Advice for Job Seeking Science Graduates 

If you have recently graduated or are about to then here are a few tips that  should help you in your job search.

Apply for relevant roles

Don't apply for roles that require more experience than you have.

Applying for the wrong role does not inspire faith in your ability to read SOP's or other specifications.
Our clients are looking for people who have compliance at the heart of everything they do.  Applying for the wrong role does not give the right impression.  

So ....... ONLY apply for roles that match your qualifications and experience.

Apply for each job separately

So now you are applying only for relevant roles, don't spoil things by applying for a basket of jobs from a job board with "O.C.A" or "One Click Apply" to send the same CV for them all at once.

This is bad because though you may lack experience you could edit your CV and sending one CV for a basket of jobs is not putting you in the best light.  Our blog has an article about how to edit your CV to better suit a specification for a job vacancy.

How to work with agencies

As with all things in life, there are good agencies and not so good agencies.  Please don't tar us all with the same brush.  Nonetheless you should assume that all agencies are good then you will be putting your best foot forward.   Should you not like the agency then move on to another.

If you have a good one helping you then here's a few do's and don'ts to help you get the most form your agent:

Do's

• send CV's in MS Word Format and not as PDF's
• respect the time of the recruiters they have limited time to spare
• keep contact to the minimum, they will guide you as to how they prefer to make contact
• make your CV relevant
• register your CV by doing so on their website
• give details as to your preferences, relocation, salary, field of work, job type ie Permanent, Temporary or either.
• ask who the client is (make it clear your CV is for that role only!).

Don't 

• use a Generic CV for every job you apply for
• constantly ring up for feedback, a good agency will contact you
• interrupt the recruiter when asking screening questions
• lose focus, give the info he or she is asking for
• be afraid of asking questions at the end of the screening
• use links to docs such as on skydrive (it confuses data parsing engines and could send your application to a spam or junk folder).

Remember that an agent makes his or her living out of placing the right person in the right job.  They do this day in and day out and are the experts,if you are not a good match then a professional recruiter will not waste a clients time by putting your CV forward.

For you to get an interview you need to get past the resourcer and or recruiter. 

THE LAST BIG TIP

Most reputable agencies will provide advice pages and although they may look similar, each will have something special to offer, you should read as many as possible and take the best advice from each. 

Now go get that job!