With many people’s New Year resolutions kicking in, January brings about a wave of talented individuals looking for their next job opportunity in Medical Devices. As a result, we have seen a surge in the number of freshly updated CVs coming to our inboxes. Whilst some of these resumes are brilliant, as you might guess, the vast majority need some work.
For us, as specialist Medical Device recruiters, reading your CV to determine your suitability for a job is only a starting point. Whatever you tell us during our conversations with you is what really makes us make up our minds about you.
However, regardless of how much you manage to convince us of your skills and experience, it is ultimately our client’s Hiring Manager who decides whether or not to invite you in for an interview. And due to their busy schedules, most of our clients unfortunately do so based primarily on your CV.
In the fiercely competitive market of Medical Devices all it takes is a small oversight and a hiring manager will reject the candidate, no matter how perfect they might be for the job in reality. Do not worry, though, as we are about to share a few tips on how to make sure this does not happen to you!
In our experience as international medtech search & selection consultants what makes a good CV is at least partly culturally defined. But with a large amount of our executive candidates applying for international jobs, it is probably best to focus on the following universal commonalities:
1. Your job title is not that big of a deal
The responsibilities that come with a certain job title vary hugely amongst companies. What one company defines as a Key Account Manager might be called a Country Manager in another. It is therefore important that you briefly outline what your responsibilities were and who you reported into.
2. Make it concrete
There are many reasons why Hiring Managers want to talk to you. It might be your experience in talking to Lab Technicians or the fact that you volunteered to train up internal staff, etc. The more information we have, the more reasons we have to consider you. Make sure you therefore briefly outline what devices you dealt with, who your main customers were, what type of marketing strategies you devised, and so on. In short, make it specific.
3. Numbers matter
Consistently reached targets? Over-performed? Achieved a certain percentage of new market growth? Great! Do not be afraid to drop in a few figures to impress us further!
4. Stand out
Put some thoughts into what skills you bring to the table and briefly summarise these with a few keywords. We all know the standard list, but is there anything that makes you stand out from your peers? Think of the languages you speak, what your hobbies taught you or even what certain personal life experiences have made you grow as a professional.
5. Readability & accessibility
Make sure you have your CV in English as well as your native tongue at hand, even if you are just planning on roles in your native country. In our globalised society hiring managers are often located elsewhere or do not necessarily speak your language. In addition, if your CV is in PDF format always send your recruiter a Word version as well so they can correct any small mistakes. This way you help us eliminate delays in putting you forward.
6. Length
With all the above said in mind, do not forget that both recruiters and hiring managers often have to sort through large numbers of CVs for a single role. If yours is not quite to the point, you run the risk of boring the decision maker.
A great and elaborate resume rarely needs to exceed 2 pages.
Consider these tips and you will significantly improve your chances of ending up in the ‘YES’ pile. Then you have a chance to properly introduce yourself and impress your potential new employer during the job interview.
Since its inception in 2000 Guided Solutions has placed more than 8500 candidates in over 37 countries.
We identify and recruit medical device specialists at all seniority levels, enabling our clients to connect with associate through to board-level talent.
Visit our website to find out more or get in touch via +44 1904720040.