Finding any job as a pharmacist isn’t difficult. If you want to work in a retail setting, you can probably land something without too much effort. But if you’re looking for a better job—one that excites you, gives you flexibility, or moves your career in a new direction—that’s a different story. The job market isn’t just one big system; it’s a series of smaller, niche markets, each with its own rules, demand, and challenges.

Every day, I talk to pharmacists who feel stuck in their job search. Some find a new role in days, while others struggle for months. The difference? It usually comes down to strategy—not luck. Pharmacy schools are pumping out graduates at an unsustainable rate, flooding certain areas of the profession, like retail and pharma industry jobs, with applicants. I’ve heard hiring managers say they get 100, sometimes 200+ applications for a single position. But at the same time, specialized roles are emerging that many pharmacists overlook. Clinical pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, industry roles—these areas are growing, even if they require a different approach to break into.

Here’s the truth most pharmacists don’t realize: The best jobs don’t get posted online. In fact, depending on the industry, 40-70% of open positions never make it to job boards. They’re filled through referrals and networking—someone knowing someone. If you’re relying solely on LinkedIn searches and mass-applying to listings, you’re already behind. A referral increases your chance of getting an interview by 20x and boosts your odds of landing an offer tenfold. Connections matter. Yet, so many pharmacists spend years working in isolation, only to realize when they want to make a move that they have no network to lean on.

I get it. Pharmacists aren’t trained in networking. We’re taught to be clinical experts, not career strategists. But if you want a job that pays well, aligns with your skills, and doesn’t drain the life out of you, then building relationships needs to become a priority. Start with colleagues, old classmates, preceptors, or professional associations. Get on LinkedIn—even if you hate it. Connect with pharmacists in fields you’re curious about. Because if you wait for the perfect job to be posted, you might be waiting forever.

The idea that pharmacists just “get lucky” with new opportunities? That’s imposter syndrome talking. I see it all the time—people who land great jobs and assume it just fell into their lap. It didn’t. They put themselves in the right position, built value in their workplaces, and made connections that led to the right offer. 

Let’s be real—pharmacy is at a tipping point. If we don’t start advocating for ourselves, building careers that bring us fulfillment, and demanding better jobs, nothing will change. My mission at The Happy PharmD is to help 35,000 pharmacists transform their careers by 2045. That’s how we fix this profession—one career move at a time.