If you know of a pharma Medical Science Liaison who would be willing to talk to a Pharmacist who is considering career options, please email me at chris@focmnetworking.com
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Who is crazy?
A man goes into a psychiatrist and says, “my brother has gone crazy. He thinks he is a chicken.”
The psychiatrist says, “have you told him that he is not a chicken?”
The man replies, “I would, but we need the eggs.”
Proof of the Power of Networking
submitted by Alicia Kelley
I am living proof of the power of networking.
About 4 years ago, I found myself in desperate need of a job. I can
tell you, after being a stay-at-home mom for over 13 years, my resume
was anything but sparkling! A friend of mine insisted that Chris
Matheus could help me. She explained my situation to him and he
graciously agreed to meet with me. I had never met Chris before, but
after our meeting (which spanned from breakfast into lunch), he put me
in contact with a friend of his whom he thought could benefit from my
past sales experience. This friend had a small but growing company and
needed some help. With so many candidates to choose from, I was
actually in shock when I got the job! Clearly, I would never have been
hired if not for Chris and his extensive network of friends and
business contacts.
That job eventually led to an even more lucrative job at a reputable
company in the Research Triangle Park area of NC. (One good thing
leads to another.) It’s evident to me that without Chris Matheus’
help, I would never have the wonderful job that I have today and the
financial security that goes along with it.
You never know what opportunities await you through the power of
networking. Not only did I land a great job, but I made a lifelong
friend in the process… And for that, I am forever grateful!
Philospher Jokes
Submitted by Andrew Smith
Rene Descartes is sitting in a cafe. He orders coffee.
The waiter asks, “Would you like cream?”
Descartes replies, “I think not!” … and Descartes disappears.
Jean-Paul Sartre is sitting at a French cafe, revising his draft of “Being and Nothingness”. He says to the waitr5ess, “I’d like a cup of coffee, please, with no cream.”
The waitress replies, “I’m sorry, Monsieur, but we’re out of cream. How about with no milk?”
Heisenberg and Schrodinger are on a road trip, when a cop pulls them over. The officer walks up and asks if they know how fast they’re going.
Heisenberg replies that they do not, but they do know with high precision where they are.
The cop thinks that is a weird response and begins to search the vehicle. He opens the trunks and asks, “did you know you have a dead cat in the trunk?”
Schrodinger says, “well, now, we do.”
Protected: Gun Control Laws and Murder Rates
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Consulting Services
Do you, your department or your company need training on networking? Chris is available to present or conduct training sessions, via the web or in-person.
Membership in the FOCM Network allows access to the Network’s experience set to help solve your business issues or to provide an additional set of eyes at a situation that has you stumped.
How to Network
What has worked well for me is to make the most of any opportunity to attend a training session, course, seminar, conference or convention specific to my industry. While at any of these events, make it a point to introduce yourself to whoever you sit next to in the session and at lunch. During the conference breaks, I think one of the most important things to do is visit the exhibit hall. Make it a point to stop at each booth and introduce yourself and ask what they do and what makes their product/service unique. Be ready to give them a concise summary of your experience and responsibilities and exchange business cards.
Find out if there are local networking groups for your industry or interests. A few sources to utilize are: LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and MeetUp (www.meetup.com). If there aren’t any, start one. An example: Wilmington, NC has 2500+ people employed by companies involved in pharmaceutical clinical research. Three industry acquaintances and I started the Wilmington Pharma/Bio/CRO Networking Group. We meet monthly, except in the summer and have 10-30 attendees each month. Its rarely the same group and others attend as they are looking for work or have moved to the area and want to know what is going on. It allows others to get to know you and you to know them and their companies. There is some truth to the statement: its not what you know, its who you know. While a friend or acquaintance may not be able to hire you him/herself, a recommendation from them helps your resume rise up out of the pile of resumes so that you can get an interview. You still have to succeed in the interview but getting to an interview is immensely helpful and increases your likelihood of getting the job.
Another bar joke
2 peanuts walk into a bar
1 was a salted
Example of FOCM Business Services
A couple of years ago, a friend was going to open a retail business and knew the theme she wanted, but was unsure of the name. I offered to tap into my network of and see what we could come up with. I emailed a group of about 30 people and we conducted a name brainstorming session via email. Within a week, we had over 100 names and about 15 which she felt were very good ones. There is so much talent and experience in the FOCM Network, tapping into FOCM members to solve business problems is one of the benefits of membership.
Bar Jokes
A penguin, a lion and a bear walk into a bar.
The bartender says, “is this some kind of joke?”
A horse walks into a bar.
The bartender says, “why the long face?”
A termite walks into a bar and asks: “is the bar tender here?”