Top 5 Pharmacy Career Pitfalls

Article

The pharmacy community is close-knit network.

The pharmacy community is close-knit network. Aside from being respected members of the health care team, pharmacists are responsible for the health and welfare of many patients.

To do your job effectively, you must earn and keep the trust of your patients, coworkers, and employer. Although good reputations can travel fast and lead to promotions and myriad career opportunities, bad reputations tend to travel even faster.

In a competitive job market, you can’t afford to make any career-killing mistakes. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of not only your professional actions, but also your personal ones.

Here are the top 5 pharmacy career pitfalls that could blacklist you from future jobs:

1. Bad Attitude

If you blow up at your technicians or disrespect upper management, you may very well end up on a hiring blacklist.

If you work for a retail chain, you may end up with a bad evaluation that curtails your ability to be promoted or transferred to other stores. If word gets out to other area pharmacies, you may not be able to transfer at all.

2. Internet Indiscretion

You might be the best pharmacy employee while you are on the clock, but social media rants, inappropriate profile pictures, or politically incorrect e-mails to coworkers can derail your career in a hurry. Although these offenses might not be enough to get you fired from your current job, employers will likely not be excited about hiring or promoting someone who lambastes his or her current employer in a blog post.

3. Arrogance

Acting like a know-it-all won’t win you any points with your current supervisor, and you always want to make sure that you receive a good reference in the event you decide to move on.

Displaying arrogance in the workplace could translate to being “difficult to work with” or “unwilling to accept direction and/or constructive criticism” during an annual evaluation or a reference check by a prospective employer. Willingness to learn goes a long way in making you a valued member of a pharmacy team.

4. Dishonesty

Because pharmacy employees are trusted members of the health care community, honesty is one of the most important pillars of the profession.

Whether you lie about your work experience, falsify your credentials, cut corners on your job duties, or (heaven forbid!) steal from work, any type of dishonest behavior will be detrimental to your career. Depending on the severity of your actions, you may even get fired, fined, or slapped with criminal charges, or lose your pharmacy license.

5. Burned Bridges

If you’re in a bad job situation, don’t be tempted to quit in a “blaze of glory” when you decide that you’re ready to move on. The whole “take-this-job-and-shove-it” act might feel good for a minute, but keep in mind that you will probably need your former boss and coworkers for references down the road.

If word gets around that you staged a dramatic walkout, you’ll look immature, unprofessional, and unbecoming to future employers.

Avoiding these 5 pharmacy career pitfalls will help you to remain attractive to hiring managers and eligible for promotions in a tough job market. By staying out of trouble, cultivating a positive attitude, maintaining your integrity, and being careful to make good choices, you’re taking steps that will help improve your job prospects for years to come.

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