As a pharmacy technician looking for a new job in the pharmacy industry, you will want your resume to reflect your past and present experience. You will also want the resume to reflect any education, job training, certifications, and licenses that you may have obtained before or during your time at the previous pharmacy job.
A resume will include standard information such as name, address, and contact information. It will also include educational history and past job history, although those with an extensive list of past jobs will want to focus only on the most recent jobs and those most relevant for the position being applied to.
Place your name, address, and contact information on the top of the resume. You can also include your e-mail address if it is professional looking.
Write a brief summary (no longer than 5 or 6 sentences) describing your relevant pharmacy job skills, job experience, and any accomplishments. Include information if you are licensed by a state or national board.
Write a brief section on the specific strengths that you have developed in past job roles, especially previous pharmacy technician roles. It is recommended that you use terminology that shows leadership and motivation. Include strengths such as certifications or job titles (such as being the Lead Tech at a pharmacy or being in charge of Inventory).
Write up a list of your professional experience starting with your most recent job. You do not need to include reasons for leaving or feelings towards the job. Rather focus on the specific roles and responsibilities that you held in the job.
Consider the most crucial duties that you performed in your job and list those duties first. For example if your main duty was to do data entry at the pharmacy drop off station, place emphasis on your role of deciphering and reading prescriptions and entering them into the computer system.
List under duties for each job you worked in starting with the less crucial duties coming towards the end of the list. Keep the list of duties short and to the point.
List educational experience. Include your high school name and year of graduation. If you obtained a G.E.D. list that along with the date it as earned. Include any college education you may have received and include the name of the college, your major(s), and any coursework relevant to being a pharmacy technician. If you attended a trade school for pharmacy technicians list that as well. Continuing education courses may also be listed.
List any certifications or affiliations that you may have with professional organizations. Many pharmacy technicians have taken the PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) examination to be certified nationally. If you belong to any Pharmacy Technician’s organization, list that as well.
Include a few references. While this is not required, a good reference can let the new potential employer know that you are hard working and dependable. Using a past employer as a reference can be useful as long as you left that job on good terms.
Prepare a cover letter for your completed resume. The cover letter should briefly tell the hiring manager why you are applying for the job and why you want for this particular employer. This gives you the chance to show your writing skills as well as ‘sell’ yourself to the hiring manager.
Include brief details of your work experience (such as saying ‘I have over 6 years in retail pharmacy experience), and any license or certifications that you may have.
Sending a follow up letter or e-mail as a thank you is optional, but is considered to be a polite thing to do, whether or not you are hired for the job.
Do not make up facts or lie on your resume. Employers across all industries look into resumes to verify that information stated on the resume is in fact valid.
