Secrets of a CRA Recruiter craresources

It is standard practice for interviewers to open up the discussion with a question like “tell me about yourself” or “walk me through your resume.” I like starting an interview this way because it typically puts the candidate at ease while giving me an idea of what he/she is looking for. While there are certain key points you want to make when answering these introductory questions, it is important to know what not to say in a job interview. 
While this seems like a benign topic, we just had a very seasoned contract CRA who faceplanted during what should have been a simple interview.  Why? Because she talked about experiences that weren’t on her resume. 
The very experienced CRA may be thinking – “there is no way I can include everything on my resume”. We agree. So how do you know what should be included on your resume (and thus be prepared to discuss during the interview)? When you are updating your resume, what other aspects of your brand should you also consider tweaking? And the most important question - how do you know what not to say in a job interview? 
You may think my questions are pedestrian. But the answers will make or break your results. 

The topic of this week’s roundtable is self-defeating beliefs and how they may be keeping you unemployed or unhappily employed. I refer to self-defeating habit patterns as Blockers. Blockers are those habit patterns that may have helped you survive in the past but are no longer beneficial to you. For example, as a baby, you cried when you were hungry. But as an adult, if you cry every time you feel a bit peckish, people are going to think you have crazy on your face. 
And yes, limiting beliefs will sabotage your success. Although self-defeating beliefs are extremely powerful, they only subtly impact your behavior. But that subtle impact is enough because these limiting beliefs will keep you from pursuing your dreams. They keep you from reaching your full potential. For example, if you lack confidence, you are less likely to apply for jobs that are a slight stretch for you. If you don’t feel you are capable of achieving a specific goal, you are less likely to even try to obtain it. Alternatively, if you are overqualified for a position, you may act entitled or arrogant while in the pursuit of it. 
So how do you know if you have self-defeating beliefs? How do you know if you have blockers that are sabotaging you? Let me ask you this: are you currently feeling love, peace, fulfillment, joy, and enlightenment? Did you wake up this morning with enthusiasm, feeling super excited to tackle your day? If not…then you are running one or more blockers. Which means you have limiting beliefs that are sabotaging your efforts. 
Join us as we discuss how to identify what Blockers you may have as well as provide some examples of how to overcome them. 

Do you think that bosses can have friends at work?  It is a complicated question…and if your answer is no, then I am certainly guilty. I love my team members. Each and every one of them are more than just colleagues to me. But as the boss, fostering close relationships with team members can sometimes lead to firing a friend. 
The irony is that most firings can be avoided. Last year I had to release one of my recruiters and it broke my heart (I cried for a couple of days, actually). I had felt she was becoming burned out because I noticed that she was pulling candidates from our pool for silly reasons. I attempted to open a dialogue with her during one of our one-on-ones but she insisted everything was okay. But then, she went ‘bat-crazy” on the company’s co-founder because he asked her to download a new firewall on her PC.
I had no choice but to let her go. After I released her a couple of my team members revealed that she had been bullying them. Jeepers…she had been negatively impacting the rest of the team. And I had to ask myself…why wouldn’t she open up to me? Why wouldn’t she just tell me what was amiss so that we could work to solve the problem? 
None of us have to be on this journey alone…isn’t that the point of being ‘more than just colleagues’ at work? 
We team up with one of our favorite industry leaders, Linda Arnett, to discuss this exact topic. Everyone trips and falls at work…but these trips and falls don’t have to be deal breakers when folks are properly communicating and holding themselves accountable. Yes - firing a friend can be avoided. Listen in to find out how. 

Some of our listeners may argue that no one should be declining a job offer in today’s economy.  I find that many candidates decide to accept or decline a position based only on compensation. But aren’t there other factors important to you? 
And while I agree that money shouldn’t be the primary driver in making career decisions, isn’t financial security something everyone strives for? How do you balance ensuring your financial needs are being met while also considering the other aspects of the position? 
If you are thinking about applying to or accepting a job that doesn’t fit your career path, perhaps you should consider the following:  
Does accepting this position completely (and permanently) derail your career path or goals? Will you jump ship if you receive the perfect job offer next week? Have you considered what you can gain in this position and if that is ‘enough’ for now? Oh – and if you decide to decline the job offer, how do you do it in a way that leaves the door open for future opportunities? 
There are many reasons for declining a job offer. Alternatively, there are many reasons for accepting one that may not be a perfect fit. This is our team’s roundtable topic this week. We want to hear from you – should you be declining a job offer in today’s economy? 

Have you ever considered how getting a job is directly related to your mindset as a job seeker? Before you craft your resume, update your LinkedIn profile, or start applying for positions, consider whether your mindset may be turning off potential hiring managers. 
For example, let’s say that you apply for a position that is a bit over your experience level. If you go into that situation lacking self-confidence, your interviewer will sense it. The bottom line is if you can not convince yourself you deserve the job, you will have a difficult time convincing your interviewer.
Alternatively, maybe you feel you can handle the job in your sleep. Do you therefore come across cocky? 
And what about those of you who are running away from a current position because it is so horrible? When you are living in a mindset of frustration, don’t you think the recruiter or hiring manager will sense that energy? 
Getting a job should mean that you are going after a job that matters to you. Which means you are clear on what you want. It also means you must have the right mindset to go after it. For example, having the right mindset will enable you to craft a resume that is true to who you are. One that tells your story and clearly outlines where you want your career to go. Having the right mindset will also enable you to clearly articulate your skills, desires, and goals during an interview. 
But…and this is a big one…but maybe you need someone to help reset your mindset or attitude. Perhaps a sounding board will enable you to get clear. And that is the topic of today’s podcast with our friend and colleague, industry coach Jasmyn Quianna Adams. We hope you enjoy it! 

Several years ago Lou Adler wrote an article that described what recruiters and talent leaders felt were challenges to hiring the right person. He boiled their feedback into two primary categories: Teams aren’t seeing enough quality candidates, and Hiring managers are the problem, not the solution. 
Hiring the right person can certainly be a challenge. And yes, we see many Sponsors and CROs speak to a shortage of qualified CRAs as the reason to settle. But I don’t feel there is a shortage of high-quality CRAs. I do, however, feel the real ‘shortage’ companies are challenged with is their inability to attract great talent.  
But this is a discussion for another day. 
Today, I want to ask if you agree with Lou’s assessment. Do you feel hiring managers are the problem when it comes to a company’s ability to hire great talent? We teamed up with one of our industry leaders, Brian Dempster, to shed some light on the topic. We address the idea that hiring the right person starts with using the right interviewer. 
And no, not all clinical operations managers make good interviewers. But is the hiring process complete without clinical operations being involved? Likewise, I have met many recruiters who are terrible interviewers - especially when it comes to sussing the technical details. In a nutshell, my opinion is that the largest barrier most companies have to hiring the right person is their recruitment strategy…or lack thereof. 
We hope you enjoy the discussion!