JOB HINTS

The one question recruiters hear daily is “What’s the market like out there?” At the turn of the millennium, “the market” is excellent for candidates – but that doesn’t mean companies are “settling” for second-tier scientists.In fact, with the ever-increasing emphasis on market share, quality, and the bottom line, no company can afford to hire less than the best of the best for any scientific or engineering position.

Oh, how easy job searching can be! All I have to do is go on line, post my résumé on Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, and wait for the phone to ring. This is too good to be true!

You’ve thoroughly researched the new company, you’ve survived several rounds of rigorous phone and personal interviews, and you’ve convinced your family that your career move is in their best interest as well as yours. All that remains is to receive a firm, written offer of employment for your dream job.

Once upon a time (this is a true story!), a job candidate felt that a personal interview had gone exceptionally well. He expected an employment offer immediately.After two weeks, however, no offer was forthcoming, and the candidate’s enthusiasm turned to dismay. Only then, when he was mentally reviewing (for the hundredth time) everything that had been said — and done — before, during, and after the interview — did he remember that he hadn’t sent a thank you note.

A well-written résumé is, in just about every case, the most important document in a candidate’s professional portfolio. Cover letters, specifically tailored to each query, are the next-most-effective tools.You must include a cover letter every time you mail, fax, or e-mail your résumé to OPUS International or to a potential employer.

Events such as IFT’s Annual Meeting/Food Expo are marvelous venues to learn all about the newest Food Science technology. Even more important, they provide the opportunity for you to meet dozens of professional colleagues.Whether you’re attending the expo because you’re on the job market or you’re simply “laying groundwork,” always be prepared! Some of your most propitious encounters may occur while you’re standing in a line or listening to a panel.

While we don’t plan to write the OPUS International Guide to Good Etiquette for Candidates and Clients, we are in a unique position to observe various breaches of good manners that pop up all too frequently during personal and phone interviews. If you’re a faux-pas free candidate, give yourself a pat on the back. But you might want to make a quick personal inventory first.

Other articles in this series focus on the fine art of searching for the job you want and negotiating an offer that will make you proud.Now let’s take a look at things you can do, once you are well and truly employed, to help you increase your visibility, grow into other positions, and protect your career.

Although no statistics support this fact, it is incontrovertible. There comes a time in every food scientist’s career when he or she takes stock of the status quo and calls an industry-specific placement consultant.Whether you’re an employer seeking staff to augment your division, or you’re a scientist seeking a better opportunity, your first call should be to OPUS International.