somahony

The vast majority of roles that are being released throughout the Pharma and Med Device sectors now require some sort of Lean Manufacturing/Six Sigma/Continuous Improvement experience. This applies to Quality, Manufacturing, Validation. and Project Management positions, among others and its important at this stage to try and get some sort of qualification such as Six Sigma.

Heres some links:

http://www.leansigmasystems.com/

http://www.sqt.ie/

Some of these courses can be quite costly, but if you are currently in permanent employment, it might be worth enquiring as to whether the company can facilitate in paying for some/all of the course

Thanks for reading.

Shane O

Interviewing for a contract position is very different from interviewing for a staff role. Usually, the reason behind a client looking for a contract resource is that they want someone to come in for a predetermined length of time, and to do a specific job.

Therefore, when it comes to interview stage, candidates need to be aware that the client is (usually) looking moreso for someone with technical ability, rather than someone that fits the profile for a permanent role.

What we find is that these interviews tend to be quite short (30-40 minutes) and tend to be very much focused on a persons technical skills, projects they have worked on etc. Its important to know your CV inside-out and to be able to give examples of your technical expertise from past positions/projects.

We have been dealing with contract positions for years, and can provide hints and tips on interviews - just give a call on 00 353 21 4665400

Thanks for reading.....

Shane O

Kenny-Whelan has a long relationship with Pfizer nationwide, having provided temporary, contract and permanent staff over the last 30 years.

Many think that the latest decision to close 3 sites is going to result in major job losses, but I think otherwise. For example, Pfizer have a strong reputation in selling their plants globally. The 3 sites in question are high-end, cutting edge sites, which will be snapped up buy the highest bidder.

You heard it here first....

In the Pharma, Biopharma and Medical Device sectors in Ireland, rates have been reduced dramatically. In the past, a typical rate for a contract engineer would be in the €50-€60/hour bracket. This would gross roughly 100k over a year. These days are over. Now, an experienced engineer should be happy with anything from 30-40 per hour, maximum.

The reason behind this is simple, supply and demand. There are a large number of qualified candidates on the lookout for work and only a small number of jobs available. Therefore, companies have the upper hand when it comes to selection and pay-rates.

The best way to circumvent  this, in my opinion, is to set yourself at a rate that will remain competitive over the years, regardless of the economic situation. This is a simple idea that some have implemented and it has resulted in long term, consistent employment for the engineer