Secrets of a CRA Recruiter

You got the offer. Now they are asking what you expect to be paid, and you realize you have no idea what number to say. So you guess. Or you name the figure you made at your last job. Or you take whatever they offer because you are relieved to have an offer in hand. Every one of those moves costs you. Negotiating a compensation package is one of the parts of the job search that candidates get wron...

Why the Most Qualified Person in the Room Isn't Getting Called You have 10, 15, or 20+ years of experience, a track record that speaks for itself, and a depth of knowledge that most hiring managers would fight to bring onto their team. So why do you feel like an invisible expert? No callbacks. No interviews. Just applications disappearing into a portal that never responds. After a while, the...

Here is why I am officially declaring the death of the job portal… You sent the application, you checked the portal, and you waited…and then waited some more. Nothing. You aren’t imagining it, and you aren’t the problem. The apply button is broken. Our team said it out loud in our latest roundtable, and we meant it. Here is what is actually happening inside job portals right now. Our own data show...

You survived your first 90 days. The onboarding fog has lifted, your name is in the team chat, and you finally know where the coffee lives. So… is it too early to focus on career progression? Have you ever wondered why some people quietly climb while others stay stuck in “doing fine”? What if doing your job well isn’t actually the thing that gets you promoted? And here is a harder question: when w...

The first 90 days in a new job are important, and today we are going to discuss the ‘ownership’ phase…which usually happens between days 60 and 90. This phase happens once you have learned the basics. You have found your footing. And hopefully, you have stopped feeling like the brand-new person in the room. The next question should be: what now? How do you move from simply doing the job to shaping...

Are You Settling In or Setting Yourself Up? Starting a new job can feel exciting, a little intimidating, and if we are being honest, a bit like you are trying not to trip in front of everybody. You have the laptop, the logins, the introductions, and the strong desire to do a good job. But somewhere between being “the new person” and trying to prove yourself, a lot of professionals slip into a dang...

Part 2 of our LinkedIn “other section” roundtable dives deeper into the profile sections most job seekers skip entirely. What if your LinkedIn Skills list is quietly confusing recruiters and LinkedIn’s algorithm? Or what if I told you that properly leveraging your Publications section could pull hiring managers straight to your inbox? Our team gets real about why a laundry list of 50+ random Linke...

Most job seekers obsess over their LinkedIn headline and About section, but then quietly ignore everything else. Yet these “other” LinkedIn sections are often where recruiters find the proof they need to move you from “maybe” to “must-interview”. In this new roundtable episode, our recruiting team wraps up our LinkedIn optimization series by zooming in on the parts of your profile that rarely get...

Most job seekers treat the LinkedIn Experience section like a form to fill out: titles, dates, and a few “responsible for…” bullets. But what if that section is actually one of the most powerful levers you have for both the machine and the humans deciding your next opportunity? In our latest roundtable, our recruiting team breaks down how to turn your Experience section into proof of value that wo...

Most professionals know their LinkedIn “About” section matters. But few realize just how much recruiters, hiring managers, and even LinkedIn’s own 360Brew algorithm are relying on it to make fast decisions about them. In this roundtable episode, our recruiting team pulls back the curtain on what really happens when we open your profile. Why do 92% of us decide to engage or scroll largely based on...

Your “perfect” LinkedIn profile still isn’t attracting opportunities. Why not? Brace yourself because I am going to tell you that you should be putting out LinkedIn Posts. Today’s podcast pulls back the curtain on what really gets job seekers noticed in a LinkedIn 360Brew world. And it is beyond just polishing your headline and calling it a day. I get it…you don’t feel qualified to write LinkedIn...

When was the last time you really looked at your LinkedIn headline or your profile photo? I encourage you to do it now. Not just glance at it, but ask yourself, “Would I contact me based on this first impression?” In our latest roundtable, our team dives into two of the most underestimated areas of a LinkedIn profile: your headline and your photo. They may seem like the basics, but our team makes...

Your LinkedIn banner…is it a quiet killer or career supercharger? In just 3 seconds, it can make or break a recruiter’s first impression of you. Today’s roundtable is about avoiding banner disasters that send great candidates straight to the “nope” pile. Picture this: a hiring manager scrolls on mobile, your headshot pops, and the headline teases your value. But then the banner hits. Cluttered log...

In clinical research hiring, AI and one-way video interviews are flattening talent into checklists. But top Directors of Clinical Operations say that isn't how real fits happen. In Part 2 of our podcast series on resource strategies, Brian Dempster and Lyle Gee reveal how job seekers break through the noise in this employer-driven market using smart networking tactics. They tackle AI screenin...

In clinical research, one decision shapes everything: where your talent comes from. Behind every trial lies a complex web of candidate sourcing choices. When to outsource to CROs, when to hire in-house, and how to balance quality, cost, and speed. In this first episode of a two-part series, I sit down with Directors of Clinical Operations Brian Dempster and Lyle Gee to unpack the evolving resource...

It is nearly the end of January, and those ambitious New Year’s resolutions? They have either ignited a streak of wins or quietly fizzled under the weight of real life (read: holidays, illness, family demands, or job search burnout). But what if the path to lasting change isn’t more rigid goals, but mastering The Great Job Search Reset ?​ This isn’t about a one-time January overhaul. Instead, imag...

Mastering tough interview questions sets top job seekers apart. In today's roundtable on elevator pitch examples for job seekers, we help you turn potential pitfalls into opportunities to shine. In this podcast segment, our team delivers live role-play responses to challenging prompts like "Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult situation," "Why did you leave your last...

Crafting a powerful elevator pitch is one of the toughest, yet most important, challenges for job seekers. In this roundtable conversation, our coaching team takes a deep dive into real job seeker elevator pitch examples that go far beyond the rehearsed, one-size-fits-all approach you might find online. Instead, we show how to turn this classic concept into a practical storytelling tool. Why is th...

What if the secret to interview success was hidden in a quick, 60-second conversation? This week’s roundtable explores how mastering your elevator pitch can completely transform how well you interview. But what the heck is an Elevator Pitch? It is a short, clear statement about who you are and what you bring to the table. Business leaders use elevator pitches to sell ideas. But job seekers can app...

I saw a post the other day where a job seeker was upset because an interviewer asked why she had been out of work for so long. Guys, every interviewer is going to ask about an employment gap. The real question is how you prepare to answer it with confidence and professionalism. So let’s tackle the real question: What is the right way to address a long gap between jobs? How much should you say or n...

Building the right partnership is never accidental, regardless of whether you are building relationships in your personal life or your career. In this episode, our team explores the parallels between choosing a talent match (aka a recruitment agency) and choosing the right partner. Just like dating, selecting a recruiter calls for discernment, honesty, and a clear understanding of what you want. T...

Ever been asked to be a reference and felt unsure how to respond? You are not alone. Our latest roundtable podcast dives into how to be a reference, including when it is okay not to say yes. In this candid discussion, our panel shares what really happens behind the scenes of reference checks . We address why accuracy matters, how honesty protects all parties, and what information you, as the refer...

In this heartfelt and eye-opening second installment with Kimberly Wilkinson , we turn our spotlight to the pivotal challenge facing every job seeker today: building resilience in a landscape filled with uncertainty, rejection, and rapidly changing rules. Have you ever felt your confidence waver during a prolonged job search? Or questioned how some people bounce back from setbacks with renewed det...

Navigating Today’s Candidate Minefield Ready for an eye-opening look at the darker and sometimes downright bizarre side of the job search? Today’s episode features topics every job seeker knows but few dare to share aloud. And while we certainly speak about job scams, we also talk about those deceitful messages promising dream gigs, the “recruiters” who don’t take no for an answer, and the never-e...

Are you stuck in the endless loop of applying for jobs but not getting anywhere? Wondering why your LinkedIn profile feels more like a ghost town than a buzzing marketplace? Or maybe you’re asking yourself, “Am I really taking the right steps to land my next role, or just spinning my wheels?” Welcome to our latest roundtable podcast, where a team of career pros dives deep into the art and science...