Secrets of a CRA Recruiter

Today, we team up with one of our favorite guests, Lyle Gee , to discuss how to identify soft skill deficiencies. Why Identifying Soft Skill Deficiencies Matters In today’s dynamic workplace, the ability to identify soft skill strengths and gaps is crucial. Soft skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are often the unsung heroes behind professional succes...

Welcome to today’s episode, where we pull back the curtain on one of the most important and misunderstood steps in the modern job search: making sure your CV or resume is ready to beat the bots. If you have ever applied for a job and never heard back, you are not alone. In fact, only about 15% of resumes ever make it past the artificial intelligence-driven applicant tracking systems (ATS) and into...

Many candidates struggle to effectively answer this common interview question. In fact, we have recently had several very experienced candidates faceplant when attempting to articulate whether they are able to work individually or as part of a group. I would suspect this is one of the most common interview questions hiring managers ask. Thus, all job seekers should prepare and practice a response....

Welcome to today’s episode! If you have ever wondered about the buzzwords “automation” and “artificial intelligence” and what they really mean for the Clinical Research Associate role, you are in the right place. Join us as our special guest, Anna-Liisa Parts , breaks down the differences between these two concepts in a simple, non-technical way. And importantly, we talk honestly about the fears a...

Welcome to today’s episode. Join us as we have a beautifully candid conversation with Angelina Diassiti about career crossroads. We discuss feeling the sting of rejection while simply wondering: “What’s next for me?” Have you ever found yourself willing to take any job, not because you are desperate, but because you are unsure what you actually want? There is a real difference between accepting an...

Listen to the Podcast That’s Leading the Conversation The last decade has transformed the clinical research landscape, and nowhere is that more evident than in the evolving Clinical Research Associate (CRA) role. Once known as the “ road warriors ” of clinical trials, today’s CRAs face a new reality : decentralized trials, remote data collection, and a surge in trial complexity have fundamentally...

…and why engaging with the TASK Research Academy is essential for clinical research professionals. We were privileged to have a special guest, Karen Cloete , founder of the TASK Research Academy, on our program.  This wonderful program offers a unique, immersive learning experience. And yes, the programs are designed for clinical research professionals at all stages of their careers. The Academy’s...

Today, we talk about networking. Not just LinkedIn networking, but all types of networking. Some of you may remember the old-fashioned networking events. You would show up with a business suit on, shake hands, pass out business cards, and then conduct follow-ups afterwards.  From my view, the value of these in-person events was the personal touch. It is hard to beat face-to-face interactions when...

Do you believe that permanent positions provide more job stability than contract roles? Many people do, but I have statistics that might challenge that assumption and encourage you to think differently about your career options.  It is a common belief that larger, well-established companies are inherently more stable than small startups. However, I can show you compelling evidence that this is oft...

I love this podcast. Our guest Lyle Gee is a storytelling expert, and because he is so excellent at layering stories into the conversation, two things happen.   First, you love to talk to him. If you put this into the context of an interview, he builds rapport almost instantly, which is critically important during an interview. Second, he uses stories to articulate his experiences and qualificatio...

Navigating Illegal Interview Questions: A Jobseeker’s Guide Today’s roundtable topic is illegal interview questions. I want to note that this podcast is primarily for the candidate. While hiring managers and interviewers will benefit, job seekers should be educated about interview questions that are classified as illegal.  Hiring Managers, we cover this topic as well as provide an interview templa...

Today, we are going to share some recent real-life resume failures. Did you know that approximately 60% of candidates are rejected because of their resumes? When I share this statistic, most individuals assume these rejections are due to poor grammar or spelling and punctuation issues.  You should know that the issues we are going to discuss go well beyond poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar. ...

There are a lot of reasons why individuals go through a career shift. Unfortunately, many hiring managers and recruiters question a job candidate’s motivation when the shift is perceived as ‘backward’.  As an example, Directors and CRA managers often reach out to us with a desire to step back into a CRA role. Unfortunately, many agencies ignore these candidates, assuming the shift is out of desper...

Are you a buttoned up interviewer? Many candidates struggle when it comes to being smooth in an interview. So how do you become more successful at the task of interviewing? Today we are going to teach you the ‘3 Ps’ of interviewing : Interview Practice, Interview Preparation, and Maintaining Positivity throughout the process.  Join us as we talk to experienced clinical research professional, Lyle...

Buddha is credited to have stated ‘What we think, we become.’ So let me ask you this – can you be negative and not know it?  I asked my friend Google this question and was floored with the resounding yes.  Yes, you can be negative and not know it. And in today’s job market, feeling defeated and being discouraged can become a norm. And believe me, allowing yourself to slip into negativity does make...

If you haven’t looked for a CRA Job in a while, you may be shocked to see how the job search has changed . We teamed up with Senior CRA, Natalie Lomax to discuss her experience. Today’s podcast is focused on how LinkedIn has changed everything related to the job search. We had a wonderful discussion about the ‘ah ha’ moments Natalie experienced, and how she has adjusted her job search approach to...

I see a lot of bad advice being doled out to job seekers on LinkedIn. Individuals claim to be coaches when they have little substantial ‘real life’ or professional experience. Mentors advise candidates to fudge their resumes or purchase fake degrees . And other job seekers who are in the same ‘unemployed’ boat are giving horrible advice to their colleagues.  While seeing the poor advice is concern...

And is it possible to separate self-love and success? Do you believe that if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of others? My mentor has given me this advice more than once. And research agrees that caring for yourself is critically important…especially if you provide care or support to other people.  Burnout, overwhelm, stress, and unfulfillment come to those of us wh...

Effective CRAs know how to manage up. Managing up means that you actively work to understand your supervisor’s priorities and communication style. It also means that based on your manager’s communication style, you effectively (and proactively) keep your supervisor updated with your progress. You also chase them when you need something from them and/or appropriately escalate when they are nonrespo...

Today’s podcast topic is common job application rejection reasons. Why? If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you have seen hundreds of testimonies that speak to how brutal the current job market is. Last week I saw a senior-level candidate who stated he had been searching for a new job for 18 months. He testified that he had submitted over 1700 job applications and while he had been invited to inter...

Several years ago I worked with someone who absolutely drove me crazy. She was extremely smart and quite effective at her job, but getting along with her was a challenge. I spoke with my mentor about it and he said something that completely changed my thought process: No matter how difficult, your goal should always be to build successful relationships. Ultimately, your responsibility is to carry...

Is there a way to gracefully leave a position? Join us as we have a heartfelt (and emotional) discussion on how to resign gracefully.   Yep – I said emotional. I share a personal situation that may bring different insights into the topic of resignation.  We address the four primary reasons team members decide to resign and things to consider before, during, and after handing in your notice.  For e...

We tackle several important topics in part 2 of our podcast with Damien Hall .  For example, how do you handle mentoring advice that recommends you embellish your credentials? What would you tell someone who is enticed or romanced into side-stepping hiring processes in order to get their next gig?  How do jobseekers deal with the many ghost Jobs currently on our industry's hiring platforms? A...

The American Society on Aging states that 82% of adults 50 and over experience ageism daily. And the American Psychological Association has gone on record to state “Ageism is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices.” Because this bias is so widespread and therefore the topic so important, we want to discuss how you can age-proof yourself while conducting a job search.   Has ageism impacted...

There is no doubt about it…conducting a job search can be stressful. Creating an eye-catching resume and personal brand → stressful. Applying for jobs → stressful. Being ghosted → stressful. Receiving rejections → stressful. Winning interviews → exciting but stressful. Waiting for a job offer → stressful. Not receiving a job offer → stressful. Alternatively, receiving a job offer can also be stres...