Looking for work in a specific industry can be scary – particularly for former students that have just graduated from the comfortable bubble of university or college.

Here are 6 tips that you can do when trying to find work to improve your chances of landing that interview you need to get you in the door:

Don’t Cast Too Wide a Net – Be specific in your search. Save yourself (and recruiters) time by only applying for jobs that are a clear fit for you given your skills and experiences. If you’re specifically looking for jobs in clinical research, only apply for jobs in this field.

Polish Your C.V. – Two times at least. Your C.V. is the most important piece of your application. So just when you think your C.V. is perfect, read over it again.

Tailor Your C.V. to Each Job – Tailor your C.V. to the requirements of the job to help maximize your chances of getting through the initial screening.

Do Your Homework – Employers expect you to have already researched the job, the people and the company before applying. Make use of resources such as Linkedin and find out info about the culture and any awards etc that the company have won or been nominated for.

Do thorough research about the job and industry you are applying for. Showing interviewers that you have a knowledge about the company will almost certainly endear you to your potential new employers. Also, a suprising number of applicants tend to find it difficult when it comes to answering questions about why it is they want to work for this particular company.

Small Touches Can Help – Say Thank You. Send a simple thank you note after the interview process to show your appreciation.

Be Patient – Follow the 7 day rule when following up to get a status update after either applying or interviewing for a position. If you’re unsuccessfu, it is always a good idea to gather some feedback about what you did well, or not to help better your performance and approach for your next interview.

At the Interview

If you’re fortunate enough to be offered an interview, always sure that when you attend you are wearing your smartest clothes and arrive on time (5 to 10 minutes early is better still). This will help you to feel confident for the interview. When asked a question, try to take your time and answer honestly – this will help you to build a rapport with the interviewer.

Max Resourcing are clinical recruitment specialists in finding and placing professionals and senior management within the clinical, Pharmaceutical and healthcare industries – throughout Europe.