The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p139
27 July 2002

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Advice for job-hunting pharmacists

'The pharmacy professional's guide to résumés, CVs & interviewing', by Thomas P. Reinders. Pp ix+144. Price £21.50. Washington: American Pharmaceutical Association; 2001. ISBN 1 58212 016 1

If you can get past the Americanisms and references to United States organisations in this comprehensive guidebook, you will discover some real gems of information. The book is packed full of sample curricula vitae, covering letters and useful keywords for job-hunting pharmacists. The guidance given in the first two chapters of the book is perhaps redundant because in the United Kingdom, CVs rather than the résumés described are the norm. However, chapter two does contain a comprehensive list of verbs that can be equally applied when compiling a CV.

Three chapters are devoted to preparing for and “performing” at interview. Although chapter seven offers guidance and advice about interviewing that most readers will have heard before, the table on “evaluating position offers” is a novel idea. The table addresses the rather privileged position of a candidate receiving multiple job offers. Factors that the author suggests candidates should consider when making a decision about a job include lifestyle issues, compensation and the match between a candidate's skills and attitudes and the organisation making the job offer. Chapter eight is also practical because it provides a comprehensive list of questions that candidates can ask at interview.

The book is written and structured in an easy to read style and should make job hunting a less laborious task.

Ruth McGuire