A pertinent thought came to mind the other day.

I reflected on a recent hire I made for my own company. The applicant’s resume was excellent enough. My eyes scanned the well-designed PDF for an estimated twenty-two seconds. What’s funny is I did this subconsciously. I didn’t think about reading every single little thing on the resume. It wasn’t personal; I just don’t have unlimited quantities of time or patience for this on my schedule.

I focused on points of interest. You know, like accomplishments. Which leads to my thoughts. You need to structure your resume with the reader in mind.

Resumes are symbolic career documents. These brief yet detailed narratives are created to give your recruiter an impressive overview of your work experience.

Recruiters look at resumes for six seconds. Managers spend between thirty to sixty seconds. The short time span isn’t personal; everyone is busy.

Nevertheless, you have to make an impression. You can do this by giving your decision-maker the capability to scan your resume. Doing so is polite and respectful of their time. It also demonstrates the efficiency needed to help advance you to the next level. (Should you qualify.)

It shows you know how to think like your manager, at least in a manner that supports their ability to perform. (When they win, you win.)

Act Like a Pharmacist, Think Like a Manager

To be successful, you have to think like a manager – without overthinking.

Managers don’t see eye-to-eye about what catches their attention. You just have to naturally work on your resume, and yourself, until you know how to stand out.

Think of your resume like an online dating profile, except for a long-term commitment with 6 figures and a 401K. It lists your stats and necessary relevant information.

Your goal isn’t to give someone your life story. You’re trying to entice someone into an interview.

Metaphorically speaking, you want the manager to ask you out on a date, fall in love with your pleasant personality and zest for life, and ultimately, pop the question.

Either way, you’re looking for a long-term commitment. So are they. Your resume needs to enchant them with a fantasy that being together forever works for both of you.

Not every manager has a crystal clear strategy for recruitment. However, they have an understanding of the hard and soft skills that sound ideal.

You can’t predict everything managers are looking for, because they can’t predict everything they’re looking for. So, what can you do? How can you overcome this tricky sitch?

How to Capture a Pharmacy Manager’s Attention

If you’re a parent, you likely know how to convince your child to do something.

I can’t tell you the number of occasions where I had to tell my youngest that school is a good thing for her. However, I’ve learned how she thinks, what she values, and what she thinks is important.

My daughter is a social butterfly. She values friendship and fun, so those are the things I highlight. I talk to her about different classmates at school. I mention the fun that she’s going to have with them.

You should hear how I hone in on my warning about how much they would miss her if she missed even one day of school…

Let’s circle back to your resume.

You have a limited timespan to convince someone that you’re worth a chance. Convince them by being strategic about your positioning.

From a business perspective, managers care about performance. Demonstrate that you are intelligent, capable of fulfilling your job description, and have character.

It’s more than just being able to perform. Anyone with a pulse can perform.

Your future manager needs you to deliver a high level of performance. Your resume needs to demonstrate this before your first callback, interview, or day of work.

Managers consider employees in terms of performance. They know the metrics by which you are measured.

You can convince a hiring manager that you’re worth a chance by making sure your resume reflects a demonstrated ability to perform.

Start with metrics, which nearly every job has these days. Review your metrics to see if you’re meeting or exceeding metrics. If your metrics are average or struggling, review your team’ steam’s metrics.

You have contributed, individually, or collectively, to some success for your employer. Whether that success occurred last year or last week is irrelevant as long as it’s facts. Add those to your accomplishments, and list them as distinct bullet points under applicable positions.

Allow your accomplishments to be validated on your resume, no matter how big or small. Everything counts to make sure that your resume becomes more than a list of copy-and-paste, generic bullet points that beg to be ignored. Mastering your resume takes work, but once you polish it to perfection, you’ll be delighted by the increased magnetism you’ll have with recruiters.

Take Control of Your Pharmacy Career

With so many changes in the pharmacy industry, it’s easy to get burned out. Between long hours, changes in employment, and career outlook, the pharmacy job crisis is here. Are you prepared to win against all the odds? Join our Career Masterclass. It’s 100% free, and it’s our strategy to escape burnout, receive regular job offers all the time, and take control of your pharmacy career. Sign up here.