PhUSE Conference

For the third year running, Kubo will be attending the PhUSE Conference, which will take place from 9th to 12th October at the Gran hotel Princesa Sofia in Barcelona.

We will be available to discuss any suitable career opportunities that we may have or to offer any career advice where possible.
We have new vacancies based across Europe and the US on a permanent or contract basis, for Principal and Senior Bio-statisticians, Principal and Senior Statistical Programmers, as well as VP Commercial, Senior Director of Sales, Marketing and Data Managers.

Kubo are delighted to be continuing our support of World Cancer Research Fund by donating €3 to the charity for every business card Kubo receive at the Conference. Please help support this worthy cause by visiting us at stand 28 and leaving your business card. We look forward to seeing you there!

Lack of young talent in the life sciences industry is worrying!

Mature workers greatly outnumber newer employees in the UK life sciences sector – which could possibly lead to a shortage of essential skills, according to a new survey.

Figures by Cogent Skills from the national Labour Force Survey in the past 12 months show that in life sciences, there are 28% more employees aged 40-64 than 16-40. New or recent school leavers and graduates make up only 5% of the total workforce. More than 80% of companies in the industry have vacancies affected by skills shortages with more than 70% struggling to attract applicants with the skills they need to satisfy “hard to fill” vacancies.

Mark Botting, board member of the Science Industry Partnership, says: “The age gap across the life sciences sector is a clear signal that science sector companies need to have succession planning along with skills and talent development on their agenda now. Skills shortages ultimately affect an organisation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global market.
“The figures we have collated suggest that a greater proportion of people currently working across industrial and life sciences will be leaving the workforce in the next 25 years than those remaining behind. The sector needs to do something now to address the brain drain. 

Cogent Skills, the UK’s strategic body for skills in the science industries, highlights Actavis’ Trailblazer apprenticeships – which are bespoke for the company’s skills requirements – as an example of how this can be addressed. Actavis' Technical Transfer Manager Hilary Jeffrey's said "Though employers may previously have struggled with the concept of employing apprentices rather than graduates, they are now understanding the opportunity apprenticeships offer to individuals and the company, 

Hilary continued “The qualifications combined with the experience apprentices gain are very relevant to employers. With bespoke apprenticeships such as the Trailblazer we will develop people with the right skills because we’ve been directly involved in defining and shaping what is required to enable the employee to do the role by the end of the course.”

This all seems a bit worrying for the future of the life sciences industry and shows just how important new talent really is. Maybe we need to be going right back to the start of the process and telling children about the life sciences sector and what is involved, when they are thinking about their career options at school? I remember talking to my teenage brother about the industry when i first started at Kubo and he had no idea about how much went into the prescriptions and healthcare he takes for granted everyday. Maybe its a lack of knowledge in the industry rather than a lack of interest? 

New Year new job? Get ahead of the crowd now!

In a survey by jobsite.co.uk it showed that 42% of people will look for a new job in January, with half of all people surveyed saying they used the Christmas break to think about their career. It also showed that 13% of people will start their new job search after receiving their January pay cheque.

While wanting more money is the biggest reason for January job hunting, 51% of people looking for a new position crave more job satisfaction, and more than 1 in 10 are simply unhappy in their current job.

Top 5 reasons for looking for a new job in the New Year

1. More money

2. Job satisfaction
3. To further my career
4. I’m unhappy in my current job
5. I want a less stressful job

 According to new research from Job Bounties (www.jobbounties.com ) history shows the first Monday back to work after the Christmas break is when 2 in 5 people currently in work will search the words "jobs" or "Vacancies" on Google!

The Holidays are fast approaching and before you know you know it, we’ll be in January. You may feel that you can take a break from your job search as you think companies are not hiring at the end of the year. While that may be the case for some companies, other companies may still have budget set aside and positions they want to fill for the start of the New Year. Either way, this is not the time for you to stop looking for a job. In January, there will be even more people competing for the jobs and you want to get ahead of the crowd now. The health care industry consumes over 10 percent of gross domestic product of most developed nations making it very competitive as it’s one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries.　

Tips to get you started!

• make a list of jobs that interest you and research job openings -check out Kubo’s website www.kuborecruitment.com
• Get your CV/resume up-to-date!
• Get your social media profiles in line – have a look at our previous  blog “The good, the bad and the ugly side of social media for your job search” for Kubo’s advice on how to make the best of yours!

 

So get ahead of the crowd and get in touch with Kubo Recruitment to start your search today!

The Good, the bad and the ugly side of using social media for your job search: Part 1

Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook are all great ways of networking and aiding you in your job search, but what happens when you’re personal life back fires on your professional one and hinders instead of helps you. With stories in the media about people being fired over posts that their work colleagues have seen, Kubo are looking at the 3 main social networking sites and advice on how to use them effectively for your job hunting.

Part 1 LinkedIn

LinkedIn is designed specifically for professional networking, and 89% of employers who were asked in a 2012 survey of 1,000 recruiters by recruiting-technology Company Jobvite, said that they have made a hire through LinkedIn so you should try to keep everything professional on your profile. Below are top tips on how to use LinkedIn effectively.

• Photo- Keep your photo professional at all times, no pictures of you pulling funny faces or nights out with your friends where you went dressed as a pirate. Try to look happy in your photo; no one wants to see a miserable person staring back at them when they are looking for a potential candidate it gives the wrong impression. A simple head shot of you looking professional is perfect.




• Headline-The headline is the first line under your name that people see when you come up in a search.　 This is basically your first impression to a potential employer, so sell yourself and stand out from the crowd. If you’re looking for work then say you are and it’s also a good idea to put key words of your desired role as you will come up in more searches.




• Get Connected- LinkedIn is all about networking so the more connections you have the more connections you can make. LinkedIn works on a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd connection basis so this means you are able to view more people and profiles the more connections you have.




• Join Groups- LinkedIn has groups for near enough everything, so find the industry and groups relevant to you and get joining. Groups will open you up to hundreds of new connections that are outside your network and also allows you to message other group members for free!




• Contact info- If an employer or recruiter is doing a search and you are their 3^rd or 4^th connection they will not be able to message you (inmail) without the specific paid version. So having your email address somewhere on the page gives them the opportunity to contact you directly so you won’t miss out on that new opportunity!




• Profile- Getting all the correct information across on your profile and in a clear and precise manner is key! Outline your current and past jobs leaving no gaps with a brief description of your job role is the best way, as it looks tidy and is easier for prospective employers to read! LinkedIn also has a step-by-step guide to help you complete your profile.



• Recommendations and Endorsements- having past work colleagues or customers recommending you and your work is a great way of showing potential employers evidence of your successes. LinkedIn recently introduced endorsements which allows your connections to endorse particular skills.




• Follow Companies-Companies usually list job openings on their company page which then show up in your news feed if you are following that company. Then you will never miss a job opportunity!

Are you following Kubo Recruitment on LinkedIn yet? We constantly list job openings on our company page in the life sciences and clinical research sector.

In part 2 Kubo will be looking at how you should be very careful about what you post on Twitter and Facebook because things may come back to haunt you!

　

Kubo's Commitment to Training and Learning Opportunities; Win a Free Pass to a Global Pharma Event

Kubo Recruitment is committed to continuous learning opportunities in the life sciences sector and training events for talent in pharma, biotech, clinical research and life sciences. The healthcare sector is the fastest growing job market promising the largest number of new jobs. However, employers often face challenges in finding the right talent. In fact, one of the top workforce problems is a mismatch between worker skills and jobs, along with a growing pool of untapped talent. 

Kubo Recruitment supports training and networking events where professionals can discuss and debate current trends in the industry. This autumn, Kubo is sponsoring events around Europe and the U.S. which focus on training and provide attendees with a certificate of attendance for their training logs. 

We want to give professionals a chance to attend this events! Therefore, we are holding a drawing to give away one free pass to each of the events listed below. All you have to do is follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter to enter your name in the drawing!

Kubo Recruitment LinkedIn Page

Kubo Recruitment Twitter Account

Below is the list of upcoming events and forums:

ePharma Day 2013

ePharma Day is a training and networking initiative that deals with the most relevant issues concerning clinical trials. This year's events focus on "Letting Your Strategy Drive Your Technology Decisions" which highlights the difficulties faced by those in charge with procuring technology in a sector where integrated systems are important but still unusual. An expert panel will discuss how to introduce the right technology in protocol feasibility, adaptive design, integrated summaries, functional service provision, late phase studies, diagnostics and medical affairs. All events are conducted in English and the host country's native language. 

Here is the schedule of this autumn's events:

• German ePharma Day: 23rd of September in Frankfurt, Germany
• Spanish ePharma Day: 24th of October in Barcelona, Spain
• UK ePharma Day: 31st of October in London, United Kingdom
• U.S. ePharma Day: 12th of November in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

European Statistical Forum

18th November in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The 4th Annual ESF focuses on "Missing Data in Clinical Trials" and expert speakers will discuss state of the art statistical methodologies, real-life case studies of clinical trials showing how missing data can be handled and regulatory viewpoints.

Epidemiological Forum

8th of October in Milan, Italy

The 3rd Annual EPI forum focuses on Real World Data for the evaluation of healthcare technology and emerging opportunities and challenges for the innovation of healthcare technology and the improvement of healthcare quality. 

Hug Your Boss Day is 23rd of August: Are You "Celebrating"?

National Hug Your Boss Day is on the 23rd of August and it’s reported that 45% of people think its ok to hug your boss. Kubo Recruitment wants to know: what do you think? 

A recent study conducted by TipTopJob went on to find that:

•             Only 5% would hug their boss when their boss praised them

•             15% would hug their boss on “hello” or “goodbye”

•             19% would hug if they got a promotion.

Kubo did a bit of research and unsurprisingly more women than men thought it was acceptable to hug their boss, but only if they had gotten to know him or her a bit first.

Research shows that it also depends greatly on what industry or work environment you are in as to whether a hug was deemed appropriate.

For example, in the healthcare sector it is typical to give your colleagues and your boss a hug to say “hello” or “goodbye” , but if you worked in a larger corporate business it was more “professional “ to greet someone with a handshake.

But what about cultural differences? In Japan it is customary to bow upon a business greeting, and in Italy you give a kiss on each cheek.

National Hug Your Boss Day was launched back in 2008 to promote workplace relationships and highlight the importance of getting along with your boss/manager.
 

With all this in mind, what are your thoughts? Are you a “pro hugger” or do you think that a handshake is appropriate in the work place at all times? Comment below with your thoughts!

 http://www.nationalhugyourbossday.co.uk/

Welcome to the Kubo Recruitment Blog!

Welcome to Kubo Job Knowledge - The Recruitment Blog! 

Kubo Recruitment focuses on sourcing talent for the Life Sciences sector. With headquarters in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, we operate internationally and recruit professionals in clinical research including data managers, statisticians, statistical programmers, Monitors, CRAs, Medical Writers, IT professionals and more. This blog highlights trends and news from the recruitment and life sciences industries and provides job seekers with tips on new job openings and how to make yourself an ideal candidate.

Our blog will occasionally feature Community updates, including news on the Milton Keynes Storm Under 16 ice hockey team for which Kubo is a proud sponsor.

Stay tuned for regular blog posts as Kubo continues to expand in the recruitment sector. Next month, Kubo is exhibiting at the DIA 49th Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Happy Reading!