Pharmacists: 10 Questions You Must Ask Before Accepting a Job
It’s a popular time of the year for pharmacists to look for jobs, with many new grads and pharmacy residents finishing up between now and June. Curious about when the best times are to apply for jobs? Click here to read a previous article about this.
Some pharmacists are concerned about not finding the right job in this market and are open to positions outside of what they would normally consider. But being “open to everything” can hurt you when you apply for positions.
Even when the pharmacy job market is tough, having a clear idea about the position you want will help you attract what you want. This will help you target your search and make a positive impression. At the same time, you want to be flexible during the decision-making process, because it is a tough job market, especially if you want to get into a position that leads to your desired career.
A common mistake for new pharmacy grads is primarily considering salary and becoming jaded after a few years. The decisions you make may be influences by the fact that it’s “just your first pharmacist job,” but the decisions you make in the first few years can shape your career path, so it’s worth spending time to pinpoint what’s important to you aside from setting or salar
y.
Before you say “Yes,” to your next position, think about the long-term implications of accepting a position. Here are 10 questions to ask yourself before accepting a position:
- How does the pharmacy/company’s values align with my values?
- Does the geographic area offer me what I enjoy doing in my spare time?
- How is my fit with the management and the pharmacy staff?
- Can I see myself here in 3-5 years?
Here are some insightful questions to ask a pharmacist in the position you will be working in to help you make your decision:
- What’s a typical workday like?
- What do you like best about what you do?
- What do you like least about what you do?
- How independently do you get to make decisions?
- What do you think the pharmacy will be like in one year & five years?
- Does this position set me up for growth in my career the way I want to?BONUS Question to Ask:
What changes would you make about the pharmacy if you could?
Want to find out the best way to approach getting the inside scoop to positions? Learn how to tap into the hidden job market and hear about positions before they come out.
And when you hear about a position, learn how to stand out from other pharmacists with similar background as you.
Listen to the FREE Teleseminar (Instant Access):
“How to Tap into the Hidden Job Market to Beat Your Competition to the Interview” to tap into the hidden job market. This is a prerequisite to the Advanced Hidden Job Market Bootcamp.
NOTE: Even though the live Advanced “Hidden Job Market Bootcamp” dates are over, you may get instant access at the special tuition.
Pharmacist Retention Starts From Day One
In the last article of this series, you recognized how important it is to set mutual expectations with your new hire, and to check in with them frequently, especially during the training period. This can save you from misunderstandings down the road, both in how you expect someone to perform actual functions and in the attitude or the pharmacy/clinic/hospital’s culture you’d like them to imbibe. It will ultimately lead to retention of happy employees. Studies show that one main reason why pharmacists leave their positions is because of management. Setting the tone for a strong relationship with your staff from the beginning is key to preventing that. Read on for more tips on setting expectations, how frequently to meet with your new hire, and questions to ask your new hire during the training period to set the stage for their retention.
How frequently to meet with your new pharmacist hire:
Read more
When Pharmacy Management Doesn’t Listen
One frustration pharmacists express frequently when they are tired of their current job is that management doesn’t listen to their ideas. What challenges do you experience that keep you from bringing ideas to your supervisor?
Here are quick tips on how to overcome challenges with your pharmacy supervisor not being receptive to your ideas:
- STEP 1: Come up with a few solutions for the problem(s) you plan to bring up. This way, your supervisor does not see you as just a complainer, but a problem-solver.
- STEP 2: Talk about your suggestion from the perspective of what it would do for the pharmacy, pharmacy manager/director, or the rest of the pharmacy staff (or everyone who would be involved with the suggestion you’re making).
- STEP 3: Tell them how you are a part of the solution. Describe what your ideas are and what role you will play in the solution. Pharmacy supervisors/managers like it when you are not just making more work for them, but you will help them implement what you want to see.
STEP 4: If you are turned down by your supervisor, ask him/her, “What are your hesitations about my suggestions?” “What additional information do you need to help you make a decision with this suggestion?” “What are the challenges you foresee with this suggestion?” “What other kinds of solutions do you suggest?” If you are certain your solution is the answer to the problem you are noticing/experiencing, tell your supervisor “maybe we can try it for awhile and I can help you test it. At the end of (agreed duration), you can evaluate it and decide if it makes sense”.
If your suggestion was still turned down by your pharmacy manager, keep in mind that you can ask again when you have more information to support your suggestion, or when the timing is different.
If your suggestion was accepted, go back to your supervisor with a progress report in a timely manner that is mutually discussed.
Read more on our blog on about how to overcome other pharmacy workplace challenges, including Gossiping and Backstabbing in the Pharmacy.
How to Train for Retention so Pharmacists Don’t Leave
The potential government shut down last week made many people affected sweat. With steep federal budget cuts, the issue of having money to hire becomes one to be concerned about. Even if you are not affected by federal funding, budgets is the name of the game in this economy. Having to hire someone new can be costly, so retention is always the first place to look for a solution. Retaining good pharmacists starts from the very beginning-hiring and training.
One of the most common phrases I hear from pharmacy directors/managers is “I don’t want to spend a long time training a new employee.” As a result, training becomes something many pharmacy managers fly through quickly to get a new pharmacist up to speed. Yet it is the most crucial element to your new employee’s long-term success and ultimately the retention of your new hire.
Here are a few tips to implement when you train someone new:
- Set expectations – between both you and your new hire. This means not only you setting expectations for them, but them expressing their expectations and how they prefer to be managed. Determine together what the definition of success in their role would look like.
- Discuss the pharmacy’s values, vision, and mission. This is a step many pharmacy directors skip. But it is an important step for key reasons. One of the main reasons why an employer feels compelled to stay at a job is if values, vision, and mission are in alignment. Things may not be perfect, but an employee is more likely to put up with things they are dissatisfied with if they feel they are aligned with your pharmacy’s values & are empowered by your vision/mission.
Conduct a personality assessment such as the Insights Model, so you recognize not only how they may tend to relate with others, but also their natural strengths. For example, an introvert may not openly share their successes with you, but they may be just as outstanding as an extrovert counterpart. Insights into how your pharmacy staff thinks, acts, and works can give you an edge to managing them smoothly.- Find a way to communicate regularly with your new hire. Set expectations for how they can maintain channels of communication, including as a team (ie, staff meetings) and individually. Include when, how frequently, what can be brought up. For example, you may set the stage early on that when someone brings a problem, they will always come with three potential solutions. This way you don’t get constant complainers.
In an upcoming blog article, you will learn some of the best questions to ask a new hire to see how they are doing during the training period….and how to use that valuable information to retain your pharmacists.
If you have temporary coverage needs between finding out when someone is leaving and training a new hire, explore your options for IHS/tribal-experienced pharmacists to cover in the interim. Don’t waste your money on inconsistent levels of pharmacists who take more than necessary effort to train and manage.
How to Network at Pharmacy Conferences When You Hate to Network – Part I
Take the Poll: Do you love or hate to network?
Are you someone who goes to pharmacy conferences & enjoy attending educational sessions or workshops, but dread anything that has “networking event” on it? You avoid them as much as possible, or make up excuses not to go. Maybe you wonder if something is wrong with you and why it is that other pharmacists around you seem to network so easily. If you hate to network, you are probably like many other pharmacists.
Maybe you’d be surprised to hear that the truth is most people don’t enjoy networking. Especially if they’re an introvert. I used to hate networking, because I was concerned about what people would think of me. It was like the possibility of being rejected time and time again each time I met a new person. And even when I went through a lot of personal growth and became more comfortable in my own skin, networking was still not something I enjoyed, until I had a significant mindset shift that changed everything.
I went from wondering what I could get out of a networking event to “who can I help in this room today?” This shift changed everything for me, because I no longer had the pressure of having to say the right things or made sure I got what I wanted out of the conversation when I met someone. It became much less about me & what I could get out of the networking, but rather how I can help another pharmacist get to where they want to go. It was about thinking who can I introduce them to, or what resources I could offer them. Networking became more enjoyable (although still not my favorite thing to do). As a result, I also ended up with more helpful relationships and connections.
Now, you can have your own style of networking that works for you as well. For example, if you’re an introvert, your needs are different compared to an extrovert. I will discuss that in a future article in this series.
For those of you going to the APhA Meeting in Seattle coming up, have a good time! Go into the conference with your new mindset shift and comment below to let me know how it changes your experience.
How to Make the Most out of Pharmacists You Meet at APhA Meeting (or other Pharmacy Conferences) – to Get What You Want
Are you going to the APhA Meeting next week? Here’s how to make the most out of the contacts you’ll be meeting. Watch this video on the quick & easy steps to take that most pharmacists don’t think of doing when they attend a conference. You’ll love how simple they are. They will help you build relationships that can lead to you finding pharmacy jobs, sharing best pharmacy workflow/management practices, pharmacy residencies, developing friendships, and support that can get you to where you want to go professionally. Comment below on what you think about this video.
Prefer reading instead? Then scroll down to read on…
One of the challenges I hear from pharmacists who attend APhA Meeting, ASHP Midyear, or other pharmacy conferences is getting excited about receiving many business cards during the meeting, but then stuffing them in their drawer and never looking at them again. This happens even if they had the best intentions of doing something after the conference with the connections they made. You’re missing out on so much opportunity & one of the most valuable opportunities of attending a pharmacy conference by doing this. If you’re like most pharmacists, this happens to you because you’re busy or don’t know easy steps to take to make the most from pharmacy contacts you meet.
Here’s a quick tip for you. Once you meet someone, write down a few impressionable things about them, so you’ll remember what they look like and it will refresh your memory down the road. Write down something that you can help the person with or what you’d like to reach out to them about, based on your conversation. And before you go to the APhA Meeting (or a conference in the future), bring cards or postcards with you. After you’ve met someone, you can write a note after you get back to your hotel room about how you appreciated meeting them. Reach out to share potential resources that you feel would be helpful to them, or something else of value.
Mail the note when you get back home. This will save you time and from not doing anything at all. You won’t have to face the challenge of having another thing to do after you get back home from the conference. Most of the time when you get back from a conference, you will probably have a lot to catch up on. Read on for additional tips on what to do after this.
How to Find Pharmacy Jobs Before they Come Out
Q: Chen, why is it that all the jobs that are posted on different pharmacy job boards and websites, when I actually apply, those jobs don’t exist? How should I go about searching for a job?
A: If you are applying for jobs online, you are already one step late to the game compared to some pharmacists who have heard about it before the job has been posted. In the current job market, although there are more pharmacy job openings than last year, things move fast for desirable positions because there are still many pharmacists looking. When a position is posted online and is desirable (especially geographically), many applicants flood in.
By the time you get to applying, sometimes the positions are filled already. Why do you often encounter this? Just as it took time for a hiring manager to post a job, it also takes time to remove a job posting. This is why you may still see a position posted even though it’s already been filled. Busy hiring managers simply haven’t had a chance to take them down yet.
Other times, a pharmacy may be still accepting applicants and it’s your responsibility to get yourself noticed through strategies I teach (and which most pharmacists aren’t doing), plus having a resume that stands out from your competition. The first step to increasing your chances of being noticed for an interview is to understand how the hiring process works, allowing you to stay ahead of the game.
Once a hiring manager receives a certain number of applicants, he/she will likely review the first batch before moving to the second batch. However, there is some luck to this and it’s not black and white. Depending on the mood of the hiring manager, he/she may choose to look at the more recent batch of applicants rather than the earlier ones. But as a general rule, if a hiring manager is staying on top of reviewing resumes, once he/she has determined that they have a good selection of applicants, they will not look at applicants who come in later, unless you give them a reason to. What to do and say to give them a reason to look at you is an important part of what my training programs teach.
Job aggregate sites are now more common than before, such as sites like Indeed.com. These sites make it easier for you to find relevant positions, but also make the jobs more visible to other pharmacists. By the time you’ve applied, so have 15, 50 or 100+ pharmacists who have seen them on other sites.
So what do you do instead? To improve your chances for getting interviews, one important strategy to learn is how to tap into the hidden job market. This is especially true for pharmacists looking for general positions, such as staff pharmacist or clinical pharmacist roles. Specialized positions such as pediatric pharmacist jobs, pharmacy clinical coordinator jobs, or pharmacy director jobs take longer to fill, so those job openings may stay up longer.
That’s not to say that you should stop applying for jobs online. A successful way to look for pharmacy positions is a combination of searching online (and responding in a way that stands out by NOT doing what everyone else is doing) and other strategies that I will be teaching in the Tapping Into the Hidden Job Market Bootcamp.
In the meantime, join me in this FREE Teleseminar:
“How to Tap Into the Hidden Job Market to Beat Your Competition to the Interview”:
Thurs Feb 24, 2011
(Register even if you cannot make it—you will be informed when it is held again)
You will learn:
- How to hear about jobs before they’re advertised
- Ways to get into a job that most pharmacists don’t know about
- 3 common mistakes pharmacist make that keep them from getting interviews
- How to find a good job when the job market is tight
- BONUS: The best keywords to search for when looking for jobs
Gossiping & Backstabbing in the Pharmacy
Having problems with gossiping or backstabbing happening in your pharmacy, or someone on your pharmacy staff always arriving late and others getting upset about that person never being called out on it?
Let it be a thing of the past. Create a “code of honor” specifically for the pharmacy to prevent this.
Q: This sounds stuffy. Why go through the trouble?
A: This is something that isn’t routinely talked about in pharmacies, but is in essence the things (said or unsaid) that a team works according to. If there is not an established code of honor for the team, an individual usually goes by his/her own code of honor to make decisions. This is where you can start having problems among your staff.
Q: A Code of Honor-What is it?
A: As defined by Blair Singer’s “The ABC’s of Building a Business Team That Wins” (NOTE: this also applies to pharmacies & hospitals), “a Code of Honor is the physical manifestation of the team’s values, extended into behavior.
Not only is it important to have values, but also knowing how to put behavior into practice that reflect those values. Establishing and agreeing to a code of honor helps everyone achieve their best performance, enjoy their work environment, and see the best results.
Q: Why is it necessary?
A: Blair explains why a Code of Honor is necessary: “By experience and default we all formulate our own sets of guidelines, rules and assumptions. That’s natural. But when we start coming together with other people, organizations and cultures, we sometimes have a tough time figuring out why “those guys” don’t understand, or how they could so blatantly turn their back on our feelings, our way of doing things and our rules. In most respects, “those guys” feel the same way about us. Why? Because we assume that certain basic rules are the same. Bad assumption.”.
Having a strong mission & an established culture is only part of the whole picture. Having a strong code of honor within the pharmacy makes the team stronger and reinforces what the pharmacy stands for.
Mission comes first, the needs of the team second, and the needs of the individual third. Develop the code of honor together as a pharmacy.
Some code of honor examples: “When a team member needs help, we will do whatever it takes to help that team member complete the task.” “Celebrate all wins.” “When someone breaches the code…”call it”!” “Keep agreements.” “Be on time.”
Tips for Implementing Your Pharmacy’s Code of Honor
Discuss the code and make sure everyone is on the same page. For example, there may be different interpretations of what being on time means. Some people view being on time as arriving through the door on time. Others view it as ready at a workstation with a pen to start doing what needs to be done. This is to be discussed so that the team is on the same page and there is no unspoken resentment about different interpretations about the code.
In the absence of rules or “code”, people make up their own rules. One of the biggest challenges about the workplace is that well-meaning people are playing by different sets of rules.
If you want to learn more about how to implement the code of honor in your pharmacy, read Blair Singer’s “Rich Dad’s Advisors®: The ABC’s of Building a Business Team That Wins: The Invisible Code of Honor That Takes Ordinary People and Turns Them Into a Championship Team
What Happened in 2010 Stays in 2010
2010 was rough for some of you. If it wasn’t rough, you may have seen your pharmacist colleagues or friends/family go through tough times either relating to a pharmacist job or their personal/financial life. The time when pharmacists could breathe and get jobs effortlessly was nowhere to be found. Even those of you who had jobs felt the crunch of budget cuts impacting your pharmacy or your life personally. Having money went from something we took for granted, to something we cherished.
As I reflect on 2010, I admit it was rough for me. I was frustrated because I had big ideas of helping you work a fulfilling job AND live the ultimate lifestyle, but was not able to carry it out in the way I wanted to. Although I got clearer on what I thought was my passion, I didn’t have clarity and the resources lined up to best to carry it out. I was wanting to serve too many of you personally & trying to “do it all” even though I have a strong team who could. As a result, you were not served in the way you could have been. I was also very passionate about serving you that I didn’t value my own free time. I was getting burnt out and started not being able to see the forest from the trees. The core of what I teach is working a fulfilling job and living the ultimate lifestyle, and yet I wasn’t doing it last year. No wonder it flopped.
The gift of last year was that it was a breakthrough year for me. As times were tough, I got clear on my true passion (which I will share with you later in this article) in a way that I haven’t before, and now I am ready for a big leap!
Are you ready for a drastic change, or do you want to hold on to slow change?
I was listening to a call last night put on by one of my business colleagues, and it made so much sense as it applies to pharmacists too. Making small changes is actually harder & slower than making a big leap. What have you been meaning to do to be more centered with your passion or purpose, but have been putting off because you don’t have time? Is the pharmacist job you are in currently the best reflection of your calling? Or is it one that saps your energy and you think you “have to” do it because of different reasons? (ie, financial)
About drastic or slow change, I think about my Outlook email inbox that had around 20,000 messages a month ago and how I had been working on gradually going through my massive inbox over the last year, but all that happened was it grew like a monster.
I decided that I was finally done with it, and made the decision to get it down to 5,000 and then hand it over to someone to help me organize. I asked for my Facebook friends to keep me accountable. Over 3 weeks, I’m down to 14,980. It was definitely a lot faster than what I’ve done over the year because this time I’m determined for a drastic change! Hey, and I am looking for your help to hold me accountable to clearing it to 10,000 or less by end of the month.
How are you choosing to live your passion & purpose? Do you know it without a doubt yet? If you do, have you tried but can’t seem to leap into living your passion & purpose daily?
Here are 3 of 5 the valuable lessons I learned from 2010 about uncovering & living my passion:
Lesson #1. About uncovering my passion: I thought I had it uncovered, but once I truly really realized it, everything became clear in hindsight. Why I did everything that led me up to this point was clear. It’s one of those things that appear so obvious once you truly realize it, but if you are to be asked what your passion & purpose, many of you probably aren’t sure right now what it is.
I thought I uncovered my passion in 2009, but wondered about it in 2010—I still doubted it. Everything pointed to it (teaching is my passion) in 2010 and now I am ready to make it happen! My purpose is something which I will share at a later time.
Lesson #2. It’s the small things that, when looming over you, can keep you from moving forward with the energy & enthusiasm that’s possible. Aka my email inbox. I used to always keep up with my email, but there just became a point when I couldn’t handle it all anymore, but I wasn’t willing to let go of handling most of it. Now I am. To be honest, I was clouding my purpose with distractions. Distractions of getting emails about things that would divert me off track from what was truly important.
Lesson #3. Even though times were tough, I always trusted in the universe and felt fulfilled. I lived in the moment as much as I could, and appreciated the gift of life and being able to experience all that I did last year. I trusted that everything would turn out. I stepped out with greater clarity about how I would help my pharmacist community in a way that’s aligned with my passion & purpose. And to give myself the gift of time for me because rejuvenating is important.
I want to prepare you for stepping into the biggest & best year of working a fulfilling job & living the ultimate lifestyle: rich personal & career experiences, and financial security. If you want to step into that journey with me this year as I help you step into a more fulfilled and new you, join me in a surprise upcoming FREE teleseminar series (scroll down to register for the first event). Hint—these will help you step into a fulfilling job and live the ultimate lifestyle (including financially)…PLUS most importantly, live your passion.
Enter your Name & Email below to be the first to save your spot for the first teleseminar, in the series.
Happy New Year and may this be YOUR year to shine!
Secrets to Living Your Passion in 2011: Yes…Even as a Pharmacist!
Wednesday, January 19th
5:30pm PST / 6:30pm MST / 7:30pm CST / 8:30pm EST
We’re sorry, this event has already taken place.
“Is this what I really signed up for?” “Is this all there is?”
You are not alone–pharmacists tell me that every day. Make 2011 the year that’s all about you. Stop settling & recapture passion in your job & life!
Join us in a FREE Teleseminar to learn:
- Why New Year’s Resolutions can work against you
- The one test to tell the difference between a good idea & your true purpose
- How I went from an unfulfilling pharmacist job to running a business with passion – things I haven’t shared with anyone before
- 3 secrets to go from frustrated, burnt out, or broke…
to financial security, freedom, & fulfillment.
You’ll wish you knew them earlier…
- Immediate steps to take to see results in 90 days
Come away with the next steps to live your passion, have more time, make more money, & be more fulfilled in 2011 like you never have before!
Enter your name and email below to reserve your spot: