2008 Jun - 10 Ways to Boost Your Career

Putting your name forward for things which are not part of your core job description is often perceived by many of us as an effort too far. Extracurricular activities if you will!   ‘Write a paper to present at conference? No, I don’t have the time!’ ;  ‘Write an article for an industry publication? Er, I don’t have anything to write about!’ 

However just a little bit of effort can really make a difference in many ways, from getting to know clients better by working with them on a paper, to learning new skills from writing articles and importantly gaining external recognition for your work for once! Taking a real interest in what you do shows your employer that you enjoy what you do and that you do have a genuine interest in it. It also looks good on your CV and will help to differentiate you from others when the time comes to look for the next career move.

So what should you do?  Here’s  some suggestions:

Easy wins......just get up and go to....

1. Industry conferences
2. Meetings & events
3. Training courses run by recognised/industry bodies

As well as being a great source of information, attending these sorts of events will allow you to keep abreast of the latest developments within the market, keeping you at the cutting edge of issues and developments. Importantly they also offer you the opportunity to widen your network of contacts, so don’t shy away from the mingling opportunities over coffee and lunch!  Exchange business cards and follow up soon after before it’s a distant memory. All contacts should be viewed as an opportunity and the most unexpected of these might help open a significant door for you in future.

The more you put in the more you get out.....

Here’s a few options if you’re feeling proactive:

1. Join an industry body. Your company may even contribute to or cover the cost!
2. Get yourself on to an industry committee. Start small and only take on duties you feel able to perform well.
3. Write for industry publications. If you’re working on an interesting or innovative project then that could be attractive to magazines and journals.  It needn’t take long either, articles can be as short or as long as you want/ the editor requires!  Often once you’ve contributed you’ll get first refusal for future publications where there may be synergies with your type of work/interests.
4. Input to an industry conference/event
   • Present a paper (on your own or joint with a colleague, client or supplier). This could be linked to the article you’ve written for that industry publication or just one of your many successful projects!
   • Run a workshop (or maybe help to run one initially!)
5. Join in debates about hot topics in pharma/your sector
   • At meetings
   • Online – blogs are becoming popular now so find out which ones are hot and get involved!
6. Achieve an industry post graduate diploma/degree e.g. CIM, MBA. Again your employer may contribute to the cost so it’s not all up to you, try and include some real work projects in the course so it’s not all theory.

Getting involved in such initiatives really will help to broaden your skills and experience whilst underlining your commitment to your industry and your career. Taking on these extracurricular activities really do help you stand out from the crowd.  It’s good for you, it pleases your current employer and it will certainly impress any future employers!  

1. Update your CV – tell people about your achievements!

Some things are definitely worth the effort. Good luck!
Debbie Anderson

Founding Director: Carrot Pharma Recruitment