PART I
PREPARATION 1
WHERE TO START?
Itâs the moment all job seekers are waiting for: you receive a call and schedule an interview. There is a surge of hope as you think about working again and how exciting it could be to join this company. In addition, you dream of the huge relief that your search is over.
However, the excitement is quickly mixed with panic. What should you do? How will you get ready? And most importantly, how can you know what they really want?
Letâs back up for a minute to see what you already know:
The title (and hopefully a job description).
The date, time, and place of the interview.
How many people youâre seeing (and eventually a schedule that includes their names and titles) or if itâs simply a screening interview.
Contact information for the person who set this up (often a recruiter, agency, or HR representative).
As a friend of mine likes to say, âFacts are friendly,â meaning I think that solid information is helpful and is the best place to start. So if you know the name of the company (and there are times when recruiters donât give this to you up front), you can begin your research. You could start with the companyâs website, but be careful not to stop there, as there may be more useful information on other websites or in industry journals and blogs.
You must know what the company does and be up-to-date with their current situation. If theyâve just acquired a small biotech company, you need to know about it as it could affect your potential job at the company. Having this up-to-date research at your fingertips is one of the most effective ways to prove youâre interested in the company. Never wing it and ask, âWhat does your company do?â Thatâs the quick path to a polite, âThank you for coming inâ and the interview is over.
If research isnât your thing and youâre struggling to find good information on the company, go to your local public library and ask the reference librarian for help. Theyâre skilled at finding even obsolete information.
Now that youâve done some research, think about how the company found you, or in some cases, how you found them. If it was through an Internet ad, study the job description, but keep in mind that those descriptions are almost always incomplete and in some cases inaccurate. If you were referred in by a networking contact, ask that person for a convenient time to find out what they know about the company. In some cases they may have inside information, such as why the position is open or how the department is structured, which could be very useful to you. Most recruiters have solid working relationships with the companies they submit candidates to, so make sure to ask, if youâre using a recruiter, what they know about the company, the people youâll be meeting, and any other general information. Itâs in their interest for you to do well. And lastly, if you targeted the company directly by emailing the hiring manager, review what you put in that email.
Next, make sure youâre up-to-date in the industry. Letâs say youâre going to interview with Campbellâs Soup. You need to know what their new products are, who their competition is, how their business is doing, and new trends or challenges that affect not only Campbellâs, but other companies in the food industry. There are industry journals, blogs, and associations that can help you find this critical information.
Now take a careful look at the title and job description. Titles can vary wildly from one company to another, so itâs best to study the scope of the job itself without getting concerned about the title. From what you know so far, ask yourself: âWhat is the most important thing the person in the position must do?â Start thinking about how your particular background fits or meets this need. In the sidebar thereâs an interview MAP that is going to help you specifically structure how your qualifications meet their requirements. Your interview MAP will help you stay on track, reduce nervousness, and document the main points youâve covered with each interviewer.
If youâre seeing three people, create a MAP for each meeting with the name of the company and the name and title of the person at the top. In the left column put the job description and what youâve learned from your research. In the right, list key words to remind you of your qualifications and accomplishments that match the companyâs qualifications. If, for example, they want someone with three to five yearsâ experience, that would be listed in the left column, and if you have six years of experience, you put that in the right column. I know you may be thinking, âHow silly is that? Thereâs no way Iâd ever forget how long Iâve worked!â However, in my experience of coaching thousands of job seekers, itâs amazing what can happen under stress. So even if you never refer to your MAP during an interview, I believe youâll find it helpful. Just knowing that itâs there in your portfolio is a comfort, and if you hit a nervous moment or two, you can open your portfolio, glance down at your notes, and regain your confidence.
Also take note of the date, time, and location of the interview. Check the directions carefully; many career coaches recommend taking a dry run if it is reasonable. If you have to fly to a distant location, make sure you have all the travel information as well as someone to contact if thereâs a problem. And if you have to purchase the tickets yourself, ask how youâll be reimbursed. If a recruiter is involved, they should handle these logistics.
Try to give yourself unstructured time both the day before and the day after the interview. This is an exhausting process and you want to give yourself every possible advantage. Scheduling three interviews in one week is rarely a good idea. As soon as you can, get a sense of how the interview is expected to run. Will it be a panel with eight people asking you questions at once? If youâre a scientist, when will your presentation be given and how many people will be attending? Is it one of those all-day affairs where you might be put in a conference room and the interviewers come in one after the other? Weâll talk later about how to survive these âmeat-grinderâ interviews. Ask for the schedule and the names and titles of the people who will be seeing you. This allows you to learn something about them (through LinkedIn, Google, and so on) and it gives you time to practice pronouncing difficult names. Many times candidates are told âWeâll give you the schedule when you arrive.â Ask firmly but politely to have it now if possible.
The Interview Map
XYZ, Inc
Interview with Cathy Jones, MD and CEO for Director of
Operations/Medical Affairs position, 1/8/13
KEY COMPONENTS OF POSITION | MATCHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
Design operational processes to allow efficient execution of high-quality clinical studies, as per regulations | Established and refined SOPs for IIT program, Training, Clinical Trial Disclosure, Contracting, Clinical system management |
Ensure consistency of operational approach across studies and development programs | Do through training, work toward one system, team collaboration, communication top down, incorporate into IDPs |
Supervise implementation of clinical studies in compliance with Regs and SOPs | Med Devâadd stats |
Prepare medical affairs related reports, such as postmarketing clinical study reports, and annual reports, etc. | Clinical trial disclosure on CT.gov, annual IND, safety reporting requirements (should be coordinator with regulatory, safety, clinical research). Managed clinical trial coordination, worked with drug safety for quarterly or annual safety reports |
Manage compliance issues and develop cost estimates/budgets for postmarketing trials | Have budget templates, work as a team on requirements. Used Grants Manager system to provide initial budget guidance |
Leadership ability to motivate | I thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous, changing environments. I am a problem-solver, organizer, leader, and implementer |
Project management; resource allocation & fiscal management | I have managed 3 to 4 diverse support groups while being responsible for 4 to 5 projects/initiatives |
Contract negotiation and management of vendor relationships | Negotiated site contracts and part of negotiations for IVRS vendor, consultants, and system deployment vendor |
Understand complex clinical compliance issues; FDA regulations, GCP, ICH, global regulations and require... |