Web 2.0 is simply the catchy term for the next generation of internet technologies. In the same way mobile phones evolved from Analogue (088) to GSM (087) to GPRS the to 3G and HSPDA; from just making a standard call to making a video call, the internet is in a state of flux. A tidal wave of new rich applications are now available, enhancing the internet for the end-user. This has been made possible by the widespread peretration of broadband to the masses, combined with a reduction in the cost of computer hardware.

So how does it increase my chances of getting a job???

Web 2.0 gives you instant access to information; information and knowledge are essential resources in the job search. Twitter is a good case study to use here; instant updates on twitter, affectionately termed “tweets” in the cybersky, allow you to recieve information immediately. Imagine the scenario: Recruitment company A gets a call from Employer B who requests to see a shortlist of candidates for Job C. The job is tweeted immediately and simultaenously sent to the administration dept. for dissemination to the job boards. 5 suitable candidates reply to the Recruitment Company via Twitter before the job is even advertised. The employer recieves these applicants and is happy with the response and asks to see no more applicants. The job doesnt even go up on the job boards, hence you have lost your chance. Some analyst say that 70% of open positions are not advertised on the major job boards.

Web 2.0 facilitates networking. Facebook and LinkedIn are good case studies in this example. Imagine you became a fan of the Life Science Recruitment page on FaceBook. Consultant A sees that you became a fan and checks out your profile and sees that in your professional info (which you obviously have filled out!!!) you work as a QC Analyst. Ten minutes later Consultant A gets a call from Employer B regarding a new QC Analyst vacancy – guess who is fresh in the consultants mind??? Furthermore, finding a good recruitment consultant on LinkedIn and adding the personal touch by sending a message via this medium, makes you stand out…

Web 2.0 increases your exposure in the online world, increased exposure correlates with increased opportunity. One of the most difficult tasks these days is getting recognised. Why ride a bicycle on the information superhighway when you can drive a tank??? The more you put yourself out there, the greater your chances of finding a job. However, a note of caution, be careful with sensitive information such as addresses and date of birth. Don’t put these on your Web 2.0 profiles. A handy tip to avoid spam is to put your email in this format: myname [at] myisp {dot} com, as oppossed to myname@myisp.com - spam email scrapers don’t recognise the former, and many people are savvy to this format.

Blogs can often give you access to ‘off the cuff’ or insider information – this information can often give you an edge over your competitors, as this blog post will probably do!

The secret is not to be afraid of Web 2.0; people in the past were hesitant of DVD’s, Electric Cars and Online Banking – now they are here to stay, and guess what, so is Web 2.0.

- Eamonn (Email: eor [at] lifescience [dot] ie ) jg7baqve9t

Your Curriculum Vitae

Your CV is a representation of yourself and as such you should put significant work into it to ensure that it represents you in the best light possible. Not wanting to state the obvious, make sure it has no spelling mistakes (spell check!), that your career is in chronological order with most recent first, and that it starts with a 5 or 6 line summary of yourself (summary, objective etc…). Make sure it is formatted correctly (same font throughout – Arial, Verdana), Headings in Bold 12pt, Subheadings in Bold+Italic 11pt and body text 10pt. Avoid multiple colours (Monochrome Dark grey/Black OK) and don’t put your picture on it. People like conformity and are resistant to change unless it is very beneficial. View and download some templates on the lifescience.ie site here.

FAS

It is definitely worth your while registering with FAS while pursuing your search. You could be doing short courses to upskill yourself while waiting for the right opportunity.

Applying for Jobs if your a Graduate

If you are a graduate then you need to do plenty of research on companies to see who is recruiting graduates. Go to graduate recruitment fairs. Try not to apply more than once for the same position, if you dont recieve a response straight away its because the company is pooling all applications first before actually shortlisting. Multiple applications for the same position will reflect negatively on you. Register your CV with a niche / specialised agency so that you are ‘in the hat’ when a company approaches them for graduate recruitment. If you would like to register with us here at Life Science you can do so here.

Jobs Boards

At last count there were over 500 recruitment agencies in Ireland (the number rapidly falling) and 4 main Job Boards. Hence when you see a job on one of the boards it is generally one of many replicas (sometimes 20 agencies can be working on the same job – hence 20 advertisements). Keep an eye for new jobs which appear, check daily and when you see something interesting then apply.

Recruitment Agencies

There are many urban myths on recruitment agencies. Lets demysticise a few… a) you dont have to pay – under irish law the maximum an agency can charge you is 1 euro, hence no charge. b) under data protection they are not allowed to share your information without your consent – applying for a job through an agency is not in the practical sense consent – best practice dictates they should contact you first before forwarding your CV. Choose a couple of specialist niche agencies and try to develop a personal relationship with them. In this market there are few jobs and most of the agencies have the same jobs. Avoid being represented by multiple agencies – would you go to court represented by 7 different solicitors working independently??? Check their website regularly and keep an eye for new positions and if you see one either apply through the site or drop a quick email registering your interest to your consultant. Here at Life Science we are open to contact for advice on your job search and can also refer to you career mentors who we recommend.

- Eamonn