Whether you are an experienced pharmaceutical, R&D or medical professional or instead a recent graduate and relative newcomer to the world of science jobs, in your search for a rewarding role, you may occasionally have reason to use a recruitment agency. Such businesses have a proven record, more than 600,000 people having found new, permanent jobs through them in 2014.

Recruitment agencies have long been powerful allies for candidates, assisting them with a wide range of requirements related to job-seeking. But how can you make the most of the services of a science recruitment agency like Hyper Recruitment Solutions?

What are science recruitment agencies?

Recruitment agencies provide services for both employers and candidates, effectively trying to match the right employer vacancy to the right job-seeker. From a candidate point of view, they can take much of the stress and time out of hunting for the perfect role, not least as in the case of the more sector-specific agencies like our own, they already advertise a range of relevant vacancies.

A recruitment agency helps to ensure that you don't feel like you are on your own in your job search - here at Hyper Recruitment Solutions, our services range from advice on specific science sectors and trends to career coaching and guidance on interview styles and preparation.

Choose the right recruitment agency, therefore, and you can be as equipped as possible to not only find the most attractive science jobs being advertised right now, but also succeed at the all-important application and interview stages.

Don't just treat the agency as a go-between!

Whichever agency you choose in your search for science jobs - and none of them should charge you for their services - you should remember that it is their role to find the best candidate for their client employers' vacancies. You should, therefore, aim to impress the agency in much the same way you would an employer.

Nonetheless, good science recruitment agencies know that you will also likely approach them in the knowledge that you are not yet the 'finished article'. You may feel your CV and cover letter need to be 'polished up', for instance, or you may be unsure what level or nature of role you should target.

Take a proactive approach to reap the rewards

It is in an agency's interests to provide its applicants with the highest standard of such services so that the candidates it puts forward to its employer clients for a given role are of a high quality that reflects well on the agency.

You should, therefore, take a proactive approach with your chosen science recruitment agency, keeping hold of your consultant's full contact details and storing them in your mobile and online address books, in addition to providing them with your own full range of contact information.

Naturally, your CV is one of the most crucial elements in your job search strategy, so you should provide the most up-to-date one possible to the recruitment agency, following up with a call to your consultant.

By remaining in regular contact with your consultant and keeping them informed of your latest requirements - including your availability, salary requirements and more - you can further maximise your chances of being looked upon favourably by the agency when it is looking for candidates to put forward for a relevant vacancy.

While even a leading science recruitment agency like Hyper Recruitment Solutions is by no means a 'magic bullet' or substitute for a lack of preparation and hard work on your part, it can certainly be an invaluable partner in your search for the next exciting step in your science career.  

Many of those pursuing science jobs will have been extremely unsurprised by the recent news that almost one in four British workers are actively seeking a career change, with job satisfaction among Brits hitting a two-year low.

But if you are one of them, are you doing the right things to accelerate your progress up the career ladder? Here are five of the best ways of ensuring exactly that.

1. Have a definite career plan

It's staggering to think of how many people seem to have merely 'slipped' into their present career with no definite plan. Of course, you don't have to be certain about everything if you want to get ahead, but it's nonetheless advisable to have constructive goals of both short term and long term nature and periodically review your progress against a predetermined timescale.

2. Build your network

The old saying that 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' has more than a semblance of truth. It's why, whether you are seeking science jobs of a clinical, FMCG, medical or completely different nature, you should keep attending all of the relevant industry events and refining your social media presence - for which you may be interested in perusing our guide to using LinkedIn. 

3. Investigate variations on your existing career path 

You may be qualified for a wider range of science jobs than you may think - or if you aren't, you may be only another course or contact away from an interesting new path. Be willing to relocate or accept a pay cut for a certain period of time if it offers better long-term prospects.

4. Keep a running file of achievements

If it can be done in a way that doesn't come across as overly pushy, it can be helpful to embed examples of your competence in your boss's mind. You may, for example, send them an email each week outlining everything extra you did during the last seven days over your basic responsibilities. Or why not forward them a note with every instance of positive feedback from a client, perhaps reminding them how thankful you are to have secured this client and how valuable they are for the organisation?

5. Demonstrate your leadership potential

Employers love to see workers who show confidence and initiative above the norm - in short, who demonstrate through their present role that they have the potential to take on greater responsibility in a more senior, management position. Great leaders consistently demonstrate that they can make decisions, accept the consequences of their actions and set a good example, all of which are likely to make you a strong candidate for future promotion within your present company.

In today's extremely competitive job market, every step that you can take to maximise your employability makes a difference. One other such step could be engaging a science recruitment agency to assist you in landing your rewarding next role in chemistry, molecular biology, immunology or another in-demand science field.

Simply contact Hyper Recruitment Solutions now for the most tailored help in working up the science career ladder.   

Even across the many hugely varied roles that can be found across science, the fundamental traits required for success - including commitment, a good manner, a good attitude and work ethic and the appropriate 'soft skills' like communication - remain insightfully consistent.

It's one more reason to never be too despondent about your hunt for science jobs through an agency like Hyper Recruitment Solutions. Like all good recruitment agencies, we are happy to provide you with free of charge hands-on and extensive career help - simply click below to get started!

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