Hello, my name is Anna Tulchinsky. I am the editor of this newsletter as well as all other stuff that gets published on the PulseHR website. If you find this newsletter interesting and helpful, feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues.

 

Issue 04

November 5, 2002

 

C O N T E N T S:

 

1. Health related goodies

2. Do employers or recruiters really read resumes?

3. Your cover letter: make it personal, but keep it professional

4. How recruiters think and what you need to know about it

5. Temporary workers may now join unions (USA)

6. Convention announcement - repeated (Toronto, November 18-20)

 

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Health related goodies

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- New 20-Minute Rapid HIV Test Nears FDA Approval
- Trials Show New Arthritis Drug Safe and Effective
- A Potential New Start for Gene Therapy
- Global Healthcare Review - November 2002
- Healthcare Review: Biotechnology - November 2002

- Strategies for Reaching the Health-Care Market

 

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Broad Coalition of Public Health Officials, Health Organizations, AIDS Groups Call for Widespread Availability of Potential Life-Saving Tool.
 


  

 

Trials of a new arthritis drug show it is as safe and effective as drugs currently on the market, but cheaper and simpler to take, a scientist said. Rituximab combats rheumatoid arthritis, a severely disabling disease that affects around 5.8 million people worldwide. It causes inflammation of joints and bone erosion -- badly affected patients can sometimes need two or three hours just to get out of bed in the morning.

 

Professor Jo Edwards, who has been leading trials of the new drug at University College London, said they showed two injections of Rituximab could cause a temporary remission in rheumatoid arthritis that lasted up to three years. "Rituximab looks to be as good as the best drugs currently available," he told reporters. "The study shows it definitely works, and works in a long-term fashion."

 

The drug noticeably improved the condition of over 80 percent of the 122 patients studied, and caused major improvements in the condition of half. "We've had people going back to the gym, back to work" Edwards said.

 

 

 

Just weeks ago, gene therapy celebrated one of its greatest successes, the almost-miraculous cure of a two-year-old Dutch child afflicted with “bubble boy syndrome.” His severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) forced him to live hermetically sealed in plastic. But by removing stem cells from his marrow, genetically modifying them, and re-injecting them, researchers gave him a shiny new fully functional immune system.

 


 

 

Out of the hundreds of topics covered in this month's review, the most important include:

 

 - The FDA has recommended approval for AstraZeneca's Iressa, despite concerns over the design of clinical trials. Iressa will be the first to market from a new class of EGFR inhibitors, with potential applications in nine major cancer types.


 - Initial results from a major clinical trial involving Pfizer's cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor have shown that the drug provided a significant benefit in reducing fatal and non-fatal heart attacks as well as strokes.

 

Please note that there is a fee for a full report.

 


 

 

Out of the dozens of topics covered in this month's review, the most important include:


- Progenics has developed vaccine candidates that contain critical surface proteins whose form closely mimics the structures found on the AIDS virus.

- Research at the University of Melbourne is revealing a whole host of targets, thanks to the cracking of the genetic code of the malaria parasite.

 

Please note that there is a fee for a full report.



 

 

 

Question: I would like to join a health-care consulting firm as a partner. How can I find an opportunity that is right for me?

 

Find the answer to this question and more on the Wall Street Startup Journal.

 

 

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Do employers or recruiters really read resumes?

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 - Yes, they do. Everyone reads their email. We all know that.

 

Moreover, if employers receive too many resumes and can't read them all, they usually spend money to hire more staff or outsource resume screening to an outside agency. In the majority of cases, employers designate a specific email address to receive resumes from potential candidates and set an automated reply message to acknowledge the receipt of all applications. This allows them to free up time for actual reviewing and screening. That's how most "large" employers or recruiting agencies/search firms work.

 

When you hit the "Apply Now" button on job boards like PulseHR, your profile is being forwarded to one of those designated email addresses. What you need to remember is that behind each email there is a living person. And this person is usually someone who will be evaluating your application and either making a "hiring decision", "recommendation for further evaluation" or other types of "recommendations". In larger companies, hospitals or organizations, this person reviews all applications and selects those which can be brought to the attention of his/her boss. If you were this person, what would you establish as your objective: 1) not to miss or overlook a few good resumes or 2) not to make your boss waste time on resumes that do not comply with all the requirements? I guess we all know the answer to this one [it's number 2, just in case].

 

Now what are those "major" requirements? Nothing special, really. Usually the job description will tell you all the major requirements you need to know in order to apply for a job. If you do not have all the requirements set by an employer for a particular job, applying for this job will never result in more than an auto-response message. You won't be selected by the "person" [see reason 2 above].

 

So, what's the moral of this story? The moral is that if you never receive human replies from employers, it is not because they do not review resumes, but most likely because you are applying for jobs for which you do not meet all "major" requirements. It could be your location (employers don't have money to pay for your moving expenses), your legal status (you are a foreign worker and your profession is one of those "restricted"), your education (you only have a Master's degree but this position specifically requires a Ph.D.), your experience (3 years was the minimum requirement, but you only have 2), etc.

 

If you see a job for which you meet all the major requirements (stated in a job description), do apply immediately. And not only that. Follow up on your application. Remind the "person" to "select" and "recommend" you. After all, you are a perfect fit by all objective standards and you want this job! Any employer who is looking to fill a position, paid for advertisement of it, and who has received a professional looking resume/cover letter from a 100%  match candidate will respond to you. Otherwise, they will have to continue spending money on advertisement and do all the work themselves!

 

 

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Your cover letter: make it personal, but keep it professional

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The best way to write a cover letter which would seduce a "person" is to include sufficient information about yourself and to spice it up by including something personal or interesting. For example, you are a foreign nurse looking for employment in Canada. There is currently a shortage of nurses in Canada, so you think you have a good chance of getting hired. After all, you have a good education, and a few years of work experience, and you know English very well, so you should not have many problems. Correct? Absolutely! But what about the legal requirements? For an employer, it is illegal to hire someone who does not meet legal requirements. For nursing, among other things, this includes certification from a provincial College of Nursing. You do not have this certification, but you are confident that you will get one, once you apply and go through all the lengthy procedures. Now, how do you convince your potential employer to go into all the paper troubles in arranging a permit for you [and the employer has to do that by law], if they can simply hire someone local? Tell them the right things about yourself.

 

For example, instead of trying to "hide" the fact that you are a foreign nurse without proper certifications, state clearly that you have already applied for this certification and were requested to supply a "Job Offer" as one of the requirements. But you cannot get a job offer, because you do not have the certifications, so you feel that there is no way out. You worked for a number of years under the direct supervision of a Cardiac Surgeon, received a number of peer awards, etc, etc. [this is where you tell them something personal], and you would like to advance in your career by working in Canada. Ask your employer to consider arranging an interview with you, so that you can get a chance to tell more about your skills and how you can be useful to them, if they decide to hire you. You might want to do some research about their company and impress them with some figure analysis [how many patients per how many nurses, etc, etc,]. Make sure you make yourself fit to the whole picture.

 

At the same time, your cover letter should not be more than 2 paragraphs or 10-15 sentences. You are probably thinking, is it possible to say this much and only use 10-15 sentences? Yes, it is possible. It requires some thought and work, but it is possible.

 

If you simply jot down a couple of lines, click the attach button to include your resume and then hit the send button, expect to receive the same in return - a few seconds of attention from a person who has dozens of applications waiting for a review and an auto-reply message.

 

If you want employers to treat you "individually", you should treat them "individually" as well. The best way to do this is to approach each email application you send as a conversation with a real person (and a very busy one indeed, so be nice and informative).

 

Applying through job boards puts you somewhat above the crowd, since employers usually pay to receive resumes/profiles from job boards and are in continuous contact with the recruiters/managers representing the board. When they receive profiles from a job board, they identify it with a real person, not an email program. This, however, does not override the "requirements" law. If you do not have all the requirements, it does not matter how you apply (personal connections excluded, of course). You won't be selected and won't receive much more than an automated reply message.

 

 

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How recruiters think and what you need to know about it

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When using services of recruiting agencies and search firms, the main thing to remember is that recruiters won't recommend you to their clients unless they are confident that you would meet all major requirements. Recruiters will double check information on your resume in order to avoid possible embarrassment or customer dissatisfaction in the event some of it turns out to be incorrect. Recruiters get paid for finding the right person, so they want to make sure they have one.

 

For you as a job seeker, for all practical purposes a recruiter is not much different than an immediate employer. The only difference is that a good recruiter can help you find a job in the future, even if at the moment s/he might not have a suitable opening for you. If you stay in touch with them, a recruiter can be of help to you more than once in your career.

 

All recruiters are trained to do certain things. One of them is to write professional resumes. If you are ever invited for an interview with a recruiter, do not miss an opportunity and ask them to critique your resume. Ask for suggestions. They will be happy to help you. After all, this will give them a chance to show what they are good at. Your enthusiasm will also show to a recruiter that you are serious about the way you are presenting yourself and that you are actively seeking advice in order to improve - both of these things are in your favor. So not only will you receive a professional critique of your resume, but you will also make a good personal impression on a recruiter. Please remember, however, that this should only be used when you are invited by a recruiter for an interview or contacted by them over the phone. I do not suggest that you yourself present this type of a request to an unknown recruiter (by email or otherwise).

 

Given the continuous downsizing of personnel in various industries, competition for jobs has gotten tougher. In order to compete, you not only need to have good skills, but you also need to approach a job search and job application as a skill on its own. You need to take the time and effort to learn how to do that. Recruiting agencies and search firms can be of great help to you more than once, if you approach them at the right time and with the right expectations.

 

In the meantime, you can go to a book store and browse through books on how to write a good resume. There are plenty of them available. Many of them are good. Also, most job boards and career sites post tips and suggestions on how to write a good resume and cover letter. Ask your friends and family to critique your resume [there is no such thing as bad feedback, all feedback, if approached properly, can help you make improvements]

 

But above all - keep reading this newsletter, as I will continue sending tips and advices on this painful subject.

 

 

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Temporary Workers May Now Join Unions

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The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which regulates American unions, has decided that temporary workers who get assignments through temp agencies may join unions. This ruling puts temporary workers in a position to collectively bargain with companies for such things as medical benefits, stock options and retirement benefits.

 

The ruling only affects workers on long-term assignments. The workers will be able to bargain both with the temporary agency and with the company for whom they are working.

 

Get more info

 

 

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Convention announcement - repeated (Toronto, November 18-20)

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Ontario Hospital Association

 

Ontario Hospital Association will hold its Annual Convention and Exhibition on November 18-20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

More than 300 exhibitors will be present. What does it mean to you as a job seeker?

 

Even if there is no career fair, try to get in (without paying, if you can). Bring your resume and mingle with exhibitors. They can be your potential employers. Tell them about yourself, ask clever questions (review the exhibitor list in advance and do some detective work). Never estimate the power of a personal charm. After you've talked with them, send a follow-up email 1-2 days later and then another one a week later. Customize each email so that to help employers "remember you" from the crowd. Make it personal, but keep it professional.

 

 

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 - The End -

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To give me your feedback or ask a question, write to me at anna@pulsehr.com . I personally reply to all questions in the hope that my information and advice will be of help to people seeking employment, i.e. means to advance in life while supporting themselves and their loved ones. If you send me an email and do not receive a reply within two business days, there might have been a communication error or our server may have rejected your email, in which case please re-send your message.

 

 

Anna Tulchinsky,

Ph.D.Candidate & PulseHR Co-founder.

 

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