The pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest areas for career growth, yet figuring out which path to take isn’t clear-cut. The consultants at Mufson Associates will be a catalyst in directing you through the confusing yet abundant realm of opportunities.

Advice for Candidates

Forget about search engines…

You need someone to engineer your search.
A new recruitment dot.com site seems to appear weekly on the web . Its effectiveness is based on a quantitative theory that your resume will be looked at by a plethora of would-be employers. If you are looking to be selective and keep confidentiality intact, working with an experience executive recruiter can be a major asset to your next career move. A recruiter specializing in your field can provide insight to the industry, prepare you for the interview, take charge of the logistics, and help negotiate your compensation. You will have a true advocate helping you with your career search. Can you get that by working through a search engine?

To use one recruiter or not…that is the question.
The belief that the more recruiters you work with will increase your chances for a job is not practical. Depending on your job search scope; working with one recruiter can be beneficial. Your control mechanisms are increased immensely ensuring confidentiality. If the recruiter is well established in your specialized area, he will be fully consultative about the industry and not just recite job specs to you. He will have a balanced array of opportunities that fits your goals. Senior level positions tend to be put out on retained searches. Make sure the recruiter has the body of work to support your needs. Having a dedicated consultant working on your behalf is irreplaceable.

Recruiter reveal yourself.
Make sure the recruiter you work with is specialized in the industry you seek. Ask the recruiter about his or her track record or the company’s track record in placing candidates with similar background to yours. If possible meet the recruiter and work on a strategy on career development not just job opportunity. Ask about how the process works and be clear on your expectations. Creating a strong relationship with the right recruiter can benefit you for years to come.

Honesty is beneficial.
Once you have decided to embark on a job search be forthcoming with the recruiter. Whether it is about job expectations or salary issues, the truth ensures a smoother process towards finding the right position. A recruiter needs to work with accurate information so he or she can best target realistic options for you in the job market. This will prevent wasted time for you and the prospective employer. If you don’t feel you can be totally open with the recruiter, then it’s best you find a different recruiter or utilize that dot.com search engine we discussed earlier.

Discount the counteroffer.
I could throw out a bunch of derived statistics to show you that counteroffers typically don’t work. I won’t bother. Be wary of putting a recruiter and a prospective employer through the counteroffer game. It can come back to haunt you. The pharmaceutical industry is an incestuous world and you will meet up again with those you have burned. Be in tune with your reasons for leaving and don’t start a job search until you have firmly established that the reasons for leaving are beyond just money issues. If it is money issues then request an increase before you start your job search. If your request is denied, that’s a clear indication of how they value you. Don’t use counteroffers to determine your value.