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.

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!

Is there gold at the end of the HSE Rainbow for private hospitals? Thankfully I have not been to an A&E department as a patient myself (touch wood!) for some time but I have to ask would I go to our local hospital to wait for hours or to one of the many private clinics where you are assured to be seen in a hour. The question is are the right people using these facilities?

My last trip to A&E found me sitting for several hours along with a dozen of other poor souls with a variety of ailments from your good old fashioned minor accidents to the much often seen in A&E departments nationwide patients with a few too many drinks on them, I can understand how staffing A&E’s can be difficult.

 At this point I can hold my hand up and say yes, perhaps I shouldn’t have sat in A&E for several hours for what turned out to be a severe sprain but rather have gone to one of the many facilities that the HSE and private sector provide and be home in time to watch the 6 O’clock News but hindsight is a wonderful thing!

With our A&E departments being stretched to the limit every day, constant newspaper headlines reporting on backlogs, patients on trolleys (257 on the Tuesday after the October Bank Holiday as per INMO).  GP’s and private clinics the promise of being in and out in a hour and not to mention the GP Out of Hours Services are we using the Health Service to the best of our ability? Is the HSE to blame or our outlook and use of the facilities we are being offered every day. Either way these services are essential and necessary and fair play to the staff in A&E today! My aim is to continue to recruit doctors to man these front line services, to continue to offer choice of services and to ensure that when you need your local A&E department that the right staff is there.