Veterinary Pharmacist Career Profile

Veterinary Pharmacist Career ProfileVeterinary Pharmacist Career ProfileA veterinary pharmacist is an animal health professional with a doctoral degree and advanced training related to the use of pharmaceutical products. The duties may vary depending on the specific nature of their employment (i.e. whether they work in academia, for a corporation, for a veterinary related business, or for a regulatory agency). Veterinary pharmacists may be involved with dispensing medications that have been prescribed by a veterinarian, providing consultations on dosage and side effects, providing compounding services, ensuring that all regulatory directives are properly followed, taking inventory, and supervising pharmacy technicians or other support staff members. Those working in academic settings may be involved with teaching classes for veterinary students. Those working in regulatory roles may be involved with testing, research, education, and enforcement. Veterinary pharmacists must be well ve rsed in proper safety protocols and disposal methods when working with hazardous drugs or compounding materials. They must also be extremely detail oriented, making sure that all labels are accutarif with regard to contents and dosage.Work is generally conducted in an office or lab setting. Veterinary pharmacists do notlage usually have a high level of direct contact with animals, though this can vary depending on the specific nature of their work. Career Options Veterinary pharmacists may find employment with veterinary schools, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, and a variety of regulatory agencies (such as the FDA). They may also readily make the transition back to human pharmacy work if they should encounter any difficulties finding desirable job opportunities in the veterinary field. Education Training A significant commitment to education is required to become a veterinary pharmacist. The candidate must first obtain their undergraduate degree (3 to 4 years) befo re going on to an accredited school of pharmacy to pursue a PharmD degree (another 4 years). Some schools offer courses in veterinary pharmacy as a part of their PharmD program, though it is also possible to pursue postdoctoral residencies in the field if they do not. After achieving the PharmD degree, a pharmacist must also pass the state licensing exam to become eligible to practice. Several universities offer residencies in the field of veterinary pharmacy to those who have completed their general pharmacy degree. The University of California, Davis offers a well known postdoctoral program in veterinary pharmacy. The program can be completed in two years and a resident salary is $40,000 per year.Harper Adams University (in the United Kingdom) offers another two-year veterinary pharmacy program. Veterinary pharmacists may seek diplomate certification status with the International College of Veterinary Pharmacy (ICVP). Candidates must be members of the Society of Veterinary Hospita l Pharmacists (SVHP), have a current pharmacy license, have at least five years of experience in the field (or an advanced degree in veterinary pharmacy practice), and pass a comprehensive exam. Salary The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not have a category for veterinary pharmacists, but it does include them in the more general category of all pharmacists. The median annual salary for pharmacists was $116,670 ($56.09 per hour) in the most recent survey results (May 2012). The lowest paid 10 percent of pharmacists earned less than $89,000 per year ($42.79 per hour) while the highest-paid 10 percent of pharmacists earned more than $147,350 per year ($70.84 per hour). Job Outlook The field of veterinary pharmacy is relatively new and is continuing to expand each year. The BLS reports that job growth for the category of all pharmacists is expected to grow at a rate of 14 percent over the decade from 2012 to 2022. This rate of growth is approximately the same as the averag e for all professions surveyed. Veterinary pharmacists with significant education and experience will continue to enjoy the best job prospects in the field.

How to Find a Job Recruiter

How to Find a Job RecruiterHow to Find a Job RecruiterEnlisting the support of a recruiter can help you to launch a more effective job search. Finding the right recruiter who values you as a candidate and has connections with employers in your industry will be vital to your success with this strategy. Not all candidates will find that recruiters are willing to take on their case. In general, if you have strong credentials in a field with relatively high demand for workers, then you will find that recruiters are more receptive. In most cases, you should not rely solely on recruiters to conduct your job search but should employ a broad range of networking and job search strategies in your campaign. Actively reaching out to recruiters and positioning yourself so that recruiters will find you and appreciate your value are both important steps in the process. What Is a Recruiter? Recruiters, sometimes called search professionals or headhunters, work to find qualified candidates for em ployers. Whenyoure job searching, a connection with a recruiter can help you find open jobs and secure an interview with an employer. Are you interested in working with a recruiter, but not aya how to go about finding one? There are sites you can use to search for and connect with recruiters in your career field, industry and/or location. Resources for Identifying Search Firms Use a DirectoryThere are several online directories that enable you to identify search firms by geographic area, functional specialty and/or industry. Recruiterly.com, Online Recruiters Directory, Oyas, Recommended Recruiter, and Searchfirm.com are all free services to help you to target recruiters relevant to your situation. Search on GoogleConducting a Google search with the name of your location and with keywords like search firms, executive recruiters and employment agencies will provide you with a list of the websites of agencies in your area. For example, try search firms in Atlanta. If you get too m any listings, try a more targeted search like Executive search firms for sale professionals in Atlanta. Publications like Forbes will also provide lists of agencies that they deem to provide high-quality services. Ask for RecommendationsOne of the best ways to identify firms is to ask your contacts for recommendations based on their personal experience. Reach out discretely to fellow members of professional associations, LinkedIn contacts, college alumni, friends, neighbors and family members to inquire about their personal experience with recruiters. An added benefit of this strategy is that your contacts might speak to their recruiter and recommend that he or she work with you. Use LinkedInYou can search LinkedIn by keywords like recruiter or search firms to generate an extensive list of firms. You can follow them and see their job listings. Check Professional Association ResourcesReview the job listings in professional publications and notice which agencies are advertising to mem bers of your group. Some professional organizations allow recruiters to present at conferences or staff vendor tables which will provide an opportunity for you to connect with them on a personal level. Attracting Recruiters Recruiters will seek out job seekers with marketable hintergrunds and try to entice them to apply for positions with their client companies.LinkedIn is by far the most commonly used tool by recruiters to lure candidates. Developing a full and rich LinkedIn profilethat includes endorsements, recommendations, work samples and a well-written summary of your skills and accomplishments can help you to attract willing recruiters. Recruiters also search databases of candidates on job boards. Placing a solid resume on sites like Indeed, Monster and niche sites in your field can make it more likely that you will be engaged by a recruiter. Maintaining a high profile in professional organizations will get you noticed by recruiters. Presenting at conferences, holding off ices, and publishing can all increase your visibility. How to Screen a Recruiter How can you choose a recruiter who will give you the most help with your job search? What should you look for when youre checking out recruiters? Heres advice on how to choose a recruiter including what you should ask the recruiter and what the recruiter will ask you. Selecting and partnering with a recruiter can become less anxiety provoking by following these suggestions. Questions to Ask the Recruiter Here are some basic questions to ask the recruiter before you establish a partnership How long have you have been recruiting?What is your recruiting specialty? Make sure this aligns with the type of job you are seeking.Do you have client companies that are looking to hire someone with my experience and skill set?How many people with my background have you helped place in the last six months?Can I speak with some of your clients to ask them about their experience? What Recruiters Want Candidat es to Know Here are tips and advice on finding a recruiter, standing out in a large candidate pool, building strategic relationships with recruiters, and how to make the best impression when working with a recruiter from career and recruiting experts. Dont Submit Your Resume to Every RecruiterIts best to identify one or two recruiters that specialize in your field and start to build relationships with them. Job seekers make the mistake of submitting their resume to every recruiter, thinking it will maximize their chances. But recruiting agencies are typically all working within the same client pool, and if you have multiple agencies submitting your resume for a job, it puts the hiring company in a difficult situation of determining which agency to work with. In many cases, the hiring company may choose to pass over a candidate completely, rather than get into a debacle with competing agencies over who deserves the referral fee. Dress to ImpressWhen meeting with your recruiter, you should dress formally. Recruiters want to know that they are being represented in a professional way. Dressing formally every time reassures them of this fact. Establish Strategic RelationshipsDo yourself a favor and establish strategic relationships with a select few agencies whom you feel confident are working with your best interest in mind, check in with them regularly, make sure they keep you in full disclosure about where they send your resume. A solid relationship with a good recruiter should be more of a partnership, a potential win-win for all parties involved. Send Thank You NotesSending a thank, you note to your recruiter means youll do it for their client. Most recruiters will remind candidates to send a note post-interview, but doing it for the recruiter shows that you are responsible. Most importantly, theyll remember you, and thats important seeing as the average contingent search recruiter meets with five candidates a day- thats 20 per week. You need to stand out. S tand out from the Crowd Always be upfront with a recruiter and tell them if you cannot make an appointment, have other long-term goals, are waiting for a job offer you interviewed for last week. Recruiters are professionals and deserve the right to be treated as such. It will allow you to build a rapport with the recruiter and professional etiquette will make you stand out in a large pool of candidates as someone with integrity and professionalism both for now and in the future. Use Them AgainOnce you pick a recruiter, stay loyal. When you job hop, always let them know. It confirms that you had a good experience with them the first time, and re-brands your name in their brain. The more you go back to them, the faster theyll want to help you find a job. You performed well for them the first time, why wouldnt they want to help you again? Candidates that use recruiters for a second and third time tend to get placed almost double the time.

How to Secure an Informational Interview

How to Secure an Informational InterviewHow to Secure an Informational InterviewFor some job seekers, theres only one bewerberbewerberinterview thats worth landing- and thats the job interview. But informational interviews can prove to be a rich resource of industry information, fresh new contacts, and an opportunity to get your foot in the door at a company you might want to work for.Heres a primer on what an informational interview is, how to land one, and what your next steps should be after having one.What is an informational interview?Much like its name connotes, an informational interview is a meeting between you and another part who might be employed at a company youd like to work for, or have a job that youre interested in. Typically, informational interviews are done in partie, although they can be conducted remotely or via phone. The goal of an informational interview is just that- to get information that could help you possibly land a job with the company in the future. It s not a direct job interview, and shouldnt be treated as such.Who should you have an informational interview with?Ideally, you should target someone who works in the company who can give you guidance regarding your career or provide an insiders perspective of what working in that industry is really like. Although you could have an informational interview with a hiring manager, youre more likely to garner better information directly from employees of the company. You can have an informational interview with people you already know in your network, or reach out to those whom youre not connected with, but would like to be.What are the benefits of an informational interview?They can help you practice your interviewing skills.Since informational interviews do mimic the back-and-forth nature of a real job interview, they can be a good rehearsal for the real thing, which can be helpful if your job interviewing skills are a little rusty. They can help you form new connections with people ou tside of your network that might lead to new job opportunities within that company or possible referrals to another job with a different company.They can give you insight into what working for the company is like.If the informational interview is done in person, it can give you an idea of what working for the company would really be like. Are employees working late into the night? Is the office in disarray? Are employees friendly or is the office silent? These visual clues can be priceless, especially if you really want to work at the company, and help you determine if you would truly want to work there or not.They can position you as a top job candidate for the future.In addition, informational interviews can put you one step ahead of other job seekers, especially when a job does open up. A positive impression upon your interviewer during an informational interview makes it more likely that hell remember you first- and hopefully reach out to you for a job interview. And if youre th inking about a career change, an informational interview can confirm if a new industry is right for you or not without having to actually go through the entire job search process.How do you contact someone for an informational interview?Call the person directly.Heres where picking up the phone and calling someone can really count in your favor. If you send an email with your informational interview request, it might get deleted. Do some research to see which employees you might possibly like to interview with (narrow your list down to about three) and then start doing your due diligence. Look to see what you might have in common with your potential interviewer- it could be anything from having a shared alma mater to living in the same neighborhood to even having had the same boss. Use LinkedIn, Google, or other social media channels to gather your intel.Know what to say.Once you have all your information ready, its time to establish contact If your call goes to voicemail, try callin g again later in the day. After all, its easier for a person to not return a phone call than it is to turn down a request for an informational interview from a person theyre actually speaking with on the phone. But if the person does answer, make your pitch short and sweet. Explain that you know their time is valuable and explain why you would like to meet with them for an informational interview- even if its only for 15 minutes.Consider other options.Theres a chance that you might get turned down, and thats okay. Resort to the list you made and contact someone else in the company to see if you can set up an informational interview with them instead.Reach out to your network.Another option besides cold calling or emailing directly for an informational interview is to reach out to your network for assistance. Friends, family, current and former coworkers and bosses can all be helpful in directing you towards a new contact- and an informational interview. You might even have a better chance of securing an informational interview if you come recommended from someone you already know in your network.How do you prepare for an informational interview?Research the company.Even though an informational interview is not like a real job interview, you mucksmuschenstill need to be prepared. That means doing research on the company to find out about its history, latest happenings, and some of the names of the key players in the company. Going to the companys website and reading its latest press releases can give you some good information, as well as checking out its social media channels to see how it connects with its consumers.Research your interviewer.Since the majority of your informational interview might be spent listening to the person talk about himself and his career, its a good idea to do some sleuthing on him, too. Find out where he went to school, companies hes worked for, and job titles hes held over the course of his career. You should also look to social med ia to see if there are any other connections you possibly share that could provide some common ground during your interview.Be professional.In general, an informational interviewer might be more relaxed in nature than a real job interview, but that doesnt mean that you should show up in jeans and a T-shirt. Be dressed as if you were going to a real job interview (business casual is a good option) to show respect to your interviewer for his time. By dressing professionally, youre showing that youre taking the interview seriously- and might leave a seriously good impression upon your interviewer. And dont forget to bring a few copies of your resumejust in case.Be prepared.Unlike a traditional job interview where the interviewer will take control over the interview byasking the questions, the same rules dont apply for an informational interview. Most likely, the person youre meeting with will ask you a little about yourself and why you wanted to meet. Thats when you need to be ready wi th some questions of your own to ask. Explain that you know that youre not there for a job interview but would like to know how they broke into their field, for example. You can also ask the following questionsWhat are the traits that someone would need to be successful in this industry?How have you seen this field change over the years and where do you think its headed?What tips would you have for someone starting out in this industry?How long do people typically work at this company?What have been some challenges youve seen people face who work in this field?These questions will not only give you some inside information, but also show that youre serious about potentially working in this industry, and if applicable, this company.What should you do after your informational interview?Follow up.You should always send a thank-you note or email after any interview, and especially so after an informational interview. After all, the person took time out of his busy day to meet with you, s o the very least you can do is to thank him for doing so. You can mention how much you learned during the interview and remind the person of what type of job youre interested in. See if he might be able to refer you to another person for a potential job lead, or keep you in mind should there be a job opening within the company.Keep the connection.Its important to keep the connection going with your interviewer after youve met with them. So for example, if you meet with a referral that you got from your interviewer, let him know how it went. And if you do get a job offer, reach out and tell them which company youre now working for. It can help to not only strengthen your connection, but also make him feel good to know that he was instrumental in your job search success.