​The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the growth of pharmacy jobs over the next eight years would be slower than average.

And no one should be surprised.

It is no secret that pharmacy layoffs are happening all over the country at a time when there are also more pharmacy graduates than ever before.

If you are reading this, chances are that you are worried about being laid off, or you have been. My goal is to give you the perfect steps to ensure that you can find a job quickly.

This is not about finding your dream job. This is about getting you from unemployed to employed as quickly as possible.

Wasted time and wasted energy

Worry:  It is your absolute worst enemy.

Allowing that stress into your life is only going to make the situation worse. It puts the focus on everything bad that might ever happen instead of on the steps you can take to improve your situation.

Instead, divert that time and energy into the creation of a simple plan by listing the daily, or weekly, tasks that you have to do to get into that next job, and then do them. If you’re not sure where to begin – then immediately set a deadline for when your resume  and LinkedIn will be updated.

Be sure your plan also includes things NOT to do:  Stay away from the websites, (student/doctor websites, for example, are the worst), where people complain and worry instead of taking action. Leave them to their negative articles and comments; you have more important things to do!

Become indispensable

If you are employed, it is obviously important to stay that way. Do whatever you can so that your manager will see you as the top candidate for the next promotion or position.

This is especially true if you are in a part-time or PRN position for those positions are the often most likely to miss out on opportunities. It is imperative that you make yourself indispensable with the goal of finding a permanent position.

Network.

There is a Chinese proverb that works especially well here: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Your network is a very valuable asset and quite simply, there is no better time than the present to put it to work for you.

Reconnecting with old friends and alumni is certainly a good and healthy thing to do, but for job security, it is more important to connect with the right people.

Specifically, connect with those pharmacists who are very involved in state associations or other national groups – plant that tree – and consider joining some of those groups yourself.

These are people who are well-connected. They are aware of job openings and on-going projects that may be of interest to you.

In my Jumpstart Master Class, I ask everyone to start one new habit with regards to networking, whether it be messaging one person a day, or meeting up with a pharmacy colleague once a week.

Connect with the right people and your network, and your opportunities, – like your tree – will grow.

 

Volunteer to gain experience.

Volunteering is simply the very best way to gain experience for a new job.

As an example, I have been working with a pharmacist on ways to build his experience so that he can move from pharmacology into data analysis and management roles.

Of course, jobs like these are hard to find without experience.

He started becoming familiar with the scientific literature with regards to pharmacy services and cost analysis and he made it a point to connect with people in the industry. He is gaining momentum and creating value for the companies that he is most interested in working for, and they are taking notice.

I am happy to say he is currently in the process of interviewing for his dream job now.

And you can too. Take a look at my free Master Class and learn how a pharmacist can transition to any job before having experience. We discuss the major mistakes many of us make when looking for a new job, as well as how to easily attract and court companies for a new job.

The webinar is 100 percent free but is limited to the first 100 registrants, so reserve your seat today.

 

The employed pharmacist

I hope I have convinced you that there are simple things you can do now to avoid becoming the next unemployed pharmacist.

Divert the energy previously wasted on worrying towards the expansion of your network and the building of your experience through volunteer opportunities and you will find that next job.

And with your simple plan in place and the information from the master classes at your disposal and you will find that next job.

The tree has been planted. Nurture it, and it will grow.