Making connections

Careers are built on two things: how much you know and who you know.

That’s why, especially in an industry with so many important, niche aspects like life sciences, forging connections with the right people is the best bet for breaking into your industry.

But Ashton Tweed is a recruiting practice—shouldn’t you be making these connections for me?

Here’s the thing—life sciences is both a big industry and a small world. If you’re a wave-maker (for good reasons or bad) your name will get around.?

We like to put it this way: we can present opportunities, but only you can control your reputation. Here’s how you can form a great reputation that will precede you in interviews…

1?? Never be associated with failure. Everyone understands that sometimes projects don’t work out or never come to fruition, but never allow it to be said that you were the one who allowed a project to go under.?

2?? Let your friends and co-workers speak for you. Great testimonials go a long way in cementing you as someone a company should hire.

3?? Take ownership of success. When an employer is eyeing you for a critical role in their organization, that’s not the time to be humble. Own every success that you can attribute to yourself.

Interview Tip: Never get too comfortable…

You should be confident but natural when meeting with a recruiter. However, this next story should serve as a reminder to never get too at home in an interview!

“In the middle of an interview, a candidate complained she was hot. She then proceeded to remove her shoes, then her socks. After carefully laying them on the table, she said ‘excuse me,’ and continued as if everything was normal. It wasn’t.”

Do you have a funny, far-out, or downright bizarre recruiting experience? Let us know! Your story could be featured in an upcoming email.