Work History & Experience
List your work history, starting with your most recent position.
Include the name of the company and the dates (month and year) you started and finished your employment.
List your responsibilities and achievements for each role, using a maximum of 8-10 bullet points
Referees
Include at least two people you have worked for (Supervisor or Manager) - ensure that they will be happy to talk about your performance with a prospective employer.
Interests
List a few of your interests or activities. - a mixture of sport, social, intellectual and artistic interests.
Important Tips
Be truthful about your experience and qualifications.
Keep it short and simple. Your résumé should be no longer than 5 pages.
Check spelling and the grammar. - use spell-check on your computer and ask someone to check it for you. Spelling and grammatical errors can make a bad first impression and show a lack of attention to detail.
Keep the format simple. Avoid using fancy covers, layout or fonts.
Top
Interview Tips
Research the position
Know the interviewer's name and their correct title.
Know a little about the company.-visit the company's web site to find out about the culture of the company, their product portfolio and other useful information. The company will expect you to do this research.
Know what products the company manufactures and sells.
Speak to someone already working in the role for which you are applying..
Prepare answers to commonly asked questions
Listed below are sample questions often asked during an interview.
- Why are you looking for a change in career?
- Why do you want to join the pharmaceutical/ healthcare industry?
- Tell me where you see yourself in 5 to10 years time?
- What are your strongest qualities?
- What are your weaknesses? What are you doing to improve on these?
- What do you think are the most important skills and qualities to be successful in the role?
- Why do you think you would be suitable for this role?
- What features of this role interest you the most?
- What features of the role interest you the least?
- Why do you want to join the healthcare industry?
- What do you know about the healthcare industry?
- In what time frame would you see yourself moving into a more senior role?
Behavioural Interviewing
Behavioural interviewing is based on a series of questions about how you handled past experiences.
When you are preparing for this type of interview, review the advertisement and analyse the key competencies described in the advertisement. Think about your past experiences and how they demonstrate your skills in these areas.
When answering these questions, remember S/T. A. R
S/T = situation or task (describe the situation or task)
A = action taken (describe what actions you took to address the situation)
R = result (describe what happened, the outcome and what you have learnt)
Examples of questions used in behavioural interviews are:
- Tell me about a difficult person you have encountered and how you handled that person.
- Give me an example of a good decision you have made in the past 6 months. What process did you go through?
- Give me an example of a sale or project you completed despite obstacles.
- Describe a situation when you disagreed with a manager or customer.
- Think of a time when you had to sell an idea, either to someone in your organisation or to a customer.
- Give an example of a project you have initiated and followed through to completion.
- Tell me what action you have taken to improve your performance in your current role.
- Describe a problem, which you've recently been asked to solve. What did you do? What alternatives did you consider?
- Everyone faces rejection or failure at some time in their life. Give me an example of a time when you had to handle rejection or failure and tell me how you handled the situation.
- Give me an example of when you were part of a team and describe your role in that team.
Prepare Questions to ask the Interviewer
It is up to you to ensure that you ask questions to find out as much as you can about the company and whether the company will offer you the opportunities you are looking for. For example:
- Are there many products in development and how long will it be before they reach the market?
- Is there a career path mapped out for employees in your company?
- Can you tell me about the initial and ongoing training programs?
- Why has the position become available?
Dressing for the Interview
- Hair should be neat. Facial hair should be trimmed
- As this is a very conservative industry, remove all visible facial jewellery other than earrings for ladies
- Perfume or cologne should be subtle and not overpowering
- Ties should be conservative in a colour to match the suit
- Business suits in classic styles for men and women are recommended
- Classic styled, clean shoes. Socks should match shoe colour. Stockings should be worn.
- Professional bag to hold a copy of your résumé and references
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