Have you ever done something only to wish you had done it differently or hadn’t done it at all? Hindsight is great at predicting the past and offering learning opportunities for the future.
As a child you learn through experiences; you won’t do X again or you’ll do Y differently. Unfortunately as an adult, these learnings can be more costly than a scolding from your parents or the broken arm I got when jumping out of a tree.
The career lottery
We often hear of pharmacists applying for a number of similar roles and accepting the first one they are offered. To most, it would make sense. They have reached their goal of finding a new job.
However, one of these three things is likely to happen: They will excel in the new job and their career ambitions will remain on track.
They will be happy but their career ambitions will stall due to the lack of opportunity. Then they will start seeking out new opportunities to help them fulfil their goals.
They will become unhappy and start to look for another new role. Potentially making the same mistake and taking the first job that comes.
Don’t leave your pharmacist career to chance.
The good news is that there are a few things you can do to aid your job search and career progression and avoid that “I wish I had known that” feeling.
Take time to evaluate your career and personal goals and think about what you want to achieve from any role you take. Then prioritise these in order of importance. Don’t worry if you rank something small above something bigger, these are your priorities. You now have a strong platform to evaluate any opportunities that you come across, making it easier to assess if the role is right for you.
In our latest ebook we provide you with the tools to plan your career path and guidance to navigate these first hurdles. You can also arrange to speak with one of our career advisors, who can offer you first-hand support and advice.
As a pharmacist, you are fortunate enough that you can locum whilst you are seeking a permanent position. This removes some of the urgency that other professionals may have in finding a role, so take this chance and chart your career path out before accepting that permanent role.