The Life Sciences sector is growing faster than ever, so there is a high volume of new talent looking to join the industry. Employers receive a lot of applications, so you need to stand out from the crowd and establish yourself as the worthwhile hire. An employer’s first introduction to you is your CV, so if it isn’t up to par, you’ll have lost before you even began.
To help you find your first role in Life Sciences, we have prepared our top tips for getting your foot through the door.
A good tip for creating a CV is to put relevant experience at the top. For example, if a role requires using statistical software, then you’d place that skill at the top of the relevant skills section. Nevertheless, this isn’t an excuse to lie. The purpose of this is to match your actual experience to the expectations of the job.
However, for this tip to work, you need to tailor your CV to one particular job role. Depending on what you’re looking for, this may involve creating multiple CVs for each job role you apply for.
Focus on how your actions have led to positive outcomes and, if possible, add a statistic to add weight to your claims. This shows the employer how you would be an asset to their team and the kind of skills that you’re bringing to the table. Giving examples of how you applied your skills helps give a clear image of how useful you will be to the company.
To get noticed you need a strong opening line. Employers can get over a hundred CVs, so you need to slice through the competition to stick in the employer’s mind. The beginning of your CV is the most valuable part, so you want to make it clear that you are an excellent fit for the role. This may mean leading with how many years of experience you have or what your core skills are; for example, if you’re looking for a technician role, you’d write something like “I’m an ambitious graduate looking for a technician role, my skills and experience include…”.
The quickest way to be disqualified from a job application is to have a poorly written CV. Read, reread, and re-reread your CV, and then get someone else to read it. Careers in Life Sciences require someone who is detail-oriented and the easiest way to demonstrate this is by having a spotless CV. It’s worth investing in tools like Microsoft Word and Grammarly which will help guarantee your spelling and grammar is correct.
It’s important to channel optimism throughout your CV, as this will show employers that you are a positive person who is excited to work for them. Along with increasing your likability with your employer, positive thinking will also improve your mental health.
We’ve previously written an article about managing job-search anxiety, so check it out here if you need help managing your anxiety and maintaining a positive outlook.
Your CV needs to be readable and to the point. It’s important that your CV is reader-friendly, which means only adding relevant information. Employers sift through many applications so you need to get straight into what makes you stand out and demonstrate why you’ll be an asset to the team. Bullet points are a worthwhile addition to your CV as they will improve readability and help you be concise.
As specialists in Life Science recruitment, we have a lot of experience when it comes to reading CVs so we know what works and what doesn’t. As such, it is worth reaching out to a recruitment consultant and getting a second opinion on your CV. They know exactly what employers are looking for so they can help you tailor your CV to emphasise your related experience.
Read more about how a recruitment consultancy can speed up your job search here and have a look at our Life Science jobs here.
