Secrets of a CRA Recruiter

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 out the mission of your project, not to be homecoming queen. And as a side note, you never know who you are going to end up working for…what if she became your boss at some point? Eek. But doesn’t this ring true? Coordinators move into CRA roles and then into Management positions. Folks in senior leadership step back into CRA roles. Others decide to start sites or build CROs. The industry is dynamic and the ability to build successful relationships is crucially important for many reasons.And as a CRA, your ability to foster effective site relationships will not only make or break the study results but will also likely make or break your career. One of our favorite long-term CRAs, Tuypeakus McKay, joined us to discuss his approach. Want to know how personal he gets with his sites? How does he establish an effective communication method? What does he do to earn the site’s trust? And when it comes to escalating, how does he do it in a way that resolves the issue without breaking his relationship? His advice is gold and available in today’s podcast.craresources

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 example, when is leaving a job without notice okay? What steps should you take to gracefully give notice? And what if you need to leave a toxic environment or a company that doesn’t value your contributions? What (and how) should you communicate to your leadership? And how about your team? How do you bow out of your position without negatively impacting your coworkers? Join us in this week’s podcast as we discuss how to resign gracefully (and why it is important to do so).craresources

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? Alternatively, as a collaborative industry, how do we stop ghost job seekers from applying to real jobs because these ghosts are causing real candidates to be overlooked? And a key question that impacts many of us: How do you hold out for the job you want instead of settling? Especially when you have a family to support and have been out of work for a while. Join us as we tackle these tough topics as well as others. craresources

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 you as a job seeker? If you are a jobseeker over 40, statistics say that you have been significantly impacted. So how can you sidestep conscious or unconscious bias related to your age? We teamed up with one of our favorite CRAs and guest podcaster, Mashaan Guy to collect his thoughts on this topic. For example, what tweaks can you make to your resume to avoid ageism? Should you cover up grey hair or dress a certain way?  And how do you represent that you are ‘up to date’ in your knowledge of things like technology?craresources

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 stressful. It would be easy to become negative. But did you know staying positive during the job search can improve your results? Clinical Research Operations Professional Damien Hall does. And research agrees. The Mayo Clinic shows study results that prove positive thinking reduces stress. Mental Health America describes research that shows pessimistic people die earlier than those who are optimistic. And Harvard Health research shows that a positive mindset can help your heart health. And for women with breast cancer, the NIH shows a study that shows how optimism has a significant impact on mental and physical well-being and thus better outcomes.Has Damien’s job search road been easy? Absolutely not. However, Damien has focused on staying positive through the job search and has received blessings because of his mindset. Join us as he shares how he has woven positivity into his personal brand as well as his approach to the job search.craresources

Many candidates find it extremely difficult to ask someone to be a reference. I find one of the primary reasons is that the candidate doesn’t want to bother past supervisors. After all, providing a reference can be time-consuming. As a supervisor myself, I can honestly say it would never be a burden for me to serve as a reference for one of my top performers. So is the worry of bothering a past supervisor a valid concern? There are many other reasons candidates are anxious when it comes to asking someone to serve as a reference. Perhaps they haven’t kept up with their past supervisors, and therefore aren’t sure how to find their contact information. Additionally, in many cases, candidates may be worried the reference would simply decline, not being willing to speak on their behalf. And the biggest fear…what will they say?I recently presented a webinar where one of the attendees asked if it was appropriate to include her references on her resume. No. No, it isn’t. And what about those candidates who provide references without first asking their permission? Eek…that isn’t a smart approach either. So what is the best practice when it comes to asking someone to serve as your reference? This week’s roundtable provides advice on how to nurture your network so you always have references available. We also give tips on how to ask someone to be a reference, as well as how to prepare your reference in a way that makes you feel confident in what they will say about you. craresources

We receive the question of ‘how to become a Sr CRA so frequently, we recently recorded a roundtable providing tangible advice on how to progress into the role. But due to the frequency of the question, I felt it would be important to ask one of my own:  Do junior-level candidates understand the good, bad, and ugly of being a Sr CRA? Maybe…maybe not. As I coach junior-level candidates and aspiring CRAs, it often becomes apparent to me that they have a romanticized view of the senior CRA role. Therefore, in order to demystify the role (as well as reinforce how to successfully progress into it), we felt we had to go to the source. We partnered up with a dear friend and highly respected senior-level industry consultant, Mashaan Guy. We asked him what his advice would be to those who want to progress into the Sr CRA role. He does a deep dive into what he believes are important skills you should develop. Additionally, he offers advice on what types of experiences you should gain in order to compete in the role. He also throws some reality your way, being very direct about the good, bad, and ugly of the role. If you have ever considered what it would take for you to progress to the senior CRA position and perform it effectively, this podcast absolutely has to be on your ‘must listen’ list. craresources

I was recently conducting a coaching session when someone asked what skills or experiences she needed to advance into a Senior CRA role.  It seems like a simple question but the answer can be quite complex. Should you focus on gaining foundational experience? And if so, what clinical research foundational experience is most important? Does your job tenure matter? Should you have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate? And if yes, what field should your degree be in? What, if any, certifications do you need? Do you need experience across various therapeutics? What type of technology systems do you need to be able to use? And we can’t forget about soft skills. How do you hone your leadership skills so you are able to handle the senior CRA role? Is the ability to quickly and effectively build relationships as important as being able to handle conflict? And what about communication…how do you make sure your communication skills are strong enough to be effective in the role? Finally, once you have developed the hard and soft skills needed to be successful in the role, how do you go about showing others you are ready? How important is networking? And how do you leverage your network to gain advancement into the Senior CRA role? All great questions. And we tackle them in this week’s roundtable so that you can be supported in obtaining your career goals.craresources

Does the job interview always have to be serious? Yes…and no. Of course, there are components of every job interview that should be serious. However, I feel that being too serious in an interview is a flawed approach and a missed opportunity. Why? Research shows that when used properly, the use of humor facilitates personal attachment and builds connections. Sophie Scott presented an awesome TED talk on why we laugh and how the overall purpose of laughter is to create social bonding. And the real reason for every interview is to build a connection. Candidates who build an effective rapport with their interviewer stand out. And this is important because our statistics show that for candidates, likability is more important than competence.  Many organizations such as Forbes, LinkedIn, Harvard Business Review, and GovLoop agree.  Likewise, interviewers will find they are more effective during the interview when they put their candidates at ease. Humor, when appropriately used, can go a long way in enabling an interviewer to effectively bond with a candidate. And this means the hiring manager has a better idea of whether the candidate will fit the company’s culture. However, interview participants on both sides will seriously flunk if they inappropriately use humor. So how do you use humor in a way that makes you stand out as a top candidate (or employer) without putting yourself at risk of appearing not serious enough? Or worse yet, make you appear unprofessional, immature…or worse? Join us in this week’s roundtable as we provide guidelines on the appropriate way to use humor in a job interview. craresources

The job search can be a challenge. How do you, as a jobseeker overcome a career setback in a way that makes you stronger? Our special guest John Nocero would state it is time to ‘Becky Up’. Becky Lynch (John’s Shero) has been quoted as saying: You can be going through hardships sometimes, and you’re struggling, and then you’re wondering if you’re ever gonna make it. My mentor would call this struggle the ‘dark of the night’ where you wonder if you will ever obtain your goals. And get this, all of us have experienced a career setback.  Seriously – all of us. But have you considered if your current career trajectory…your current career goals are right for you? Becky was also quoted as stating: It’s so important just to be true to yourself and to own your character and take responsibility for it, and speak up and say: This isn’t right; this isn’t me. It is a great lesson, not just in wrestling but in life. If you’re not feeling something that’s true to your heart… everybody’s gotta be true. Listen in to this week’s podcast where we provide advice on two key points that every jobseeker should be focused on during their challenges: First, why fighting for your career goals and ambitions is critical for anyone who wants to progress personally and professionally. And second, why being true to yourself is the key component to the recipe for success. I will leave you with one more quote by Dan Gable, two-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion: Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.craresources

Jobseekers should know that there are similarities in how you handle counteroffers and oddball interview questions. Oddball interview questions are unconventional and typically the answers are quite difficult. So what is the purpose of oddball interview questions? And how can you handle them gracefully? Likewise, counteroffers can be a challenge. The intentions behind a counteroffer aren’t always for the jobseeker’s highest good. So I ask the question of them: how can you handle them gracefully? In today’s team roundtable, we demystify both of these concepts, digging into the similar intention behind both practices. We also provide insights into how you can effectively address both.craresources

Have you ever heard the term ‘doppelganger’? Doppelgangers are persons who are considered a double of another individual. Today I want to speak about CRA Doppelgangers and what it means to jobseekers. Why? Because our industry is rocking! There are currently over 113 thousand active studies listed on clinicaltrials.gov with 21,692 in the “Not Yet Recruiting” category. Even a conservative math exercise shows that current and upcoming studies will demand at least 10 thousand additional monitoring resources be deployed on projects just getting ready to start recruitment. But as a job seeker, it is important to know that these thousands of positions will not be listed under the CRA title.  Many in our industry have split the traditional CRA role into specialties, which may be a perfect solution for your skills and needs. So what doppelgangers should you also search for when seeking your next monitoring position? How can you effectively broaden the hunt for a monitoring role that best suits your expertise and personal balance?Today’s team roundtable discusses all of this in depth. Happy hunting! craresources

While leadership is considered a soft skill, effective leaders will use a combination of hard and soft skills to excel in their roles. So how do you learn how to motivate and inspire team members? What personality traits do you need to sharpen to become a more successful leader? What hard skills are necessary to be accepted in a leadership role?In today’s podcast, we join forces with Maria-Alexandra Milas, the founder and CEO of CRAConnect to discuss how leadership ranks highest among all of the professional skills that we look for in a quality Clinical Research Associate. Maria provides excellent insight into how strong leadership skills are critical for clinical professionals at every level. We discuss how to hone this key soft skill as well as fine-tune personality traits so you can effectively lead in the CRA role. We also speak about one of my favorite topics: how to identify and correct personal Blockers that may be keeping you from being a successful leader. Today’s podcast is a ‘must listen’ for all of you who want to progress in your career path!craresources

As we struggle to help identify a clear career pathway for those who want to become clinical research associates, I often wonder about the unsung heroes in our industry. I also wonder why these unsung heroes don’t get as much visibility as CRAs because their jobs are so incredibly important! The first role that comes to mind is that of a Study Coordinator. I feel the role of a clinical research coordinator (CRC) is one of the most important in our industry. The CRC is often the first person a study participant will meet and their compassionate engagement with patients can make or break a study. The TMF Specialist is also a critical role…especially in our current electronic world. We teamed up with Nicole Palmer to dig into the role of the TMF specialist. Nicole is the CEO and founder of Granular Level as well as the Host of TMF Daily Podcast. She peels back the veil on the day-to-day function of the TMF specialist role including how to successfully navigate into this particular career path.And there are so many other critical roles within our industry: In-House CRAs, Clinical Trial Assistants, Data Entry Specialists, and Startup Specialists to just name a few. These various roles not only have an impact on our industry but also the recruited subjects and their family. Join us as we sing the praises (and discuss the career paths) of these industry-specific unsung heroes.craresources

Yes…and no. But before we dig into the truth about job tenure, let’s discuss what it is. Job tenure is the length of time someone has worked for one company. Many identify tenure as long or short. And while there are several factors to consider when looking at job tenure, you should know that overall, as long as you are progressing in a way that is helping you to achieve long-term career goals, tenure isn’t likely to negatively impact your job search. That said, team members who exhibit a pattern of staying at a job for less than two years may be seen as job-hoppers. And with a job-hopper label, hiring managers may be concerned that you lack career goals, are difficult to work with, or will not be loyal to the team. Alternatively, employees who stay in a specific position for more than 10 years may be questioned about why they weren't promoted. So, how important is job tenure? How does a team member stay in a position long enough to exhibit loyalty without staying so long as to prohibit career growth? In today’s team roundtable, we dig into what would be considered ‘short’ tenure in our industry. We also discuss when it can negatively impact your candidacy, when it doesn’t, and how you can positively explain your tenure. craresources

The ACRP has done a wonderful job putting together a core competency framework for Clinical Study Monitoring. One particular domain covers communication and teamwork. This competency area covers relationships and communication with clinical study team members and investigative site staff. The ACRP’s specific expectations within this competency include the ability to:communicate effectively to resolve compliance issues,provide clear and technically accurate information and instructions – both orally and in writing, maintain timely communications, engage in effective discussions, demonstrate attentive and active listening, andabide by the project’s communication plan and pathway. Interestingly, I have never interviewed a candidate who has openly admitted they need to improve their communication skills. And almost everyone we interview feels their teamwork skills are excellent. However, poor teamwork or communication skills are a top ‘trip and fall’ of our CRAs, resulting in about 20% of our terminations. Join us today as we discuss some of the basic blunders we see in this space. We also provide some excellent ways to improve your communication and teamwork soft skills.craresources

Did you realize that your email etiquettecan cost you a position before the hiring manager or recruiter even looks at your resume? In today’s team roundtable, we provide bad email etiquette examples…and some of them may surprise you.We provide examples of candidate trips and falls during their qualification process, when they send thank-you notes, when accepting an offer, and when receiving a rejection. We also discuss some not-so-obvious bad email etiquette examples. For example, using an email address that is too casual or informal can result in a 30% decrease in response rates. I once had a candidate with an email address that included his favorite libation. I swear I heard ice clinking into his glass every time I spoke with him. And sometimes I imagined he was slurring. We have also seen folks use terms like divaprincess in their email. Don’t do that.  Maybe Ms. Divaprincess was a pleasure to work with and Mr. Guiness never drank during business hours. But trust me when I say future hiring managers will read too much into informal and “way too personal” email addresses. Wouldn’t it be silly to lose an opportunity that you are qualified for just because you broke an unknown email etiquette rule? Tune into today’s roundtable to shore up your email etiquette skills and win that next position!craresources

In part 3 of our 3-part series, we discuss how CRAs can increase productivity using various methods. For example, what technology can you introduce to make yourself more efficient and organized? And how should you tailor your organization and time management methodologies to fit your personality, style, and work/life situation? Join us as two of our favorite CRAs, Tuypeakus McKay and Chiquita Caudle Sanders share their personalized and unique tips. They prove the point that no one has to use the exact same methodology as anyone else…but everyone needs a system. They also discuss what hardware and software tools they use to stay organized, improve their ability to manage their time, and increase productivity. Some of these tips will be game-changers!craresources

In part 2 of our 3-part series, we continue our discussion on Time Management and Organizational Skills with two of our favorite CRAs, Tuypeakus McKay and Chiquita Caudle Sanders. In this episode, we share some organizational tips that CRAs at any level can benefit from. We give ideas on how to squeeze in tasks while traveling and also describe some excellent tracking methodologies that will ensure you can effectively track all of your due dates. These tips will help you to better manage your email and prioritize follow-ups for multiple sites. We also share how you can set up calculations in a tracker so that you can get flagged when report and letter deadlines are approaching. Oh, and we also speak about balance. How does a really busy CRA compartmentalize in order to not only be a terrific monitor, but also dedicate personal time for self-care and family? This podcast on Organizational Tips is one you won’t want to miss!  craresources

I have yet to speak to someone who admits they have weak time management skills. Everyone we interview thinks their ability to manage deliverables and calendars is stellar. They are not. Our data shows that the lack of organizational and time management skills is the number one reason why we release CRAs. I find this data interesting! Overall, this shows that while CRAs’ technical skills are important, soft skills are more important. The CRA job can be tough. Having the ability to coordinate multiple sites, multiple protocols, and multiple sponsors can be challenging…even with excellent time management capabilities. So for this week’s podcast, we teamed up with two of our favorite CRAs, Tuypeakus McKay and Chiquita Caudle Sanders, to discuss how they keep themselves organized.  In Part 1 of a three-part series, you will gain a glimpse into their success as Tuypeakus and Chiquita share some of their secrets. We discuss tools that will help you be better organized, how to manage multiple calendars effectively, and how to organize correspondences and deliverables for multiple clients simultaneously. It is a series you won’t want to miss. craresources