How to Get Noticed in an AI-Driven Hiring Market

Insights from Kristiaan Rawlings, Executive Director at EPM Scientific

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked over the past year is:

“How do I optimize my resume and LinkedIn profile for AI-driven hiring?”

The reality is, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

While AI is increasingly being integrated into recruitment workflows, the fundamentals of getting noticed in pharmaceutical hiring have not changed as much as people think.

Whether it’s a recruiter manually searching LinkedIn or an AI-assisted platform screening applications, both systems are looking for the same thing: relevance.

Recruiters have always searched using keywords and targeted experience. AI simply accelerates that process.

What recruiters, and AI, are looking for

If you work in commercial pharmaceuticals in the US, your resume and LinkedIn profile should clearly communicate a few critical pieces of information.
At a minimum, make sure you include:

• Drug names
• Revenue responsibility or product performance
• Indications and therapy areas
• Product lifecycle stage
• Team leadership and team size, especially if you're in sales 

That final point is often overlooked but extremely important.

Did you support:

• A launch?
• Lifecycle management?
• A mature product?
• A product navigating loss of exclusivity (LOE)?
• A turnaround effort in a competitive market?

These details help recruiters and hiring managers quickly understand the scale, complexity, and relevance of your experience.

Clarity wins

A common mistake candidates make is trying to sound overly strategic or polished while leaving out the practical information recruiters are actually searching for.

Your resume does not need to be overly complicated. It just needs to be clear.

If someone reviewing your profile cannot immediately identify what products you worked on, what markets you supported, the size of the business, and the commercial challenges you helped solve, then you are making it harder for both recruiters and AI-enabled systems to connect you with the right opportunities.

The goal of your resume is not to get you the job.

The goal is to open the door.

Networking still matters

Even as AI becomes more integrated into hiring, recruitment remains fundamentally relationship-driven.

The candidates consistently getting interviews are still the ones who:

• Build strong networks
• Stay visible in their therapeutic area
• Connect with recruiters and internal talent teams
• Follow up consistently
• Maintain an active and credible LinkedIn presence

Technology may improve efficiency, but hiring decisions are still made by people.

Final thoughts

AI is changing how companies search for talent, but it has not changed what makes a strong candidate.

Clear experience. Relevant expertise. Strong communication. Consistent networking.

Those fundamentals still matter, and they are still what get people hired.

Looking for your next career opportunity?

At EPM Scientific, we partner with commercial, market access, medical affairs, and strategy professionals across the life sciences industry to connect top talent with high-impact opportunities.

If you’re considering your next move or want to better position yourself in today’s evolving hiring market, connect with Kristiaan and our wider team to learn more.