You have worked hard to build your career as a pharmacist. Now, you are faced with competitive hiring practices in an uncertain job market. How can you stand out as the ideal candidate?

The first step is a create an ideal resume – or update your existing resume. Below, we have broken down the pharmacist resume format into ten easy-to-follow steps. Consider it your prescription for boosting your pharmacist career!

Step 1: Select The Best Resume Format

You will find a lot of advice out there about various resume formats – chronological, functional, and combination resumes. 

The truth is, no matter your circumstances, pharmacists should always use the reverse-chronological resume format. Because your career path is education-intensive, this is the format employers will expect; your skills could not have been acquired elsewhere.

Step 2: Highlight Your Skills

Pharmacists shoulder a great deal of responsibility. They “dispense prescription medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions. They also may conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the medications given to patients, and provide advice on healthy lifestyles.” List those skills on your resume!

Even entry-level pharmacists will need to display a doctoral or professional degree. How can you know just what to include on your resume? Consider the following.

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Step 3: Use An Online Resume Builder

Online resume builders like Resume Giants walk you through the resume writing process step-by-step. You will be asked to fill out your education, previous work experiences, specific skills, contact information, and optional sections such as languages spoken, volunteer work, publications, licenses, and certifications.

Resume builders also result in beautiful, visually appealing documents with no formatting worries.

Step 4: Seek And Use Resume Keywords

When inputting the information described above, you should include as many resume keywords as possible. These can be found in the job listing to which you are applying.

They include terms for duties, skills, tasks, computer programs, education requirements, and years of experience. This will help your resume pass computerized screeners and end up in human hands.

Step 5: Check Your Email Address

What email address did you use in your contact information? If you have not already done so, now is the time to create a professional email address, such as yourname@gmail.com.

Don’t use a creative, fun email address from your youth. Keep in mind that your university or workplace email addresses may cease to function once you are no longer actively involved in those organizations. 

Step 6: Winnow The Excess

Is your resume longer than one page? If so, you need to winnow or remove unnecessary information that could distract from your key qualifications. This may include:

  • High school information
  • Hobbies and interests
  • Work experience more than 10 years old
  • Outmoded training or certifications
  • Optional resume sections
  • References

Step 7: Tailor Your Resume To Each Application

You’ve put in the work to create your resume. Now you’re done, right? Not quite. Adjust keywords and experience profiles to fit each job listing’s requirements as closely as possible. Tailored resumes (and associated cover letters) tend to perform much better than generic resumes submitted over and over again.

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Step 8: Build An Online Reputation

Now that your resume is written, you can use it to populate the fields of a LinkedIn profile. Many employers will Google your name to double-check your statements.

Having an active, up-to-date LinkedIn profile with professional connections is one way to cement your reputation. You may include your LinkedIn URL in the contact section of your resume.

You may also wish to audit your personal social media accounts, removing undesirable content and adjusting the privacy settings.

Step 9: Proofread

Perhaps you’d rather leave proofreading behind with your university term papers. But it is very important to identify and correct spelling, grammar, and typographical errors prior to submitting your resume. Such errors could mar your otherwise outstanding credentials. Try using proofreading software like Grammarly to double-check your work.

Step 10: Save Your Resume In PDF Format

You expect results from your hard work. Anything less would be a bitter pill to swallow.

Accordingly, don’t neglect this bit of advice: always export your resume in PDF format before emailing it or submitting it electronically. Why?

Word processor documents can lose their formatting when opened using a different program or device, resulting in cluttered or even unreadable pages. PDFs, however, retain their formatting across formats and devices. In this way, you can be certain your resume always represents you properly.

Additionally, try printing your resume in black and white, especially if your template uses various colors. This will ensure that it is readable if your hiring manager decides to print it while sparing the color cartridge.

Finally, if you plan on delivering a hard copy of your resume, print it using high-quality business or resume paper. Don’t forget to include a matching cover letter.