How to network for job success in the life sciences sector

We’re in a great position to witness and guide the job-hunting strategies that work best for candidates. Beyond any doubt, establishing a professional network is key to career development, and a common denominator among those on the high road to success in the life sciences sector.

From our perspective, we face an increasingly demanding and competitive talent market. While we certainly find candidates from a wide variety of outlets, personal referrals and direct contact through networking events are very effective sources of quality hires.

So how do you make the kind of connections that will increase your chances of being approached for upcoming roles?

Conferences and other industry events

An excellent way to expand your professional network is to get along to industry events. With senior pharmaceutical company managers in attendance, you will find you have a captive audience of ‘movers and shakers’ to engage and impress. I’ve always believed that networking requires – its goal is to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships. You can find tips to help you to build and nurture your strategic network here.

One such conference, specifically convened to encourage networking within the life sciences sector, is the DIA Annual Meeting, billed as ‘the largest global interdisciplinary gathering of life sciences professionals’ where you can ‘network with peers and build new relationships across multiple disciplines’. This year, the meeting will be held in Philadelphia, USA, June 26-30. I’m also  excited to announce that a number of my Hays Life Sciences colleagues from Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK will be attending the DIA EuroMeeting 2016, which starts this week. If you are also attending, please do drop by to stand K8 for a discussion. You can also contact me to arrange a meeting during the conference by contacting me via email: [email protected].

For regulatory affairs professionals, one of the biggest events on the calendar is the TOPRA Annual Symposium, this year being held September 28-30 in Amsterdam. Covering human and veterinary medicine and medical devices, it will provide a great opportunity to meet and discuss current regulatory issues and debates around future regulatory planning.

Europe’s largest conference in the quality assurance arena is the tri-yearly European QA conference, coming up this month, April 27-29, in Nice, France. You’ll have to hurry to secure a place, but what better way to fast track your professional development while cultivating your contact list?

Don’t be shy

Any professional gathering in the life sciences field provides a place to be seen and heard. Take your business cards, talk to delegates and ask plenty of questions about what they do. Be sure to connect with specialist recruitment agencies (with Hays number one on your list!) and get yourself onto databases as a matter of course. That way you’ll be foremost in mind and easy to find when suitable positions arise.

Making the most of social media

LinkedIn is emerging as one of the top pharmaceutical industry networking tools, so ensure your profile is optimised, both for key words related to your field and in the way you present yourself.

If you enjoyed this blog then you might also appreciate some of the following:

• How to develop your strategic networking game plan
• The three types of network you need to succeed
• How to optimise your LinkedIn profile
• 5 things life science startups are looking for on your CV
• Life sciences recruitment: where are we headed?
• Trends that will change life science hires in 2016
• Q&A with Neil Campbell, President and CEO at Helmonics
• Start me up: embracing the age of life science startups
• Big Data, big impact on life science skills demand

Author

Paul Strouts

Global Managing Director, Hays Life Sciences

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Paul Strouts is the Global Managing Director for Hays Life Sciences, looking after 27 countries within the group’s portfolio, spanning from New York in the US to Sydney in Australia. From his base in our flagship London office, Paul oversees all operations and sales for the brand, and drives the business forward on a strategic level.

He joined Hays in 2007 following the acquisition of his Life Sciences business (James Harvard International) and has been involved in the sector since 2001, after becoming interested in Life Sciences whilst living near Harvard in Boston, MA. Paul is a graduate of the London Metropolitan University, and resides in the Home Counties, UK.