Five mistakes candidates make, and how to avoid them

We recently sat down with four of our Talent Partners to talk about what they see on the candidate side of hiring. Between them, Antony Bryson-McAteer, Harry Kennedy, James Mitchell and Jasmine Manson recruit across commercial, business development and quality roles in pharma services.

When we asked where candidates tend to go wrong, the same issues kept coming up. Most of them come down to how people present themselves and how they handle the process, so they're all fixable. Here are the five that stood out.

1. Leaving the numbers off your CV

For commercial roles, results are the first thing hiring managers want to see. A CV that lists responsibilities without showing what you delivered makes them work harder to judge you, and plenty won't bother.

Harry, who recruits business development talent for CDMOs, puts it plainly: "Data doesn't lie. Performance doesn't lie." He points out that lots of people can sell themselves well in an interview, so hiring managers look for proof that you've done what you say.

James sees the same thing at screening stage. If a candidate's figures change when he asks about them, he starts to wonder whether they hit those targets at all. He also knows how easy it is to lose track of older results: "It's easy to remember what you're doing right now, but it's hard to remember what you achieved a couple of companies back."

The fix: Put your results on your CV and near the top of your LinkedIn profile, and keep new business separate from account management. Before your first call, go back through your last few roles so you can talk through the numbers for each one.

2. Not being clear whether you're a hunter or a farmer

Most commercial roles lean one way. Some need someone who'll go out and win new logos, while others need someone who'll nurture and grow existing accounts. Hiring managers usually know which they're after, and they'll look for it in your CV.

James, who recruits across drug delivery and primary packaging, has seen candidates with a mix of both lose out at the final stage when the client wanted one or the other. His advice is simple: "If you're going for a specific position, tailor your CV to that, and tailor your answers to show the strength you have."

Harry adds that if you're a new business generator, you should say so in your CV, your introduction messages and your LinkedIn headline, then back it up with an example of what you've won.

The fix: Work out which side of your experience the role needs and lead with it. A broad background still has value, but make it easy for the hiring manager to spot the strength they're hiring for.

3. Treating the early calls as a formality

Plenty of candidates save their best effort for the hiring manager and treat the first conversation with a recruiter or internal talent team as a box to tick. Antony, one of our Senior Talent Partners, sees this often. "That first call or first screening with somebody who's not the hiring team goes a really long way."

Responsiveness matters too. Harry explains that part of a recruiter's job is to call hiring managers and back the candidates they put forward. That's hard to do for someone who's slow to send their CV and doesn't ask anything about the role. "If you ask no questions, how can we confidently represent you?"

Jasmine, who recruits for quality roles, points out that personality is something a CV can't show. Quality professionals are often more customer facing than people expect, especially around inspections, so how you come across in conversation counts.

The fix: Make proper time for every stage and reply promptly when you're asked for availability or documents. Use each call to ask about the role and the client's plans, since it shows you're serious about the opportunity.

4. Skipping your own research

It's tempting to lean on a quick AI summary of a company before an interview. Antony's advice is to go further and do your own research, so you can show genuine interest in the business and what it's working on.

James suggests looking at the people as well as the company. Ask your recruiter for the hiring manager's LinkedIn profile and check whether you share any connections, since that can give you an easy icebreaker. He also recommends asking what each interviewer will want from you, as every stakeholder in a process is looking for something slightly different.

The fix: Research the company and the people you're meeting, then prepare a few strong examples of your work that suit each conversation.

5. Starting a process before you're sure you want to move

By the final stage, the remaining candidates are usually well matched, so small things separate them. James finds hesitancy is one of the most common. "If someone's showing uncertainty about the move, that could put off a hiring manager."

Antony tries to establish early on whether it's the right time and the right step in someone's career. He also raises salary expectations from the start, since people sometimes go through an entire process and then decide not to move.

The fix: Before you commit to interviews, be honest with yourself about why you'd leave and what a new role would need to offer, including salary. Share that with your recruiter early so there are no surprises at offer stage.

Thinking about your next move?

If you're weighing up a move in pharma services and want to talk it through, our Talent Partners are always happy to have a conversation.

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