I am frequently asked when the worst time is to apply for a pharmacy job. Let me first share the best times to apply for a position.

The best time frame to apply for a job is typically when companies are ready to hire and make decisions. When is this? Mid-to late spring is one good time frame. Also, traditionally, there is movement of hiring decision-making before existing budgets will close out at the end of a fiscal year. End of December and end of September are the most common end dates of a company's fiscal year.

Sometimes pharmacies hire because they are coming to the end of their fiscal year, and have some money in their budget left over that they need to spend or lose. Hiring can pick up a few months leading to that, because companies have a sense of their remaining budget for the year.

Even if companies are ready to spend, expect the process to take longer during holidays like Thanksgiving & Christmas towards the end of the year. Hiring managers and pharmacy directors may be out of the office during that time, and not as ready to make decisions.

Over the past year and a half, many pharmacies (big & small) have held on to their hiring money because of an uncertain economy. Last year, fall and winter were slow time frames for hiring pharmacists despite traditionally being a time frame with increased hiring. Some pharmacies ran out of money early, or were worried due to uncertainty of the future.

Fortunately, I have noticed more companies feeling a bit more encouraged with what lies ahead, and are willing to now go ahead and spend those dollars on hiring. But read my article on the recent pharmacist job market if you haven't yet. It doesn't mean that you can expect to get hired like before.

For positions that don't require as much experience, summer months can be the worst time to apply, because new pharmacy grads flood the market then, so you will have more competition than usual for those types of positions. For clinical specialist positions, specialists can expect to apply along with new pharmacy residents also. This may or may not be a huge disadvantage, depending on the level of experience you carry and where you are interested in going.

Late summertime traditionally is a slower time period when hires happen.

For temp opportunities, summer months can be good because permanent employees are going on vacation during that time. Of course, if you are willing to where no one else is willing to go, ie: Alaska in the dead of winter, you have your choice of opportunities (especially if you are flexible and experienced in different types of practice settings).

The reality of it is that there is usually some kind of hiring of pharmacists going on in the country. Even when it's the worst time to apply, as long as you are prepared with your job search strategy (most pharmacists have no idea what this is about—hint, it's not about applying everywhere online that you can find), figure out how to stand out from your competition to get noticed for more more interviews and offers...you can get the job you want.

Chen Yen, PharmD, Pharmacist Job Market Expert is the founder of Pharmacist Job Connection, helping busy pharmacists get in the right jobs for their personality. Learn how to stand out in this job market to get more interviews & offers: http://www.pharmacistjobconnection.com

Article Source: Worst Time to Apply for a Pharmacy Job

If your career path has crossed working with the Indian Health Service at some point in time, whether as a pharmacist or student completing a rotation, chances are that you will work with the IHS at another point in your career in some capacity down the road.

For pharmacists who are waiting for their Commissioned Corps call to active duty right now, an option available to you is working temporary pharmacist assignments through a pharmacist staffing agency that offers Indian Health Service assignments. This gives you the opportunity to work in the IHS setting without losing out on experience and making money, while waiting for your bureaucratic paperwork to come through.

If you are recently retired from the Indian Health Service and wanting to do some relief work, travel assignments can be a great way for you to stay connected with the IHS, make money to supplement your retirement, and work when you want to.

If you are currently working for a relief agency and working in the IHS setting, but want to have more desirable work environments and locations to choose from, do research on how you can get the opportunity to do IHS assignments in desirable settings.

If you have worked for the Indian Health Service at some point in time, whether as a pharmacist or had exposure as a JRCOSTEP or during a rotation, doing contract pharmacist work in between jobs or as a career can be options to consider. One IHS-experienced pharmacist, for example, was most recently working for the Veteran's Affairs as a full-time clinical pharmacist. In between transitioning from the VA to her next job, she did temporary Indian Health Service travel assignments before settling in a permanent position. It offered her time and flexibility to figure out her next career move, while allowing her to use her clinical knowledge in the meantime. Other pharmacists step into temp pharmacist work with the Indian Health Service as an interim plan, but then eventually continue contracting for the flexibility and rewarding practice opportunity it offers.

When selecting a relief agency to connect you with Indian Health Service travel assignments, see if the company specializes in Indian Health Service and in pharmacy. Some companies offer temporary pharmacist opportunities, but do not offer a variety of IHS assignments to choose from. This means that they may not have as good connections that will result in options to choose from.

Find out how they select the IHS sites they work with. Some agencies will send relief pharmacists to work at any site that has a need, whether or not the work environment is desirable.

Also, ask the temporary pharmacist staffing company whether they have minimum length assignment requirements. Some companies require minimum of 13-week assignments with no flexibility. Others are open to you completing variable length assignments, accomodating your schedule needs.

Find out what the staffing company does to address what's important to you and meet those needs of yours before, during, and after the assignment. This is where many relief agencies differ. Some make it a point to make you a priority. Others are focused on getting you to take any assignment they have an opening in, and may not give you the level of service you deserve.

The pharmacists who find the most joy working Indian Health Service travel assignments are ones who are adaptable, have an interest in Native American culture, and appreciate working in an ambulatory care setting in close collaboration with providers.

If you are either recently retired from Indian Health Service, are in the process of waiting for Commissioned Corps call to active duty, or have experience or interest working in the IHS setting as a relief pharmacist, do some research to find out options available to you.

Chen Yen, PharmD, Pharmacist Job Market Expert has worked in the IHS setting as a pharmacist for over 10 years. She is the founder of RPh Temp Service and connects IHS or VA-experienced pharmacists with Indian Health Service travel assignments. Learn about relief pharmacist work to choose from: http://www.rphtempservice.com

Article Source: Worked with IHS at Some Time in Your Pharmacy Career?

Don't you wish that you could always be fully staffed and never have to worry about hiring pharmacists or getting pharmacist coverage when you need it?

There are more pharmacist candidates to choose from in this competitive pharmacist job market, but pharmacies are reporting that it is taking time to find the right candidate. There are more candidates to screen. In fact, many pharmacies are holding out to hire just the right pharmacist because they want to make sure the pharmacist is the right investment.

Secret #1: Pharmacists are discouraged by the lack of fulfillment in their job.

SOLUTION: The more you are able to offer in your position a good mix between clinical/staff, the ability to be involved in non-routine work and offer a sense of contribution beyond simply dispensing, the easier time you will have attracting a good pharmacist.

Take an interest not only in the pharmacist's professional & career development, but also offer the opportunity for personal growth. By doing so, you expand your pharmacist's capacity to handle different situations and step into being the best pharmacist possible for your patients. This can involve teleseminar training, live event training, books, CDs on areas outside of pharmacy.

Highlight to your potential pharmacist hires that your company encourages personal growth and fulfillment in their jobs. This alone will make your company more attractive than others.

Secret #2: Pharmacists are thinking more about stability these days. From talking to pharmacists, what has changed in the last year is that pharmacists are more cautious with doing their research on whether a company is financially sound or not. Some pharmacists hesitate to work for smaller pharmacies because of their perception that a smaller company may be more susceptible to economic changes.

SOLUTION: Share your company's long-term growth plans, vision, financial backing, and leadership with a potential pharmacist hire. This will help a pharmacist feel more comfortable about your company's stability.

Secret #3: Pharmacists complain the most about variable work schedule. This is the most common complaint I hear from pharmacists. Many pharmacists have rotating, variable shifts, and don't know their schedule early in advance.

SOLUTION: If your pharmacy offers a set schedule and knowing about your schedule in advance, definitely highlight this as a benefit.

Secret #4: Focus on the pharmacists who know about you.

It's easier to attract a pharmacist who has worked at your pharmacy before as a pharmacy student or resident. You also have the benefit of having experienced the pharmacist's capability and fit for the position.

SOLUTION: Attract pharmacists by developing an externship program or residency program, if you don't have one already. Stay in touch with them'they may become your future hires.

Chen Yen, PharmD, Pharmacist Job Market Expert is the founder of Pharmacist Job Connection. She gives pharmacies access to top pharmacist talent. Learn other pharmacist management & workplace issue strategies at: http://www.pharmacistjobconnection.com/category/pharmacydire ctorshrmanagers/

Article Source: 4 Secret Ways to Attract Good Pharmacists to Your Pharmacy

Here's the latest pharmacist job market update:

More job opportunities are opening up for pharmacists, as pharmacies & companies are more interested in hiring, compared to late 2009. Positions are getting filled quickly in areas saturated by pharmacists, especially those that are staff level ones with desired shifts. It is positive to see some pharmacies ready to hire again, and who are quick to make decisions. Pharmacists are having to beat their competition to the punch, because once a coveted position becomes available, pharmacies are being flooded with applicants.

On the flip side, other pharmacies are taking extra care in waiting for the right pharmacist, more so than in the past. I know one hospital that waited 8 months to find the right critical care pharmacist, and another that waited months for the right candidate for a clinical coordinator position. They were waiting for someone who is cream of the crop.

Even staff pharmacist roles are not immune to this type of extra selectivity and hiring managers waiting for the right person. One pharmacy in Northern California has had a staff pharmacist opening for a few months. Despite receiving many qualified applicants, the pharmacy director chose to hold off on hiring until finding someone who is the perfect candidate.

Clinical specialists in high demand include oncology pharmacists. I forsee this continuing to be a trend. Last year's PGY2 oncology residency programs didn't have enough residents for the available spots. Yet companies have a growing need for pharmacists of this specialty. I've had a lot of requests from hospitals for oncology pharmacist positions lately.

Other clinical pharmacy specialists like infectious disease are still in demand, but they may be more limited in terms of geographic areas that you can move into. Last year, for example, there were several infectious disease pharmacist openings in New York City. Now, an infectious disease opening is hard to come by.

Pharmacy directors are also sought after. I suppose not everyone wants to take on the responsibility of this role.

Federal pharmacist jobs such as those with the Indian Health Service and Veteran's Affairs are becoming more popular, as pharmacists look for stability in this uncertain economy.

Pharmaceutical company layoffs seem to have been slowing down, according to MedZilla Report. But continue to expect layoffs. For example, Eli Lily plans to cut 5,500 jobs worldwide by the end of 2011. Two big mergers have called for massive layoffs. Merck & Schering-Plough merger led to plans for 16,000 job cuts. Pfizer & Wyeth's merger called for 20,000 layoffs.

If you are looking for a job right now and are PGY1 residency trained without additional experience, fewer pharmacies (compared to last year) are willing to wait and hire you on before finishing a residency, unless you are already a resident at the facility, have connections, or the position is in a less saturated geographic area. Many pharmacies are preferring to hire a pharmacist on immediately when they have an opening. In high-demand areas with many pharmacist applicants, you may still get interviewed, but when it comes down to it, if they have other pharmacist applicants ready to work with equal or more credentials and a similar fit as you, they would hire that person on instead. If you're not getting offers right now, that may be the reason why.

If you have something special to offer and are PGY1 residency trained, you can still get offers if what you are pursuing is in alignment with your experience during your residency and you market yourself well to show that off in your application process (including the first impression you make with your resume).

Resumes of new pharmacy grads and residents often look similar. Every new grad has done rotations. What is it that's special about your experience from other new grads? As a resident, what is it that makes what you learned during your residency or the accomplishments that you had different from other residents? What is your distinguishing factor & 10-second summary of why you are more deserving than other applicants?

It's all about how you market yourself to stand out, from the beginning of your application process when you make your first impression, send a resume that gets noticed, ace the interview, "close on the job", and negotiate the best offer.

There are things you can do which most pharmacists are not doing, and which can give you better results. Blasting out your resume and "hoping" to hear back is not a strategy working well in this job market. Marketing yourself to get noticed is something that I teach to pharmacists who want to take control back in their job search. If you take your job search seriously and learn how to do what works in this job market, you will get more interviews and offers.

Chen Yen, PharmD, Pharmacist Job Market Expert is the founder of Pharmacist Job Connection. She connects busy pharmacists with the right jobs for their personality. Ask your pharmacist job market questions and get no-B.S. answers from the expert: http://www.pharmacistjobconnection.com/askchenyen/ask-your-q uestion

Article Source: Pharmacy Jobs: Is it Getting Better for Pharmacists?