Below each employment heading put down perhaps three bullet points about the role, something along the lines of who you sold to, what you sold and the geography you worked. Now list your achievements but make sure they're comparative; if you achieved 100% versus the national average, don't forget to tell your reader what the national average is. Bullet points are a great space-saver, but you must make sure they relate to each other in a logical way and carry their own merit. A list of superlative claims without evidence won't fool anyone. Your CV should be no more than two pages long. Only people with around 25 or more years of experience warrant a third page. Stay away from titles like 'Profile' 'Career Objective' and 'Skills.' All you really need is a few sensible headlines such as 'Career,' 'Education' and 'Personal.' Make sure that your style is consistent throughout; use the same font and keep the layout consistent. Finally, when you think you've finished, take a look over your CV and ask yourself whether you think it looks good; if it doesn't, work on its appearance until you're completely satisfied that it looks appealing. 

Don't state the obvious

If your reader's reached the third paragraph of your letter and glanced at your CV, you've already shown them that you can communicate; there's no need to tell them in so many words that you're a 'good communicator,' a 'self-starter' or a 'great team player.' Your skills should be implicit in the quality, structure and relevance of their CV's content.

Don't forget about your cover letter

Your letter needs to capture the spirit of what's best about you. Safe, boring, over-length, repetitive letters that regurgitate your CV or try to match every single minor point in the job definition won't do the job.

Edit and edit again

Professional writers throw away more stuff than they publish; put your information down and then reduce it until you fit two pages. If necessary group all early career information under a separate heading and just give each job a line or two. Place the focus on the last 5-10 years and the highest levels of activity and achievement. If you're short on space cut the minor roles and competencies which are already implied by the big stuff you do. Write your brief and a powerful introduction last, when you know what you need to say to summarise your offering, and don't worry about giving it a heading; your reader will be able to tell what it is.

Check your spelling

Your eyes tend to skim over errors if you've been looking over the same thing for a long time. To be on the safe side, ask someone else to read over your CV; fresh eyes that aren't accustomed to particular errors may spot something you've missed.

Good luck in writing your CV and let us know if you'd like some feedback.

Psychometric testing

Psychometric testing is common in the pharma industry; we'll help prepare you for this ahead of time, but here's a brief overview.

Several different types of tests are used, but they're all designed to look at the person that sits behind the competencies. They're usually multiple-choice questions that are designed to measure your thinking and reasoning capabilities, particularly your analytical and reasoning ability. They're taken under timed exam conditions and often include a numerical and verbal reasoning test.

There's not a great deal you can do to prepare for these tests; they're designed to ask the same question in a variety of ways and so you'll be caught out if you say what you think your assessor wants to hear; put your business head on and answer as honestly as you can.

Personality profiling

Personality profiling is common in pharma interviews; it usually happens at second stage. They're designed to assess your characteristics, indicate how you're likely to react to different scenarios, and suggest whether or not you'll be a good company fit. They're not timed and there are no right or wrong answers. The key is to answer honestly; the tests are specifically designed to catch out inconsistencies and will often ask the same question in a variety of ways.

Assessment centres

A pharma assessment centre will typically involve a presentation, a role-play, a competency-based interview, and sometimes a group discussion. To prepare, make sure that you've completed your presentation with enough time left over to email it to your recruiter for objective critique. Arrive in plenty of time, or if it's an early start and a long way to travel, consider staying over nearby the night before. Bear in mind that you're always being assessed, so remember to be proactive and polite throughout the day. Assessment usually takes a Circumstance - Action - Result format; you can talk this through with your recruiter ahead of time if you'd like some extra practise. You should structure your calls before you go in and set yourself some pre-call objectives, making sure that you're making the best possible impression in the time you're given.

Interviews

Interviews in the pharma industry usually involve a quick talk through your CV, summarising experience and the reasons you have for leaving previous jobs, and a selection of competency questions during which your interviewer will look for examples of your achievements and skills in areas such as team work and innovation. As well as giving the interviewer the chance to find out more about you, remember that it's also an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and the company too.

How to deliver a great presentation

In short, the key to making an impact is preparation. Stick to the brief and the timelines and make it specific to the role you're applying for - generic presentations are a no-no. And once you've done all that, practise, practise and practise some more.

1. Before working on content, determine your audience's level of knowledge. It's important not to bore or patronise your listeners with information they already know, but conversely, don't overestimate their level of understanding either. If you're not sure, you may like to begin by explaining what assumptions you've made about your audience's understanding and how you've structured the presentation
2. Don't try to do too much. Keep you presentation visually succinct. Keep text to a minimum, highlighting your fundamental points only; reading aloud from a text heavy presentation is dull and uninspiring for your listener. You should use your slide to clarify the main themes of a particular point of your argument, and talk around those points instead; your listeners will find this approach infinitely more engaging.
3. Incorporate some meaningful examples and/or case studies to support your key points. Case studies should add weight to your argument, and not serve as a ploy to hide poor preparation. Only include information that's accurate, and supportable if questioned.
4. Ensure that your presentation is visually accessible, using a large, clear font and unobtrusive graphics and avoid gimmicky and distracting PowerPoint features.
5. Practise makes perfect - leave notes where you need to, and practise your presentation as if you were delivering it for your audience, and time it. If you're concerned about overrunning, work out beforehand what slides you may be able to skip over during the presentation if time is tight. You should practically know your presentation inside out if you've prepared adequately.
6. Whilst running through, attempt to put yourself in the mind of your audience; if you can, anticipate any questions that may crop up and prepare answers beforehand, or where necessary, resolve any pre-empted questions in your information.
7. Your conclusion is extremely important as it encapsulates the main points you want your audience to take away. Any prominent, key ideas/selling points should be clearly and concisely reiterated at the end of the presentation.

Delivering your presentation

1. Prepare the experience for your audience if you're given the opportunity; arrange the tables and chairs so that they'll be able to view the presentation clearly and comfortably.
2. If you're using your own laptop, ensure that you use your power cord to avoid awkward and unprecedented intermissions, and ensure you turn off your screen saver, and your emails.
3. Remember to introduce yourself properly.
4. Body language speaks volumes! If you're able to easily and naturally move about the room don't be afraid to do so; if you don't feel comfortable doing this, you could remain seated, keeping your body language as open as possible, but be aware that one of our clients' biggest gripes is people who deliver presentations sitting down. If you want to make an impact, stand up.  When presenting, remember to use your hands as a form of expression; your audience will enjoy it much more if they feel you're energised and enthusiastic about your subject.
5. Speak slowly and clearly, especially at the beginning of your presentation, to calm any pesky nerves.
6. If you've compiled a leave piece, whether as a paper handout or on a USB stick, remember to distribute it at the end of the presentation. Circulating accompanying information beforehand may distract your listeners during the presentation.
7. If you've kept your presentation points succinct and in note form, and prepared adequately to allow you to talk around your subject as opposed to script reading, you'll find it easy to make eye contact with your audience as you speak; it'll help you engage with what you're saying.
8. Ensure that you're smartly, yet comfortably dressed and take water with you, as talking at length can play havoc with your voice. If you're suffering from any topical conditions, such as a cold, ensure you take provisions for this to avoid being distracted by minor irritations.

Best of luck and let us know if we can do anything to help.