Pharmaceutical Resume Examples
Improve your chances of landing a job in a pharmacy with these resume examples made from LiveCareer’s customizable templates.
Our Recommended Example
Pharmacy Technician
Popular Templates in the Pharmaceutical Space
Pharmacist
Staff Pharmacist
Pharmacy Assistant
Hospital Pharmacist
Table of Contents
Pharmaceutical Resume
Pharmaceutical Cover Letter
Pharmaceutical CV
Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Pharmaceutical Resume
It’s no secret that competition for pharmacy jobs is fierce. Designing a resume that stands out from the crowd requires knowledge of what works in the pharmaceutical industry. Fortunately, our certified resume writers have eliminated the guesswork and can help you construct your own successful resume by offering pre-written phrases from our resume builder, like the following:
- Maintained effective level of medicines and supplies to meet expected demand
- Demonstrated a passion for educating patients on medication therapies
- Supervised dispensation of controlled substances, including Methamphetamine and Oxycodone using careful oversight
- Reviewed and evaluated orders for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance
- Developed network of medical professionals whose referrals led to average increase of 10 patients per week
6 Dos and Don'ts for Writing a Pharmaceutical Resume
Do
- Do show you’re the ideal person to work in their pharmacy. Competition for pharmacy jobs has increased substantially over the past decade, and available jobs now may receive hundreds of applicants. Your resume’s qualifications should make an unambiguous argument for why an employer should choose you.
- Do specifically mention your integrity. More so than in other careers, ethics is of tantamount importance in pharmaceutical work. Show yourself trustworthy to dispense accurate doses of life-saving medicines and to keep records confidential.
- Do express a desire to advance your pharmacy career by learning new skills. Most employers would rather move up an existing employee than hire a new person, so show that you are ready to work hard to move up the ladder of responsibilities. If you’re involved with any professional organizations, such as the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, include those on your resume.
Don’t
- Don’t send identical resumes to different types of pharmacies. For example, working in a large commercial drug store would require retail skills that may be less important in a hospital.
- Don’t leave any doubt that you are a stickler for rules. You and your employer risk serious consequences, including jail time, for not following pharmacy law. Provide examples of your meticulous record keeping or stubborn adherence to regulations.
- Don’t forget to include your current state license and any certifications. If your PharmD degree is in progress, state that on your resume. Also, include any continuing education courses you have taken through APhA, Pharmacy Times or related organizations.
Beat the ATS with These Pharmaceutical Resume Skills
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are used by employers as an automated way to sift through applications. An ATS may not be an issue if you are applying to a small pharmacy in a rural area, but most larger pharmacies and hospitals use them to eliminate resumes lacking certain keywords.
Improve the chances that a human hiring manager sees your resume by using LiveCareer’s Resume Builder. Our certified resume writers can suggest the best mix of skills to beat the ATS, and they know which keywords you should use to describe your experiences. Examples of useful phrases might include the following:
- Drug distribution professional
- Insurance claims processing
- Inventory control
- Medication compounding expert
- Patient counseling
- Drug classifications and safety
- Immunization skills
Pharmaceutical Resumes for Every Professional Level
Entry-Level Pharmaceutical Resume Example: Pharmacy Intern
The number of resumes a hiring manager receives for an entry-level job can number into the hundreds, but this resume using a functional format is sure to stand out from the crowd. Besides looking professional, nearly half the space is filled with skills important to pharmacy work. This emphasis on ability to do the job is crucial when applying to be an intern because education and work experience are less likely to be deciding factors for entry-level applicants.
Build My ResumeMid-Career Pharmaceutical Resume Example: Pharmacy Manager
This combination resume strikes the perfect balance among skills, work history and education. The two-column format allows the applicant’s qualities to meet the eye and be read almost simultaneously. Note how he quantifies accomplishments for his previous employers using specific numbers of employees trained, patients gained and prescriptions filled. He includes only information relevant to the position for which he is applying, listing only his work history since 2011, the year he obtained his PharmD degree.
Build My ResumeExecutive-Level Pharmaceutical Resume Example: Director of Pharmacy
The reverse-chronological work history on this chronological resume accents the solid upward career trajectory of this executive-level pharmacy director. While she does list some necessary hard skills, such as compounding and managing inventory, much of the descriptive language in the body of the resume is devoted to soft skills such as collaboration, conflict resolution and counseling. Her education, also in reverse-chronological order, is placed at the bottom. The blue headings on the left margin create an attractive presentation with plenty of white space.
Build My ResumeResume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Pharmaceutical Jobs
Median Pay (2018)
Pharmacist | $126120 |
---|---|
Pharmacy Technician | $32700 |
Pharmacy Aid | $26450 | 042K85K128K |
Sources: BLS, O*Net
Job Outlook, 2008-2018
-10 | 0 | 10 |
---|---|---|
Pharmacist | No change | |
Pharmacy Technician | 7% growth | |
Pharmacy Aid | 2% decline |
Sources: BLS, O*Net
Popular Titles
- Certified Pharmacist Assistant
- Drug Purchaser
- Front Counter Clerk
- Pharmacist Assistant
- Pharmacy Aide
- Pharmacy Ancillary
- Pharmacy Cashier
- Pharmacy Clerk
Source: O*NET
Education Requirements
Pharmacist
Professional Degree | 38% |
---|---|
Doctoral Degree | 37% |
Postbaccalaureate Certificate | 11% | 02040 |
Pharmacy Technician
High School Diploma or equivalent | 60% |
---|---|
Postsecondary Certificate | 14% |
Some College | 13% | 04080 |
Pharmacy Aide (percentages not available)
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- Postsecondary Certificate
- Less than High School Diploma
Source:O*Net
Diversity
Gender
Pharmacist Female | 57.9% |
---|---|
Pharmacist Male | 42.1% | 03060 |
Pharmacy Aide Female | 76.3% |
---|---|
Pharmacy Aide Male | 23.7% | 050100 |
Race and Ethnicity
Pharmacist White | 69.2% |
---|---|
Pharmacist Asian | 22.1% |
Pharmacist Black | 5.22% | 050100 |
Pharmacy Aide White | 62.4% |
---|---|
Pharmacy Aide Asian | 18.4% |
Pharmacy Aide Black | 14.5% | 050100 |
Average Age
Pharmacist | 41.7 years |
---|---|
Pharmacy Aide | 38.4 years | 050100 |
Average Age by Gender
Male Pharmacist | 44.4 years |
---|---|
Female Pharmacist | 39.9 years |
Male Pharmacy Aide | 34.8 years |
Female Pharmacy Aide | 39.7 years | 050100 |