Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts

Friday, 17 February 2012

Superb Opportunity - Hospital Sales Representative - Portfolio of specialist IV products - North East and East Midlands, England

Hospital Sales Specialist - Basic to £45k, OTE £60k++An opportunity to develop your talents working for a leading global Healthcare Company. Our client is currently looking for a Sales Specialist to develop the business in key hospital accounts throughout the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. Although a large geographical area this is a focused and targeted role with an emphasis on key account management.
This organisation has built an enviable portfolio of products and services that push back the frontiers of medical care and ultimately ensuring a better quality of life for people everywhere.
This opportunity for a Sales Specialist is an integral part of a specialty sales team reporting to the National Sales & Marketing Manager. You would be fully supported by internal functions such as marketing, customer services, logistics and shared services; YOU would be the interface of the company and the customer. With a drive for increased Patient Safety, in the NHS, when administering medication, our client is an excellent position to develop partnerships in hospital trusts. This role will involve selling new as well as some established products and services.
Key responsibilities would include:- Developing and implementing appropriate strategies for agreed customer targets with the objective of driving sales results and achieving or exceeding budgets. - To identify key finance and clinical decision makers within Consortia, Hospitals and Units and arrange meetings to promote relevant products and services - Gathering intelligence on customer plans and purchasing intentions and recommend responsive, timely and appropriate action.- Maintaining a high level of knowledge of the therapy area and related products - In conjunction with the National Sales Manager and wider commercial management team, provide informed input into/manage the tender process.- Calling on key customers as per your business plan (Clinical/Aspectic/Purchasing Pharmacists, Procurement, Clinicians, Specialist Nurses)
To be considering for this exciting opportunity you are likely to have- Previous hospital sales experience (2 years)- Knowledge/Experience of NHS structure & buying processes - Life sciences degree, nursing qualification, business degree (or equivalent experience in UK healthcare market for minimum of 2 years)- ABPI qualification and/or willing to study if required.
In return for your expertise if successful you will be offered a competitive salary & excellent benefits package including an uncapped bonus scheme. You will also receive first rate training and ongoing development.
To discuss this role in more detail please contact us on 0845 026 2020 or alternatively please submit your details by emailing administrator@2020selection.co.uk

Thursday, 9 February 2012

NHS Patient Safety - Reducing Medication Errors

How can Pharmaceutical Companies contribute to improving NHS Patient Safety?

They can demonstrate ‘added value’ , for example, by either offering products which contribute directly to making the administration of medicines safer by helping to reduce:-




a.Making the drug up to the wrong strength
b.Using the wrong diluent
c.Microbial or other forms of contamination
d.Labelling errors
e.Administration by the incorrect route by clearer design/packaging of the product

The products which are commonly offered as part of a compounding service include:-
a.Cytotoxics
b.Antibiotics
c.Inotropes
d.Potassium solutions
e.TPN
f.Unlicensed medicines

In addition, the provision of non-promotional training/educational services to healthcare professionals in the form of Continuing Professional Development events and nurse advisor teams helps to educate NHS staff on how to administer medicines more

a.Confidently
b.Accurately
c.Competently


The Department of Health (DH) has issued the following list of ‘Never Events’ for 2012-13. The list is circulated to a wide range of NHS managers, clinicians and healthcare professional allied to medicine.

The document authors are the DH’s Patient Safety and Investigations unit. The purpose of the document is to highlight certain events which are deemed to be very serious risks to the standard of care to patients, but most importantly avoidable.

The document forms part of the wider DH’s Patient Safety Agenda policy and should be read in conjunction with the NHS Standards Contract for organisations providing services to the NHS
1.Wrong site surgery
2.Wrong implant/prosthesis
3.Retained foreign object post-operation
4.Wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication
5.Maladministration of potassium-containing solutions
6.Wrong route administration of chemotherapy
7.Wrong route administration of oral/enteral treatment
8.Intravenous administration of epidural medication
9.Maladministration of Insulin
10.Overdose of midazolam during conscious sedation
11.Opioid overdose of an opioid-naïve patient
12.Inappropriate administration of daily oral methotrexate
13.Suicide using non-collapsible rails
14.Escape of a transferred prisoner
15.Falls from unrestricted windows
16.Entrapment in bedrails
17.Transfusion of ABO-incompatible blood components
18.Transplantation of ABO incompatible organs as a result of error
19.Misplaced naso- or oro-gastric tubes
20.Wrong gas administered
21.Failure to monitor and respond to oxygen saturation
22.Air embolism
23.Misidentification of patients
24.Severe scalding of patients
25.Maternal death due to post partum haemorrhage after elective Caesarean section
Source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_132352.pdf

You can read the whole document if you wish, but the indicators within the specific areas where the Pharmaceutical Industry has opportunities to work in conjunction with the NHS includes:-





4.Wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication
· Death or severe harm as a result of a wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication.
· High-risk injectable medicines are identified using the NPSA’s risk assessment tool1. A list of high-risk medicines has been prepared by the NHS Aseptic Pharmacy Services Group using this tool2. Organisations should have their own list of high-risk medications for the purposes of the “never event” policy, which may vary from the NHS Aseptic Pharmacy Services Group list, depending on local circumstances.
· A high risk injectable medicine is considered wrongly prepared if it was not; o prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's Specification of Product Characteristics;

1 NPSA High Risk Medication Risk Assessment Tool, 2007, available at
http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=60097&type=full&servicet ype=Attachment

2 Pharmaceutical Aseptic Services Group. Example risk assessment of injectable medicines. 2007. Available at http://www.civas.co.uk/
· This event excludes any incidents that are covered by other “never events”.
· Where death or severe harm cannot be attributed to incorrect preparation, treat as a Serious Untoward Incident.

5. Maladministration of potassium-containing solutions
Death or severe harm as a result of maladministration of a potassium-containing solution.
Maladministration refers to;
selection of strong potassium solution instead of intended other medication,
wrong route administration, for example a solution intended for central venous catheter administration given peripherally,
infusion at a rate greater than intended.

Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Patient safety alert – Potassium chloride concentrate solutions, 2002 (updated 2003), available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59882





6. Wrong route administration of chemotherapy
Intravenous or other chemotherapy (for example, vincristine) that is correctly prescribed but administered via the wrong route (usually into the intrathecal space).

Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - HSC2008/001: Updated national guidance on the safe administration of intrathecal chemotherapy, available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/lettersandcirculars/healthservicecirculars/dh_ 086870 - Rapid Response Report NPSA/2008/RRR004 using vinca alkaloid minibags (adult/adolescent units), available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59890

7. Wrong route administration of oral/enteral treatment
Death or severe harm as a result of oral/enteral medication, feed or flush administered by any parenteral route.
Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2007/19 - Promoting safer measurement and administration of liquid medicines via oral and other enteral routes, 2007, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59808

8. Death or severe harm as a result of intravenous administration of epidural medication.
A broader “never event” covering intravenous administration of intrathecal medication or The “never events” list 2012/13 9 intrathecal administration of intravenous medication is intended once the deadlines for Patient Safety Alert 004A and B actions have passed.
Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2007/21, Safer practice with epidural injections and infusions, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59807 - Safer spinal (intrathecal), epidural and regional devices - Parts A and B, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?EntryId45=65259

9. Maladministration of Insulin
Death or severe harm as a result of maladministration of insulin by a health professional. Maladministration in this instance refers to when a health professional
uses any abbreviation for the words ‘unit’ or ‘units’ when prescribing insulin in writing,
issues an unclear or misinterpreted verbal instruction to a colleague,
fails to use a specific insulin administration device e.g. an insulin syringe or insulin pen to draw up or administer insulin, or
fails to give insulin when correctly prescribed.

Setting: All healthcare settings.
Guidance: - Rapid response report – Safer administration of insulin, 2010, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/alerts/?entryid45=74287 - NHS Diabetes – Safe use of insulin, 2010, available at http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/safe_use_of_insulin/ - NHSIII Toolkit – Think Glucose, 2008, available at www.institute.nhs.uk/thinkglucose - NHS Diabetes guidance - The Hospital Management of Hypoglycaemia in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus, 2010, available at http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/document.php?o=1037

19. Misplaced naso- or oro-gastric tubes
Death or severe harm as a result of a naso- or oro-gastric tube being misplaced in the respiratory tract.
Setting: All healthcare premises.
Guidance: - Patient safety alert – Reducing harm caused by misplaced nasogastric feeding tubes, 2005, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59794 - Patient safety alert – Reducing harm caused by misplaced naso and orogastric feeding tubes in babies under the care of neonatal units, 2005, available at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59798&q=0%c2%acnasogastric%c2%ac


Please visit the 20:20 Selection website if you have found this article helpful, as we regularly update the articles in our Factsheet section
http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Hospital Sales Representative Opportunity in Yorkshire

Springboard your career with a New Job in medical sales – Key Account Manager, Hospital Sales Representative, Yorkshire (North Yorks, York, Wakefield, Leeds, Hull, East Riding)

An opportunity to take your career forward selling to specialist customers in secondary care and also pulling this through with selected primary care customers with a relevant interest; this is a key account management role with responsibility for the sales and market share growth of a specialist product on your territory.

You would be working for an established yet evolving pharmaceutical company who are focused on developing lasting business partnerships with their customers in the NHS.

This position does require that you are ABPI qualified and have a proven track record of delivering against your targets in your career to date. If you have worked this territory and have proven your ability in key hospital accounts then this will be a distinct advantage. Importantly you will be;
- Highly motivated, enthusiastic and driven to succeed
- Have excellent business planning skills
- Be able to develop relationships and networks within your key accounts
- Want to be part of a high performing specialist team
- Be willing to go the extra mile to differentiate yourself, your product and company within the marketplace.

On offer will be an attractive basic salary, car, bonus and other benefits associated with the pharmaceutical industry. 2011 has been an exciting year in this organisation; be part of it in 2012.
The team at 20:20 Selection Ltd is here to discuss your background and suitability for this fantastic opportunity. Call us on 0845 026 2020 or you can also email administrator@2020selection.co.uk with your CV.

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

NICE to review local formularies to end post-code prescribing

NICE is to produce a best practice guide to help trusts develop local formularies, as part of a move to ensure that all patients in England have access to clinically and cost-effective drugs.

Local formularies provide a list of selected or preferred drugs available to local prescribers and have an important role in underpinning safe and effective use of medicines.

However, there is currently no standard process or advice for putting together a local formulary which has led to variations across the country.

Medicines Management departments within many PCTs currently operate a controversial traffic light sytem of red lists and green lists, which does not necessarily reflect NICE guidance.

A recent report into innovation in healthcare by The Department of Health has highlighted that not all local formularies are including all of NICE's technology appraisals. This can lead to a postcode lottery where patients miss out on drugs approved by NICE.

In some cases, local formularies are duplicating NICE assessments and challenging appraisal recommendations, acting as a barrier to the uptake of NICE-approved medicines.

The report states that the Department of Health is “committed to ensuring that NHS patients have access to clinically and cost-effective drugs and technologies, and that NICE appraisal guidance is promptly delivered throughout the NHS.

“There should be no local barriers to accessing technologies recommended in NICE appraisals, beyond a clinical decision relating to an individual patient.”

The report recommends that formulary processes should proactively consider the impact of new NICE Technology Appraisals, and all NICE Technology Appraisal recommendations should - where clinically appropriate - be automatically incorporated into local formularies.

This process should take place within 90 days to support compliance with the three month funding direction and the NHS Constitution ensuring that these medicines are available for clinicians to prescribe, should they choose to, in a way that supports safe and clinically appropriate practice.

To help achieve this, NICE will develop a best-practice guide covering the creation and review of local formularies to assist local trusts and clinical commissioning groups.

Dr Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of NICE said: “NICE will embark on a specific piece of work to look at how local formularies are put together. At the moment there is no standard process for them and there tends to be a lot of variation and inconsistencies across England. This has been flagged up in the recent NHS Innovation report.

“NICE will produce a best-practice guide on how to develop a local formulary. We will be holding a workshop to develop the guide, which will then go out to consultation before being published later this autumn.”

“NICE-approved drugs should not be excluded from local formularies on the grounds of cost. We want all patients to have access to medicines that we consider to be effective,” added Dr Leng.
Elsewhere, the report outlines plans to introduce, within three months, a NICE Compliance Regime for the funding direction attached to NICE technology appraisals to ensure rapid and consistent implementation throughout the NHS.

The Department of Health will also establish a NICE Implementation Collaborative (NIC) to support the implementation of NICE guidance. The NIC will bring together the NHS Commissioning Board, NICE, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, the main industry bodies, the NHS Confederation, the Clinical Commissioning Coalition and the Royal Colleges.

Reference: http://www.nice.org.uk/


20:20 Selection is a specialist recruitement agencies which places candidates into roles within the UK pharmaceutical and healthcare/devices sales industries. The agency has been established since 2002. If you are seeking a role within pharmaceutical sales please visit our website to view our live vacancies http://www.2020selection.co.uk

Thursday, 2 February 2012

GP/Hospital Representative - NW England - Fantastic Opportunity, This Will Move Quickly

We are seeking an experienced Medical Sales Representative (GP/Hospital) to cover the Lancashire and Cumbria territory working for a global leader in healthcare.

This is an opportunity for you to take control of your business results; the successful person will be charged with maximising sales across this territory for a portfolio of prescription products selling to General Practitioners, Hospital Customers, other relevant HCP’s and retail pharmacies throughout the territory.

To be considered for this position you will have the following skills/abilities:
- Commercial background and a good understanding of Key Account Management
- Strong team working will be important as you will have to work effectively with your customers and NHS Liaison Managers
- Preferably educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Proven track record of sales success
- Strong commercial awareness coupled with an in depth understanding of the key stakeholders within the NHS
- Flexibility and adaptability to operate in dynamic working environment
- Be accountable for own work load/decision making and actions
- Results orientated (set personal goals)
- Impact, enthusiasm and self motivated coupled with drive and determination to succeed

In return for your skills and contacts this organisation will offer the successful person a comprehensive salary & benefits package (basic salary is commensurate with experience) plus ongoing development throughout their career. Want to know more? Call us now on 0845 026 2020 or submit your CV here. This opportunity does have the potential to move quickly.

20:20 Selection Ltdpromises to treat your application as important and will review your profile against our client’s requirements. However, if you have not heard from us within 7 days please assume that on this occasion you have not been successful. There are many more opportunities like this one advertised on our website daily......all our jobs are live
Visit http://www.2020selection.co.uk/ to learn more......it's free

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Global Top Ten Pharma Company Now Recruiting For A Training Manager (SE England)

This is just one of many live vacancies that are being advertised by 20:20 Selection. Please visit the website to see all these exciting opportunities in the UK Pharmaceutical Industry.

Training Manager, specialist products division within the pharmaceutical business of a global healthcare company.

An opportunity currently exists for a talented training and development manager to be responsible for delivering programmes in line with agreed company training strategy. You will focus on specialist therapy areas such as renal and neurology (Parkinson Disease). Additionally you would also be the point of contact point and coordinator, for the UK implementation of the E-Learning strategy.

This is a Head Office based role (Berkshire) requiring you to work cross functionally with marketing, medical and sales management in order to offer the highest quality training solutions, your responsibilities will include:- Coordinating and running induction/initial training- Providing ongoing support across the franchise for new campaigns, conference etc.- Working with brand teams to identify desired training outcomes that will support brand plan execution- Supporting growth plans within division and working with other Training Managers to develop and deliver training plans- Annual planning, ensuring adherence to budget and deadlines. To be considered for this exciting position you are likely to:- Have healthcare related sales experience having demonstrated achievements in sales & your career to date- Have some prior training experience with a training qualification being an advantage- Show potential to be innovative and creative in approach to both the design and delivery of training programmes- Demonstrate good coaching and counselling skills- Possess well-developed interpersonal skills with the adaptability to work cross-functionally within the company- Have excellent planning skills with the drive to see projects through to completion- Be able to work well under pressure & have a high level of flexibility.It is likely that you are educated to degree level and are ideally ABPI qualified.

On offer to the successful person will be a highly competitive basic salary and benefits package.

This is a superb opportunity to join a forward thinking team in a company who truly believe in investing in people.

Please don't delay in applying. Email your CV to administrator@2020selection.co.uk and/or call on of our recruitment consultants on 0845 026 2020.

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Brand New Opportunity - Hospital Representative (Neurology) - Basic £40k plus - SW England - Ref 4150

Looking to make your mark in a Hospital Sales Specialist role? Seeking a job where your efforts will ultimately make a difference to patients lives? Want a new challenge? This is the role for you….

A current opportunity now exists for a Hospital Specialist Representative to cover the South West selling a product in the field of Neurology. To be considered for this position we are seeking indviduals with a proven track record of sales success within secondary care. This could be as a dedicated Hospital Representative or as an outstanding GP/Hospital Representative. Relevant therapy area experience will be an advantage, although not essential.

In addition to this prior/current experience at interview you will need demonstrate :
- Evidence of a successful sales career to date with an emphasis on the secondary care setting
- Exceptional relationship building skills
- Determination, highly developed communication skills, flexibility and integrity
- Ability to work under pressure and deliver stretching goals
- Excellent business planning and presentation skills
- An aptitude for attention to detail
- Willingness to go the ‘Extra Mile’

This is an exciting opportunity to work for a company that will allow you the autonomy to run your business as well as support you in your personal development. The successful person will be an excellent basic salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package.
Want to be considered? Call us NOW on 0845 026 2020 to discuss things further, or alternatively submit your CV here.

We have many other live vacancies.... so please have a look at our website http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

New Job Just In - Hospital Sales Specialist (NE, E Mids, Yorks)

Hospital Sales Specialist - Basic to £45k, OTE £60k++

Many more live vacancies at http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

An opportunity to develop your talents working for a leading global Healthcare Company. Our client is currently looking for a Sales Specialist to develop the business in key hospital accounts throughout the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. Although a large geographical area this is a focused and targeted role with an emphasis on key account management.

This organisation has built an enviable portfolio of products and services that push back the frontiers of medical care and ultimately ensuring a better quality of life for people everywhere.

This opportunity for a Sales Specialist is an integral part of a specialty sales team reporting to the National Sales & Marketing Manager. You would be fully supported by internal functions such as marketing, customer services, logistics and shared services; YOU would be the interface of the company and the customer. With a drive for increased Patient Safety, in the NHS, when administering medication, our client is an excellent position to develop partnerships in hospital trusts. This role will involve selling new as well as some established products and services.

Key responsibilities would include:
- Developing and implementing appropriate strategies for agreed customer targets with the objective of driving sales results and achieving or exceeding budgets.
- To identify key finance and clinical decision makers within Consortia, Hospitals and Units and arrange meetings to promote relevant products and services
- Gathering intelligence on customer plans and purchasing intentions and recommend responsive, timely and appropriate action.
- Maintaining a high level of knowledge of the therapy area and related products
- In conjunction with the National Sales Manager and wider commercial management team, provide informed input into/manage the tender process.
- Calling on key customers as per your business plan (Clinical/Aspectic/Purchasing Pharmacists, Procurement, Clinicians, Specialist Nurses)

To be considering for this exciting opportunity you are likely to have
- Previous hospital sales experience (2 years)
- Knowledge/Experience of NHS structure & buying processes
- Life sciences degree, nursing qualification, business degree (or equivalent experience in UK healthcare market for minimum of 2 years)
- ABPI qualification and/or willing to study if required.

In return for your expertise if successful you will be offered a competitive salary & excellent benefits package including an uncapped bonus scheme. You will also receive first rate training and ongoing development.

To discuss this role in more detail please contact us on 0845 026 2020 or alternatively please submit your details by emailing administrator@2020selection.co.uk
20:20 Selection Ltd promises to treat your application as important and will review your profile against our client’s requirements. However, if you have not heard from us within 7 days please assume that on this occasion you have not been successful.

Thursday, 4 February 2010

Interview Guidance

Interview Guidance

PRIOR TO the Interview

Research
Look committed and find out as much as possible about the company.

Visit their web site for more information on the company.

Find out who will your competitors be and as much as possible about the market/customers you will be selling to

Job Description
Make sure you are fully aware what the role is you are being interviewed for. Your consultant at 20:20 Selection Ltd will have fully briefed you on this.

Be confident that you are technically qualified to do the job. We would not have spoken to you about the role if we didn’t think your profile matched the client’s criteria!

Have examples from your previous roles to demonstrate your ability to do this job and evidence in your brag file to back this up

FOR THE INTERVIEW

Personal Presentation

Look your smartest and show your most professional side during the interview. A company is more likely to employ someone who is well presented and who will therefore best represent their company to customers.

Punctuality
Arrive to start the interview on time (be early if possible)

Obtain clear directions for the location of the interview and plan your journey, allowing plenty of time to arrive.

INTERVIEW DO’S
Introduce yourself courteously (first impressions last!)

Express yourself clearly.

Show tact, manners, courtesy, and maturity at every opportunity.

Be confident and maintain poise. The ability to handle your nerves during the interview will come across as confidence in your ability to handle the job.

Be prepared to show how your experience would benefit the company.

Ask questions concerning the company or products and the position for which you are being interviewed for. An interviewer will be impressed by an eager and inquisitive mind. You will also be able to demonstrate that you can contribute to the company or industry if you show an interest in its products and/or services.

Take time to think and construct your answers to questions to avoid rushing into a vague and senseless reply.
Demonstrate that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will work.

Show willingness to start at the bottom and work up.

Anticipate questions you’re likely to be asked and have answers prepared in advance. Uncertainty and disorganisation show the interviewer that you are unprepared and unclear what your goals are.

Be assertive without being aggressive (ensure you close – remember you are a sales person & ‘you’ are your product)

Thank the interviewer for their time

Interview Don'ts

Be late for the interview. Tardiness is a sign of irresponsibility or disorganisation and the employer could take it as what to expect in the future.

Arrive unprepared for the interview.

Say unfavourable things about previous employers.

Make excuses for failings.

Give vague responses to questions.

Show lack of career planning - no goals or purpose could convey the impression you're merely shopping around or only want the job for a short time.

Show too much concern about rapid advancement.

Overemphasise money. Your interviewing goal is to sell yourself to the interviewer and to get an offer of employment. Salary discussion is secondary.

Show any reservations you may have about the role/company. You can always turn down second interviews and job offers after you have had time to appraise your concerns in the cold light of day.

Express strong prejudices or any personal intolerance.

Leave your mobile phone on during the interview.




These are general tips that can be applied to any interview situation. Part of the service we offer at 20:20 Selection Ltd is to help you prepare for specific client interviews. We have key account managers specifically working with clients & members of the team who come from a pharmaceutical sales management background so you will get personalised expert advice relating to your interview! To find out more about 20:20 Selection Ltd visit www.2020selection.co.uk

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Redundancy: How to make this an opportunity

Redundancy in the pharmaceutical industry has been a recurring theme in November and December for the past three years or so; not the best time of year to be told you have no job. Yes the current global economic crisis has compounded matters but the affects we are seeing are more driven by the changing NHS, market access challenges, product pipelines and the drive for profitability.

So what do you need to do if you are told you are ‘on consultation’ or are actually redundant? Firstly do not panic. Then try not to take the news as personal, remember it is the job that is redundant, even if you feel unhappy about selection criteria for redundancy your HR Department will be ensuring that the process is fair and lawful.

It is normal to go through a whole raft of emotions which may include anger, relief, frustration, even sadness. The difficult aspects are often related to the fact that one day you had an interesting, respectable, well paid job with company car to suddenly being unemployed. Once you have digested this, and dealt with any immediate personal or financial implications, then please be positive so you use the situation as the opportunity it is to review your career goals and aspirations.

We know there are fewer jobs in medical/pharmaceutical sales than in the boom of 1995 – 2005 but the positive news is that roles are evolving, becoming more account management focused and often more specialist in nature presenting superb opportunities for strong sales professional to further develop their skills. It is fair to say that some people may see redundancy as a chance to move out of the sector, we are well trained by pharmaceutical companies and your transferable skills are marketable if you decide to explore that route.

Based on our experience there are some key tips which will be crucial in securing the right next position; you don’t want to jump in to a job if it’s not right. We do see too many people coming in six months post redundancy saying “I took my current job as I was redundant but realise now I took it because it was a job”; this doesn’t look good on a CV.
Ensure you have all the data/evidence you need to sell yourself at your next interview. Too many candidates claim the information has been lost or still on the company PC which has now gone back. If you are competing against someone else with a good Brag File you could miss out on that perfect job. Find all your sales data, business plans, appraisals, field visit report, examples of additional projects, formulary letters etc
Refer to this information when you are updating your CV; you need to have your CV as achievement focused as possible, these should be specific. Contact us (20:20 Selection Ltd) for advice
Find an agency that understands the industry and how best to sell your skills
Do not log your CV as open access on recruitment websites as you need to retain control of your personal information
Do keep a log of where you have sent your CV and track progress of your applications.
Consider how a Recruitment Consultant can help you prepare for interviews i.e. interview practice, presentations, attending assessment centres or just a sounding board
Be open to roles and companies you may not have heard of; there some interesting positions available.
Ensure you attend interviews you have committed to as it is a very small world.
Before an interview ensure you fully research the company and therapy area/products; the manager will expect you have done this as well as expect you can sell yourself for her/his specific position
Be prepared to work on feedback after an interview as it will help at second stage or if unsuccessful help for your next interview.

This is not an exhaustive list of tips but hopefully it may give you some help and/or inspiration. Getting the right job does take a lot of time but things can happen for a reason, even though you may not know the reason at this moment!

To discuss your own situation in more details contact our team on 0845 026 2020 or visit the website to view a selection of our current nationwide opportunities http://www.2020selection.co.uk/

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Top 10 Interview Questions

1. What Are Your Weaknesses?
2. Why Should We Hire You?
3. Why Do You Want to Work Here?
4. What Are Your Goals?
5. Why Did You Leave (Or Why Are You Leaving) Your Job?
6. When Were You Most Satisfied in Your Job?
7. What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can't?
8. What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You?
9. What Salary Are You Seeking?
10. If You Were an Animal, Which One Would You Want to Be?


1. What Are Your Weaknesses?
This is the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by minimising your weakness and emphasising your strengths. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate on professional traits: "I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently joined Toastmasters, which I find very helpful."

2. Why Should We Hire You? Summarise your experiences: "With five years' experience working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition to your team."

3. Why Do You Want to Work Here? The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you've given this some thought and are not sending out CVs just because there is an opening. For example, "I've selected key companies whose mission statements are in line with my values, where I know I could be excited about what the company does, and this company is very high on my list of desirable choices."

4. What Are Your Goals? Sometimes it's best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. For example, "My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility."

5. Why Did You Leave (Or Why Are You Leaving) Your Job? If you're unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20 percent reduction in the workforce, which included me." If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."

6. When Were You Most Satisfied in Your Job? The interviewer wants to know what motivates you. If you can relate an example of a job or project when you were excited, the interviewer will get an idea of your preferences. "I was very satisfied in my last job, because I worked directly with the customers and their problems; that is an important part of the job for me."

7. What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can't? What makes you unique? This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarise concisely: "I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly."

8. What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You? It's time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss's quotes. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else's words: "My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humour."

9. What Salary Are You Seeking? It is to your advantage if the employer tells you the range first. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area, and your bottom line or walk-away point. One possible answer would be: "I am sure when the time comes, we can agree on a reasonable amount. In what range do you typically pay someone with my background?"

10. If You Were an Animal, Which One Would You Want to Be? Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you can think quickly. If you answer "a bunny," you will make a soft, passive impression. If you answer "a lion," you will be seen as aggressive. What type of personality would it take to get the job done? What impression do you want to make?


Source: Monster.co.uk

Friday, 5 June 2009

New Service at 2020 Selection Ltd

2009 sees the introduction of WebCam technology at 20:20 Selection Ltd making interviewing and coaching more convenient for you!

Our new building offers many sophisticated facilities such as a state of the art Conference and Meeting room complete with an interaction video link from which clients can communicate and maximise their busy working schedules.

We feel the benefits of video link is endless, it offers clients in the field, the opportunity to attend important board meetings in real time, and allows prospective candidates the opportunity of having direct dialogue with our consultants when they are unable to travel to our offices for interview.

Contact us on 0845 026 2020 to learn more about how we coach our candidates and the latest vacancies in the medical industry.