While a good CV will get you to the interview stage, the secret to landing a job lies in the interview itself. An interview is where employers get to know who a candidate is and the employee that they’ll be–enabling them to decide whether to hire them. If you’re considering a career as a Pharmacy Assistant, a job interview is your opportunity to show a potential employer that you’re capable of performing the tasks and responsibilities that come with the job. Pharmacy Assistants have a range of duties within a pharmacy. These professionals work to fill prescriptions, compound medication, maintain prescription records, monitor inventory, pack and label pharmaceutical treatments and products, provide customer service, and more.
After completing your training, coming prepared to an interview will help you to land a job in the field and launch a successful career. Below, discover four tips which will help you to ace the interview.
1. Come Prepared to Speak About Your Pharmacy Assistant Training
When preparing for an interview for a pharmacy assistant position, consider how you’ll use the knowledge you’ve gained in pharmacy assistant training to demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Expect questions that will require you to reference your training, such as: how to inform a customer about the usage of a certain treatment, or how to accurately maintain and organize pharmaceutical inventory and records. If you can show an employer that you will be able to apply your skills and training to a pharmacy assistant position, you’ll increase your chances of landing the job.
2. Provide Examples of Your Communication Skills
Communication is one of the most important aspects of a Pharmacy Assistant’s job. Pharmacy Assistants must be able to communicate effectively, not only with the other professionals they interact with, such as doctors and pharmacy technicians, but also with the customers and clients who visit the pharmacy to pick up treatments and obtain other services. During an interview, a potential employer may ask you questions that speak to your ability to communicate with customers. Prepare to explain to an interviewer what you perceive to be good customer service–providing examples of how you would handle difficult customers and what you would do in the case of a discrepancy. This will show a potential employer that you have the communication skills it takes to succeed as a pharmacy assistant.
3. Express Your Motivation to Work in the Industry
Employers not only want to know that you’re qualified to work as a pharmacy assistant, they also want to know that you’re motivated to embark on this career path. Before going into an interview, try to think of what made you decide to enroll in a pharmacy assistant course, and why the work that you’ll be doing matters to you. Sharing your personal story with an interviewer will help to calm any nerves you might have, in addition to helping them to get to know you better. Once a potential employer sees that you’re committed to working as a pharmacy assistant, they’ll be more likely to consider you for the position–as they know that your commitment reflects the effort you’ll make to succeed and enhance the operation of the pharmacy in question.
4. Prepare Questions for Your Interviewer Beforehand
Although we tend to think of an interview as an opportunity for an employer to ask candidates about their backgrounds and experience, it’s also a great opportunity for candidates to bring up any questions they might have for the interviewer. Take the time to learn as much as possible about the position you’re interviewing for and the particular pharmacy you’re interviewing with, and compile a list of questions based upon what you learn. Asking questions is a great way to demonstrate your interest in the position, as your interviewer will see that you took the time to learn about their organization. It’s also the perfect way to learn more about what the position will entail–helping you to make an informed decision about your career.
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