Nothing but Rock Solid Good News!

Julia Finch spotted the following reasons to be cheerful in last Sunday's Observer:

House Prices
Earlier this month came data showing the first rise in house prices in 17 months. The encouraging figures, from the Nationwide Building Society, showed the average value of a home across the UK creeping ahead by 0.9% in March, adding more than £3,000 to the average price of a home.

Just a few days earlier, the Bank of England said the number of home loans taken out had risen by 19% in February, with some 38,000 approved during the month, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has reported an increase in the number of prospective buyers viewing houses.

Mortgage Arrears
Richard Pym, chairman of the nationalised parts of Bradford & Bingley, has just reported a chink of light in the figures for customers who are behind with their mortgage payments. For the first time since he arrived in August, the number of customers in short-term arrears - one month or so - has started to fall.

The High Street
Sales of homewares in March have just recorded their first increase - up 5.7% - since last summer and non-fashion retailers also had a good month, up 6.3%, according to the new BDO Stoy Hayward high street sales tracker, which measures the performance of mid-sized retailers and covers about 10,000 outlets in the UK.

Overall retail sales, say the accountants, were ahead 1.3% in the month. "After a dismal February and very difficult trading conditions on the high street, retailers reported surprisingly robust results in March," says Rupert Eastell of BDO. "Underlying demand was much higher than we expected, and sales appear to have been bolstered by the driest March weather for six years."

Commercial Property
The market is showing signs of life. Last month Santander, the giant Spanish bank that owns Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley, bought the Abbey headquarters in London for £115m. The yield was 7.25%. Santander was able to buy the building as a currency play: it can benefit from rising values for buildings on long leases, and if the pound strengthens, then it will be on a double winner.

The Weak Pound
Colleges and universities are seeing strong interest from overseas students who pay large fees. The exchange rate is, in effect, giving European and US students a free final year on a three-year course.

Central London retail is being supported by overseas money for the same reason. Tourists are flocking to Selfridges, and Bond Street in Mayfair is in effect the world's biggest duty-free shopping centre because it is easy for wealthy foreigners to claim back VAT from UK Customs & Excise.

There are also now signs that weak sterling is helping to boost orders for British manufacturers. The recent manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose last month to its highest level in six months, and has now been up for three of the last four months.

Takeovers
Mergers and acquisitions have been all but non-existent since the credit crunch took hold, but figures from the Zephyr database, which tracks such activity, shows the value of deals in the first three months of this year up 40% on 2008 levels to £214bn.

The full, balanced report can be seen here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/12/recession-recovery-growth-signs-uk

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Ten Ways We'll Know the Worst is Over!

The economic indicators don't seem to give a clear idea of how things are going, but watch out for these sure-fire signs that confidence is returning:

1 Tradespeople start being rude again.

2 Gordon Ramsay announces he's opening a new restaurant.

3 Damien Hirst finally sells that diamond-encrusted skull.

4 Property Ladder reappears on TV.

5 Bombastic US television stock-picker Jim Cramer appears unusually subdued and forecasts a slump.

6 Ryanair stops charging you to use its onboard loos.

7 You can't find a plumber.

8 ITV buys back Friends Reunited.

9 Sir Fred Goodwin is able to come out of hiding.

10 The London Olympics begin.

Again, thanks and acknowledgements to Julia Finch: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/12/recession-recovery-growth-signs-uk

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Great Jobs-R-Us!

OK, there surely are a lot fewer jobs about at the moment. We are currently posting 115 jobs in the life science market (sales, marketing and service, and clinical research) - which is probably half the number we were posting even one year ago. However, that still means there are 115 jobs available, and despite the rise in unemployment, our clients are still finding it very difficult to locate people to hire. And it's not as though they're being picky. Many of them tell us they'd be quite happy to hire trainees, as long as they have a good science qualification, and the necessary gumption to make a go of a customer-facing role.

Here are six of the best trainee jobs from the last month's crop to whet your appetite:

Account Manager (South West) £30,000 basic, £37,500 OTE plus car and benefits. "Those with strong technical backgrounds with no previous sales experience should still contact us to convince us that they are ready to make the transition into a commercial career." Job No.7416
Field Service Engineer (Midlands) £28,000 basic, £30,000 p.a. plus car plus benefits. "Full training is available. If you have an electronics / instrument service background, please call us now to discuss." Job No.7415
Sales Specialist (Southern England) £36,000 basic, £46,000 OTE plus car plus benefits. "The company is happy to consider those with previous sales experience in the life science sector or candidates with applications or telesales experience as full training and support can be provided." Job No.7413
Technical Sales - Water Analysis (Scotland) £30,000 basic, £33,000 OTE plus Saab 93 plus benefits. "To be considered as a trainee you will need a relevant science degree and a passion to get into sales." Job No.7411
Systems Support Specialist (Buckinghamshire) £28,000 basic plus benefits. "This kind of opportunity to move out of the lab into a customer facing role doesn't come around every day, particularly with such a large and well known company where this role is really seen as the starting point for a glittering career!" Job No.7393
Territory Business Representative (Trainee) (Midlands) £27,000 basic, £30,000 OTE. "This company has a less than 5% staff turnover and this may be the last time that you are looking for an exciting new opportunity!" Job No.7389

Interested? Do you know anyone else who might be interested? Please call Scott Peacock, Manager of the Bioscience Division on 01279 657716 or email scott@seltekconsultants.co.uk

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Who or What is Schrodinger's Cat?

Schrödinger's cat serves to demonstrate the apparent conflict between what quantum theory tells us is true about the nature and behaviour of matter on the microscopic level and what we observe to be true about the nature and behaviour of matter on the macroscopic level.

Here's Schrödinger's (theoretical) experiment: We place a living cat into a steel chamber, along with a device containing a vial of hydrocyanic acid. There is, in the chamber, a very small amount of a radioactive substance. If even a single atom of the substance decays during the test period, a relay mechanism will trip a hammer, which will, in turn, break the vial and kill the cat. The observer cannot know whether or not an atom of the substance has decayed, and consequently, cannot know whether the vial has been broken, the hydrocyanic acid released, and the cat killed. Since we cannot know, the cat is both dead and alive according to quantum law, in a superposition of states. It is only when we break open the box and learn the condition of the cat that the superposition is lost, and the cat becomes one or the other (dead or alive). This situation is sometimes called quantum indeterminacy or the observer's paradox : the observation or measurement itself affects an outcome, so that the outcome as such does not exist unless the measurement is made. (That is, there is no single outcome unless it is observed.)

We know that superposition actually occurs at the subatomic level, because there are observable effects of interference, in which a single particle is demonstrated to be in multiple locations simultaneously. What that fact implies about the nature of reality on the observable level (cats, for example, as opposed to electrons) is one of the stickiest areas of quantum physics. Schrödinger himself is rumoured to have said, later in life, that he wished he had never met that cat.

Imagine there were no hypothetical situations!
http://www.messquoted.com/?top150

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Hot Jobs

The May Day bank holiday is fast approaching, AKA May Day, AKA the inappropriately named Labour Day (given that nobody works on Labour Day!). Our clients however, are offering a sensational selection of significant opportunities where work becomes a labour of love, effort becomes a joy. Spring into summer by seizing the moment, and sending us your resume, toot sweet!

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• Summary: Fantastic opportunity to join a market leader innovator in reagents and complete assay kits used in drug discovery and screening. Cover France, Italy and Spain, with a well established network of accounts already in place.
• Why you should apply for this job: It's a strong stable team, with a great support and training! The company has a number of new products coming to the market, so now is an exciting time to join! Utilise your sales skills to the full to build a great career!
  

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£45,000 OTE, car, bonus, pension, health and dental care

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• Summary: Growing and maintaining business for the infectious disease range of products and services in key accounts and key development accounts in both primary and secondary care. Prepare strategic business plans for key accounts and improve the profitability of these accounts.
  
• Why you should apply for this job?  Due to this company's continued success and expansion of their product portfolio they are expanding across the UK! Enjoy being mentored by - surely - one of the most delightful and positive managers in the UK!

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Technical Sales - Water Analysis

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£30,000 basic salary

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£33,000 OTE, car (Saab 93), pension to 10%, healthcare, shares (year 2)

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• Summary: Selling instrumentation to the power, utilities, food / beverage, pharma, biotech and environmental laboratory market. Products include portable and bench-top water analysis instruments ranging in value up to c. £10K.
• Why you should apply for this job: A commission structure and shares package (year 2) means this could be just the role you are looking for to beat the credit crunch! All you need to be considered as a trainee is a relevant science degree and a passion to get into sales!
  

Clinical Jobs

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• Summary: Join a well established and high performing European sales team in an expanding, quality driven international CRO! The opportunities are available at Associate Director, Director or Senior Director level and can be based in the UK or Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands or Spain). At all levels you will be promoting full clinical development services in phases II-IV to biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
• Why you should apply for this job: High level of flexibility when it comes to client and territory allocation which is driven and supported by a team performance related bonus scheme! Move your career to the next level and thrive in a hands on business development role!
  

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• Summary: Join a small, growing team and become involved in a range of activities including feasibility, ethics, contract negotiation, vendor liaison and training site staff on the use of novel clinical technologies! Set up and management of UK based sites involved in phase III-IV clinical trials.
• Why you should apply for this job: Fast growing, progressive company at the leading edge of evidence-based healthcare services! Excellent opportunity to get involved at ground level with a company poised for explosive growth in Europe!
  

Hot Candidates

Scientific Sales & Marketing Division

Business Development Specialist

• A first class honours Biomedical Science BSc, and a PhD in Microbiology
  
• Technical support for automation and instrumentation
• Installs and trains on automation and instrumentation as and when required
• Introduction and marketing of new products
  
• Why should you employ this candidate: His proactive approach to work has fuelled his success and the achievement of targets. A creative mind and the ability to use his initiative has allowed him to share ideas with others within the team which has led to an increase in business and to significant new opportunities!

Reference 89530PSP
£35,000 basic, £42,000 OTE
Will relocate anywhere!

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Technical Support Scientist

• Masters in Biomedical Sciences
  
• Superbly trained molecular biologist: let's play Scrabble: DNA, RNA, cDNA, cRNA, PCR, RT-PCR, SSCP, CHEF, etc etc etc
  
• Astonishing knowledge of genetic analysis/microarray software packages
• Since graduation, she has worked with the very top tier of genetic research companies
  
• Why you should employ this candidate: She is one seriously clever Easter bunny! She is happy to travel anywhere, and is entirely comfortable in customer-facing support/applications roles.

Reference 94790CRD
£30,000 basic
Midlands based, but can travel anywhere!

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Business Development and Key Account Manager, Europe

• BSC Analytical Chemistry
• Fluent French and English
• General management and business development with sales & marketing orientation in the pharmaceutical industry, biotech and in vitro diagnostic companies
• Extensive experience selling drug discovery and preclinical services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies across Europe
• Management experience over a seven-strong sales/marketing team for a world leader in immuno-histochemistry
• Why you should employ this candidate: Simplement - il a le va-va-voom !

Reference 30221SJW
€90,000 basic
La Belle France

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Sales Representative

• BSc Mechanical Engineering
• Able to link solid technical ability with a can do attitude and strong influencing skills
• A results-orientated professional with vast sales experience who can demonstrate the necessary gravitas to gain instant credibility with peers and colleagues alike
• Why you should employ this candidate:  High energy, honest sales person! Loves knocking on doors, comfortable with a results-based earnings package! A likeable serial over-achiever!

Reference 100414JKP
£30,000 basic, £35,000 OTE
Anywhere!

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Trainee Sales

• BSc (Hons) Applied Biology - 1st Class
• Currently an NHS Trainee Clinical Scientist in Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics
• Experience of staff management
• Broad communication skills which have been improved working directly at a customer facing level
• Why you should employ this candidate: Possesses all the positive human virtues! A diamond in your hand..but would you know it?

Reference 88571JRP
£30,000 basic
Anywhere!

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Clinical Research Division

Senior Clinical Research Associate SCRA

• BSc Nursing, BSc Healthcare Management
• Just Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish - sorry, that's all. OK, only the first three are fluent!
  
• Led a team of 15 medical staff in a psychogeriatric hospital
• Extensive experience in clinical trials at all phases
  
• Why you should employ this candidate: Hugely talented, versatile, responsible and flexible. An ideal employee really!

Reference 94571DE
£30,000
Live anywhere!

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Project Manager

• BSc Engineering Product Design
  
• Progressed through Data Manager, Clinical Study Operations Manager and Study Manager roles to Project Manager
• Schedules, supervises and delivers services to clients/customers
• Ensures that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and according to requirements and expectations
• Why you should employ this candidate: Possesses an excellent understanding of drug development and a pragmatic approach to learning new processes of clinical, data and regulatory operations! 

Reference 88323DE
£45,000 basic salary
South East