There are several resume mistakes candidates make that fall outside of the obvious spelling and grammar issues we often see.  This podcast covers the 'not so obvious' resume mistakes such as:Adding meaningless statements: Of course you will provide references upon request! Save the space on your resume to reinforce your skills, qualities, achievements and passion points.Including an unclear 'Objective': Not only is an Objective unnecessary, but it can quickly get you into trouble. Instead of making this simple resume mistake, add a professional summary which will help tell your story as well as show why you are qualified for the position.Being careless with your formatting: We go through several scenarios where candidates have made fatal resume mistakes when it comes to "lazy" or "crazy" formatting.Not tailoring your resume for resume scanning systems: If you want a human to actually lay his or her eyes on your resume, you need to know how to navigate the scanning systems. We discuss how!

When outsourcing your clinical studies, should you consider establishing an oversight monitoring plan?  We work with some outstanding Sponsors who did not…and the results were disastrous.So when do you need an oversight monitoring program? In this recording of one of our most popular articles on the topic, we discuss a specific case study which will help you make the right decision for your company and projects.We discuss the ‘why’ as well as the cost and methodology to implement.  We hope you enjoy!

You should know that the simple act of creating a resume doesn't mean it will be read. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, it only takes around seven seconds for a recruiter to decide if you might be right for a job.Seven seconds. One thing is for sure, creating a resume that gets read is more than just documenting your work history and education. You need to find ways to stand out...but in a professional way. In our most recent podcast we discuss several tactics to use while creating a resume, including:How to outsmart the automation tools used by most recruiting agencies and hiring teams.A strategy you can use to show off your skills and accomplishments.Tips on how to establish your personal brand by professionally highlighting your related passions and ambition.We recently wrote a blog post on How to Write an Effective Resume as there are specific steps you can follow to help you be found by great hiring managers and recruiting agencies. This podcast is a narration of this article; we hope you find it useful!

"What is the best thing I can do to advance my career?" she asked.  It is a common question for us here at craresources and my answer may surprise you. While we may be tempted to tell you that learning the hard skills associated to monitoring clinical studies is critical, my real answer for what is most important is this:  Get comfortable with public speaking.Our friend and colleague, Elizabeth Weeks-Rowenot only agrees with us but takes it one step further by recommending CRAs seek out public speaking opportunities. Why? Public speaking has the potential to open many doors for professionals at all levels. It provides visibility, establishes you as an authority on your topic and extends your professional network.How Do You Find Public Speaking Opportunities?Check out our latest Podcast where Elizabeth and I both share our different pathways to public speaking. And the bonus discussion: we reveal how embracing this critical soft skill has contributed to both of our career progression.

Looking for a CRA Career? Or perhaps you want to progress within your current CRA role? Before you start your CRA career search, let's discuss a 'tried and true' strategy that will enable you to effectively outline a plan to land you that perfect position.Join us in a discussion on identifying your why, your what, as well as how to assess the areas of career development you need to focus on in order to obtain your goals.

And before you say that you don't make job search mistakes, let me be the first to correct you.You do.Everyone does.And many of them are avoidable!It surprises me how often an experienced professional will miss out on an opportunity because of committing silly (and avoidable) mistakes.I hope you find this podcast beneficial!

Many companies are not clear on what types of charges are standard. Unfortunately the practice of Sneaky Billing is real. Let’s talk a little about what you should expect as well as the pitfalls and sneaky billing practices that can put your company (and your budget) in jeopardy.

Let us help you figure out what causes it...and more importantly, how to avoid it. I have learned that there is always a reason why job seekers don't receive a response to their job applications.  Actually there are several, so let's take a look as to why you may be getting ghosted by recruiters and hiring managers.

Regardless of whether you work with a CRA Recruiter, Soup-to-Nuts Recruiter, or Sleezy Recruiter…it quickly becomes clear that recruiters are not all created equally. But putting the quality of the recruitment agency aside, when it comes to discussing whether a CRA, Sponsor or CRO should work with a Niched CRA Recruiting firm, how do you select an agency that will quickly yield high quality CRAs to fit your needs?To answer the question, I usually ask this question:Would you buy sushi from your local QuickTrip™, Circle K™ or 7-Eleven™?The question isn’t whether 7-Eleven™ sells sushi…the question is if you should buy it from them.Please don’t think I have fallen and bumped my head as I ask this question to invoke thought and prove a point.  Wouldn’t you agree that the CRA role is a highly skilled one? Wouldn’t you also agree that there are fake CRAs and underperforming CRAs who are quick to apply when you open a clinical monitoring position?And lastly: wouldn’t you also agree that the CRAs you select to monitor your studies will make or break them! Given that so much is riding on your research study, why not engage a CRA recruiter who specializes in sourcing, recruiting, coaching, and placing CRAs who actually know the clinical monitoring role?We recently published an article on the topic of working with a niched CRA recruiter, but thought you may enjoy a narrated version.  This will be on our podcast too – we hope you enjoy!

Effective presentation and communication skills are dynamic elements of a successful CRA - Site relationship.  Unfortunately, intense nervousness and an anxious mind can put a kibosh on being able to effectively get your point across. Want to know how to overcome the knocking knees so you come across as confident and knowledgeable?  Take a listen to our super awesome guest, Elizabeth Weeks-Rowe to gain some outstanding tips!

CRA Careers are available! The hard skills are teachable, but the soft skills are what is really important.  Anyone looking to develop themselves into a mature CRA must focus on improving their soft skills. Communication skills, time management, organizational skills, conflict management…This podcast is about honing your soft skills!  Check out our supporting blog posts and certainly reach out if you need coaching.

No more calls. No more Texts. We are breaking up. This industry is extremely small. The goal in every interaction should be to build a rapport...which will lead to a relationship...which will continue to grow your network.So in the effort of nurturing your network rather than burning bridges:Job Seekers - how do you gracefully decline a job offer?  In a way that keeps the hiring manager interested in you for future positions?Hiring Managers - how do you gracefully reject candidates?  In a way that will encourage these candidates to stay interested in you and your organization in the future?

Is the Reference Check a Waste of Time? As a hiring manager – do you conduct reference checks?  How about you Job Seekers out there…are you taking the reference check step as seriously as you should?With the goal of streamlining the process while ensuring it’s effectiveness, we spend a few minutes busting myths and sharing common errors (as well as share a story or two). We hope you enjoy!

Want to know why interviews aren’t always effective?  Interview fails aren’t just made by the job seeker; hiring managers make them too.  Our team held a quick round table on this topic and want to share our thoughts on interview dos and don’ts as well as the CRA interview process.We would love to hear stories about your “interview fails”!