When you are looking for staff for your Pharmacy, be it a Supervising Pharmacist or a part-time OTC Assistant, the process of writing a job specification is the single most important thing you can do to ensure success. In the world of Pharmacy advertising is commonly very minimalist, giving very basic information such as “Pharmacist req’d in Dublin. Call X on 087-1234567”

Your advert needs to attract interest, communicate clearly the essential points and provide a clear outline of the process; enabling job seekers to decide whether they are a possible match for the role.

Information to include:

Job title, employer & description of business, location of job, outline of the job role and purpose, job responsibility, outline of ideal candidate profile - qualifications & experience required, salary details, application instructions & contact details.

Writing:  

·         If the organization is well known then show the company information prominently

·         Use language that your reader would use

·         Give text some space, thus attracting the eye and ensuring you write efficiently

·         Use short sentences and/or bullet points

·         Get the reader involved. Refer to the reader as ‘you’ and use the second person; this helps people to picture themselves in the role, involving them

·         Stress what is unique- if a person is reading your advert they are already looking for a change and you need to highlight your job’s USP’s (Unique Selling Points): if the working hours are Monday to Friday, if the store has been recently refurbished or if the position offers career development etc.

·         Ensure the correct contact information is listed- include both an email address and phone number facilitating applicants who wish to ask questions

·         Assume the job will evolve over time and add a statement such as "and related tasks as needed as they arise"

·         Be specific; this will allow jobseekers to identify exactly what the job entails and decide if they are a match

By creating a complete job specification you identify exactly the job you have and the person you need to do it, allowing you to both recruit and retain staff for your Pharmacy successfully.

Should you have any comments/queries please contact Siobhan Ryan by e-mail: siobhananne.ryan@cplhealthcare.com or call 061-208648.

There are so many things that can go wrong in an interview. You could have researched the company really well, you could have prepared answers to the common interview questions and to questions specific to the job and you could be dressed to impress but one weak handshake and the interviewer could be turned off before you finish saying hello!

In the halcyon days of Pharmacy recruitment where much was done through word of mouth, a formal interview was a rarity, with a request for a CV pushing some Pharmacists into unchartered territory and seen almost as an affront by others. The legacy of that time is born on the pages of the CV’s that we in CPL Healthcare receive from Pharmacists on a daily basis.  Today in an utterly changed market, and industry, a professionally prepared CV is imperative if you want to get ahead of your competitors.

The top 5 mistakes we see on Pharmacy CV’s are:

1. 1. Lack of information – no outline of duties and responsibilities
2. 2. No focus on achievements & unique selling points
3. 3. Poor grammar and spelling
4. 4. Poor structure and layout.
5. 5. Unexplained gaps

Key Points:

• CONTENT- use words carefully- stick to concise, clean and simple.

• Prepare a CV continually keeping the reader in mind- what information will they need to see?

• Limit the CV to 2 pages, 3 pages only if you are at a particularly senior stage in your career.

• Presentation of the document is a reflection of you- a shabby and unprofessional document will give that first impression.

To start off the process:

Conduct a self evaluation- skills, qualifications, work history and achievements in the past.

Take the job description and use this to highlight the areas where you are strong- this is essentially how an employer will match your suitability to the job so help them to do so. If there is no job description, call and ask for more information.

Structure:

Personal Information: Name, address, contact information.

Personal Profile: This should be 5-7 high impact statements that describe you. Be bold, positive and confident when you write these. This should appear on the sweet spot- the middle to top of the first page. This is a great space to tailor- gear your points towards the job, why you would be suitable, why you are interested etc.

Education: If you are applying for your first post-qualification job it will be necessary to include details of education; if you are experienced it is not necessary to provide as much.

Experience: Tailor these for the reader and the job- ensure you are suitable for the job you are applying for. Statements should be active- what you did.

Achievements:  Should be tied to the job using facts- if they are not going to pack a punch then it’s probably best not to include.

Hobbies & Interests: Areas of research you are keen on, sports you are interested in etc.      

Presentation:

Ensure the CV is easy on the eye- sufficient white space to give the eye a rest when reading, clear headings and consistency of font and structure throughout. The use of bullet points when detailing information can make it easier for the employer to extract the information they need.  You have 20-30 seconds for a person to read and absorb the key points!

And Finally:

Seek feedback from recruiters experienced in the Pharmacy Industry. By virtue of the fact that they are speaking with both your competitors, and your potential employers daily; they are best placed to offer you industry relevant advice that will help you to stand out from the competition.

You never get a second chance to make that first impression so make sure your CV doesn’t let you down.

Should you have any queries/ comments please call Siobhan Ryan (Cpl Health

This week has seen record high temperatures in Ireland for this time of year. The time has changed, the evenings are longer and summer is most definitely in the air. Everyone seems in better spirits, happier, more refreshed and positive.

I love the atmosphere in the office; it is a professional yet sociable office with a competitive edge that makes it a fun place to work.

This week we welcomed a new team member to the Cpl Healthcare Nursing Team and all the team were asked to contribute to training our new colleague. It doesn’t feel like that long ago I started my own recruitment journey and sat on the edge of my seat taking in every word my mentor said. Now it’s my turn to be the mentor and I realised that this trainee would take everything I said as gospel and it got me thinking about the knowledge I had actually built up in my year and a half in the role and how I was going to help this trainee make a good go of this job!

The Children’s Sunshine Home was set up in 1925 to provide home support, respite and residential services for Children with life limiting and life threatening conditions. Demands on this voluntary health organisation have increased so much in the last decade that the Children’s Sunshine Home established LauraLynn House in 2011 which is Ireland’s first Children’s hospice.

The 'LauraLynn Children's Hospice' Foundation was set up as a result of an enormous personal tragedy in the lives of Jane and Brendan McKenna having lost both their daughters in the space of just two years.

As Chief Executive officer Philomena Dunne highlights ‘The Children’s Sunshine Home and LauraLynn House is an organisation embracing life and helping families to make the most of every day, improve the quality of life for that child and their families’.

It is for these reasons that Cpl is proud to announce that this year we are working in conjunction with the Children’s Sunshine Home and the LauraLynn House as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility program. Cpl aim to raise €15,000 by the end of 2011, with our employees participating in a number of events over the coming months ranging from Pool Nights, Movie Club, Golf Saturdays, Sponsored Runs, Summer BBQ, to Tag Rugby and our very own Summer Olympics! Our next fundraiser will take place on the 2nd March 2012; it will be a great night in aid of a great cause and if you are interested in taking part, please contact sportsandsocial@cpl.ie.