Healthcare PR jobs require skills in handling sensitive matters and issues of vital importance such announcing as drug trial results which have a direct impact upon the share price and value of the whole company.
Here are our top ten tips for getting a healthcare PR job.
Tip Number One
Be prepared to pay for a web service which will charge you to access a database of job openings. There are many agencies and web sites who list job postings for free but only provide a restricted range of vacancies because not all employers want to pay to post a job listing.
Tip Number Two
Use a web site that actively collects and organizes job opening information from a variety of online and offline resources. This way the information is likely to be more comprehensive not only in terms of the number of vacancies but the details of the job specification and requirements expected. This is valuable information to have when it comes to positioning yourself as the ideal candidate for the opening. Having complete information that is up-to-date is also a great advantage to have as much of the information that is available on the web is out of date by the time users get to see it.
Tip Number Three
Your resume is the most powerful tool you have for presenting yourself to employers until they actually call you in for interview.
Use a basic version of your resume which you then amend and adapt depending on the job you are applying for. Do not adopt a “one size fits all” policy with your resume – highlight your skills and experience which most closely matches the requirements for the position and produce a different resume for each separate job application depending on each vacancy’s requirements.
Tip Number Four
Make sure the web services you are using is legitimate and actually has a business operation behind it that does exist in the real world. You can do this fairly easily by checking the web site to see if they have a landline telephone number and a physical mailing address in the real world – if they don’t, then avoid using them as this is not a good sign of professional operation looking to deliver real services to job seekers.
Tip Number Five
Ensure the service you are using has a very strict policy on securing your resume. You should be the one who is in control of who gets your resume and under what circumstances. PR tends to be a fairly small world where the professionals know one another, so be careful if you do not want your current PR employer to know that you are looking for another position.
Tip Number Six
Your resume needs to be protected because it contains a wealth of personal and private information that is specific to you and which any identity thief would be only too happy to get their hands on. In addition, many recruiting and web service operations are simply harvesting resumes from unsuspecting candidates which are then mass mailed to potential employers in the hope of generating a commission – this does not look professional and reflects badly on you not to mention your resume may end up making the rounds repeatedly across the same set of employers’ desks!
Tip Number Seven
This is basic but worth mentioning as candidates still make basic mistakes such as this – arrive for the interview punctually, ensure you know what the dress code is and stick to it and do not swear when being interviewed or meeting staff at the employer.
Stupid I know, but candidates do this kind of thing too often which does not bode well for their professionalism or their skills.
Tip Number Eight
PR professionals tend to be mobile staff in that they do circulate amongst employers. A natural as part of being a good PR staffer is to have a good working knowledge of the healthcare industry and of other companies as well as the overall context in which the business is operating.
There is nothing wrong with having a few different employers on your resume but ensure you bring out what you gained from each position and that you left for a new, challenging opportunity.
Tip Number Nine
Do your homework on the prospective employer!
Too often candidates fail to impress simply because they have not taken the time to learn what the employer’s business is and what is happening to them at the time they are applying. Check the internet for news items that are cover the business, including research and development issues and any announcements affecting the company.
Plan and prepare properly – this is a key aspect of a professional approach and you don’t want to waste the opportunity you have to meet your potential employers face-to-face.
Tip Number Ten
Finally – be confident, be assured, be positive!
This is your job and you have earned the right to claim it as your own – an employer is looking for an aura of confidence and someone who exudes a degree of authority and comes across as knowing what they are talking about.
Your first PR task is to convince the prospective employer you are the right person for the job.
