Pharmacist CV writing – Hints and tips from Medacy
Tip 1 for Pharmacist CV writing – Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter
Too many pharmacists create a CV with no thought for the people they want to read it. Writing a CV is not the most exciting task in the world so if you are going to spend some time on it, make sure it has an impact.
Key points:
- Make sure your CV is chronologically complete. This means that the CV needs to cover the whole time since you started work to present date. Gaps in a CV breed suspicion. If you traveled – add details. If you had a baby, list the dates you were on maternity leave and add a name of your baby – recruiters are always looking for nice easy first questions if you get to interview.
- Ensure the CV looks professional – messy CV automatically makes the recruiter think messy, disorganised pharmacist and/or pharmacist with low professional standards.
- Tailor your CV to the needs of the job you are applying for. Most recruiters for pharmacy contractors will have a job description which will describe the roles and responsibilities of the job they are recruiting for and a person specification which described the skills and experience of the ideal candidate. CVs need to be truthful and accurate so your qualifications need to be honest and the part describing your experience needs to be accurate and complete. However, the narrative around your experience and qualifications needs to be able to tick the boxes for the recruiter:
So if you are applying for a management post emphasise the experience you have that details business performance and development of staff. If you are applying for a clinical roll emphasise the elements of your experience that have delivered improved clinical outcomes for patients.
Top Tip 2 for Pharmacist CV writing – Focus of building an interesting CV early in your career.
You a have less that 10 seconds to make am impression with a CV and most Pharmacist CVs are boring!!
! ” I worked for Boots, I work for Lloyds …..” Yawn, Yawn, Yawn
“I worked as a locum pharmacist and during my time there I increased the number of items by 10% …” Please someone help me stay awake:(
You have one chance to have a career but in pharmacy that career can be varied
Look for opportunities to do something different:
- Work in a prison
- Work in the armed forces
- Work across sectors
- Work in the Pharma Industry
- Work overseas
- Work for a charity
- Work in a GP practice
- Take opportunities to do non-pharmacy work
When Medacy are recruiting for pharmacist to complete the pharmacist-led clinical services we provide, we score a CV. Yes, Medacy like all recruiters score your CVs against the job description and person specification. There is some science a little art in the process. What we are looking for are elements of the job description and person specification so if you want to be scientific about an application, you need to read and understand what a recruiter is looking for and addapt your CV to tick as many of the boxes as you can. Remember, you have to be honest but you can tailor your answers to the needs of the recruiter.
Things Medacy look for:
- IP Status
- Clinical Diploma
- Cross-sector experience
- Management experience
- Has the pharmacist held a permanent job for more than 12 months
So take opportunities to add to your Pharmacist CV and make the most of it. I have worked in a maximum security prisons and that’s always a great ice-breaker in discussions!
Important:
Different recruiters look for different things – see top tip 1. So if you want to work for Boots, Lloyds, Well or Rowland’s then a CV that just includes experience with multiples is fine.
Top Tip 3 – The Pharmacist CV is the Introduction, not the main course
Your CV is a piece of paper that needs to make you stand out but all it is, is a way of securing an interview. You will have read the stat that 93% of communication is non-verbal and a piece of paper is about as non-verbal as you get!
So prepare for your interview:
Understand what the recruiter is looking for – that’s all in the job description and person specification
Take time to think about your career to date. Think about your achievements. What went in to those achievements? What do you know about the company? What are their aims and objectives for the future? This can usually be found on the company website
The questions you will be asked in the interview will be designed to unpick your experience to date and see if you really can deliver what they company/practice/pharmacy are looking for. Again these questions can be guessed by really understanding the job descriptions and person specification.
So you understand the job, you’ve used every opportunity to gain experience and improve your CV and you’re now on the eve of the interview for your ideal job …. What to do now?
Early night to make sure you’re on point for the interview and look the part. Arrive in good time for the interview and if there was one tip to improve your chance at interview it would be to jot down some questions to ask at the end of the interview. First impression last but last impressions last longer. Leave the interviewer with a great impression by making sure you check a written list of questions to make sure you have all the information you need to choose them!
Good luck in your job search
Good places to look for Pharmacy Jobs
