International company or independent business? High volume dispensary or service-led practice? Large high street store or small rural premises? The variety within community pharmacy may be one of the appealing things about the sector, but it can make choosing who to work for a daunting task.
Government careers advice suggests that choosing your career is all about deciding on your priorities, and the same principle applies to choosing an employer within your sector. You need to spend some time working out exactly what you're looking for, and then find out what different employers will expect from you and what they can offer you to help narrow down your search.
Start by thinking about the type of role you are looking for, and why. Are you seeking a new challenge, or do you just want to be sure you can pay the bills for a few years? While some may be happy spending most of their day in the dispensary, others might instead want to be out and about offering innovative services to patients. Don't overlook what can seem like trivial things, either, as they can often have a big impact on your enjoyment of a role. Ask yourself whether you are happy working weekends, and how far you really are comfortable travelling.
Don't be afraid to list salary expectations as part of your priorities. But this can be more complicated than it may look, according to Salim Jetha, chief executive of buying group Avicenna. “Sometimes low pay is disguised with higher perks,” he says. “The pharmacist needs to evaluate the total package. For example, lots of independents pay bonuses on MUR achievement, while some multiples expect you to do that as routine but pay for RPSGB fees and CPD training.” The situation may be further complicated by other perks such as free parking, gym memberships and pension options, all of which vary hugely between places, according to C+D's latest salary survey.
Once you've got your head around these basics and decided which factors are most important to you in an employer, perhaps the biggest decision you will face as a community pharmacist is whether to work for an independent, a small chain, or one of the large multiples.
Your longer-term career aspirations could help you decide on this. If you're thinking about owning your own pharmacy one day then experience at an independent pharmacy will stand you in good stead, says Mimi Lau, director of professional and training services at buying group Numark. But if you'd rather end up with responsibility for a number of stores, perhaps with a less hands-on dispensing role, then a larger group could be for you.
Training is also important so think about your needs and go for an employer who can meet these. Andrea Woolley, pharmacy and resourcing manager at Boots UK, says training and support can be critical to delivering your aspirations and reaching your potential. “You should seek evidence from the business you choose to join of their track record of success in developing and promoting people,” she advises. While larger companies are likely to have formal training programmes in place, at an independent there may seem less structure. But Ms Lau says independents who are members of groups such as Numark can offer this sort of support nowadays, so it's worth asking the questions.
It's also critical to ensure a company's culture will suit your personal style. Ms Woolley advises: “It is key to understand the values and ethics of the company towards the customer, the community and their employees and decide whether or not you share them. The most successful careers are achieved when these are closely aligned.” To find out about this you could look at company websites to see what they state as key values Ð do these match yours? Or if it's a smaller company try talking to current employees about their experiences. If you're still unsure, Mr Jetha advises: ”There is no substitute to real hands-on experience. The easiest option would be to ask to either work a day as a locum or spend a few hours in the dispensary as an observer.”
Whatever your priorities, it's clear that taking the time to ensure they are going to match with an employer is worth the effort. Although job applications can be daunting, remember that it really is as important for you to like your employer as for them to like you.
As Ms Woolley concludes: “The best advice I could offer a pharmacist when looking for a potential employer is to really think about what is important to you,
and to choose a company that meets this ideal and provides a range of opportunities.”