Ep 55: Questions from Lauren’s talk “The Talent Code: Understanding How Companies Assess Potential” at Harvard Medical School

Lauren recently gave a talk to postdocs at Harvard Medical School on “The Talent Code: Understanding How Companies Assess Potential”.  About 150 postdocs registered to attend. The talk Lauren gave covered insight into what organizations look for in candidates as they review resumes, search LinkedIn to identify people who may be a fit for a role, and interview candidates. Lauren leveraged her >15 years of recruiting experience to help the audience have a better idea for how to stand out. In the presentation, Lauren discussed the importance of showing hard as well as soft skills in the resume, cover letter and during interview discussions so that the people interviewing you can see your well rounded background. During the talk, Lauren received many questions about job searching, applications, cover letters, resumes, references and more. We thought it would be useful to mention a few of these, including the ones below, in this podcast since many of our listeners may have similarquestions as the audience.  We hope you enjoy listening.  When should one start looking for a new job?  If you really like a company, but they don’t have any position available, is it ok to write them, should you send your resume and cover letter (or only resume) and who you should contact within the company? What are some ways you recommend to look for job openings in industry?  So this market is super competitive and employers seem to be really picky right now - let's say I've optimized my materials as much as I can, how long are you seeing people be on the market before they land something (assuming they are immediately available)? Could you provide some insight into a company's process for contracting (i.e. technical or scientific), including howoften they hire contractors, the types of roles they typically fill with contract workers, and any preferred platforms or agencies they use for recruitment? Is there a stigma to contract roles? In your experience, are you seeing more application this year for each open position as compare to previous year? If yes, how to stand out. If there is an online application form on the company website, should you fill it out, or is it enough to just attachyour CV/Resume? Does it make a difference? Lauren Celano, CEO of Propel Careers and Jim Gould, the Director for Postdoctoral Affairs at Harvard Medical School, launched this podcast as a way for us to share our advice, insights, and reflections to help others navigate their careers. As we develop new episodes, this podcast will provide insights regarding career advice to help listeners navigate career choices and become more confident in their decisions. We look forward to busting myths and providing real life, timely, and accurate advice. Jim and Lauren work heavily with Ph.D. trained scientists, but the advice we provide can be applicable to other audiences. We hope you enjoy listening!