Be Original: Standing Out Above the Crowd of other Pharmacy Professionals

All of us want to succeed in our chosen profession of pharmacy.  But if you want to really stand out, you’re going to have to, well, stand out. Continue reading for tips on how to do so.

Join a pharmacy association

First of all, perhaps the “no-brainer” stand-out technique is to become involved in pharmacy associations, including national, regional and even local. You also could join your area’s Chamber of Commerce and other professional/business groups.

Once you join, you need to become known. Volunteer on sub-groups and even a board or two. If you feel you really can’t spare the time to become that personally involved, see if you can speak to the members on some topic of interest at a meeting at least once a year.

The idea is to become known as someone who is on top of the trends and goings-on in the pharmacy industry. It could be any aspect of pharmacy: Education, FDA processes, patient education, customer retention strategies, reimbursement, law, etc.

Stay connected with alumni

It’s also wise to stay involved with your pharm tech or PharmD program’s alumni network. Attend gatherings. Become a member of your alumni board. As mentioned above, give presentations at meetings and reunions.

To stand out, you must be visible. A terrific way to become visible, in addition to speaking at pharmacy and alumni events, is to write about pharmacy issues.

Start a blog

Go the “traditional” route and write articles in pharmacy journals. But don’t stop there, submit article ideas to general interest magazines in your local community, region or even (think big!) national publications and newspapers.

Try writing

Write a book or report. It’s exceptionally easy today to become a published author. Amazon’s Kindle platform, for example, makes it easy to upload a short “book” of, for example, 20-30 pages and sell it. Write a few books and you’ll soon have a following, one that you can use to expand your influence within the profession.  Writing can be a terrific way to become known in your profession without having to speak or attend networking events (perfect for the shy among us).

Network with others

Still, to truly stand out in pharmacy, you’re going to have to get out there and meet and speak with people. Leaders, after all, lead. And they don’t – can’t – do so without speaking with their subordinates, colleagues and even the general public.

Start small – attend a Chamber networking function, for example – or go big (write dozens of short reports on pharmacy issues and publish them on your blog or submit them for publication). But do something!

Have you worked to become a stand-out? If so, what have you found that works? What would you do differently (or not at all)? What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

Whether you’re a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, Rx relief® can help you move your career forward in ways you may not have thought possible. We have positions at pharmacies, clinics and other healthcare facilities needing your critical skills now. Contact us today!