Pharmacist CV Example & Writing Guide

Pharmacist CV Example & Writing Guide

A love and desire to help people, together with extensive knowledge of medicines and health in general, is a winning combination for working as a pharmacist, but how do you make these qualities shine instantly, as the hiring manager reviews your pharmacist CV?

It can take just seconds for the reader to decide on your suitability, so your CV needs to make its mark, pretty quickly! After helping thousands of candidate’s secure jobs, we understand the challenges they face when trying to compile their CV. Resume.io has a wide range of CV guides and  CV examples for many professions at your disposal, together with an easy-to-use CV builder. What could be easier?

In this CV guide, together with the CV example, you can expect to learn the following:

• What does the role of a pharmacist entail?
• Lots of tips for writing an effective pharmacist CV
• What format you should use for your CV
• How to make the most of each section of your CV

What does a pharmacist do?

The role of a pharmacist is to help support patients with their health, by providing them with advice and medicine. They will ensure patients know how to use medicine, and if properly qualified, they will prescribe the necessary medications to help a customer manage their condition. 

Of course, this job comes with huge responsibility, as you need to ensure that the advice and medication you dispense is accurate, otherwise, it could cause the patient major problems. Pharmacists can work in many settings, including hospitals and within the community.

According to data from the Royal Society for Public Health and Public Health England, there are around 42,990 registered pharmacists and 19,311 registered pharmacy technicians working in England. It's important to note that these stats don't cover Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, where there are — doubtless — thousands more. 

Pharmacist job market and outlook

There is some very good news for anyone qualified as a pharmacist and looking for work as it has been added to the UK national skills shortage, as it has been suggested that there is a national shortage of pharmacists, with fewer people studying it, and demand increasing for the services. It will be much easier now for qualified pharmacists from overseas to gain employment in the UK.

How to write a pharmacist CV

Before you get started on writing your pharmacy CV, you need to know what it should contain. Five main sections make up your CV. These are:

• CV header – at the top of your CV
• CV summary – this is under your header and is also known as profile or summary
• Employment history
• Skills section
• Education

The first thing you need to consider is who you are writing to and with pharmacists, this will involve the setting you are intending to work. For instance, you may be most interested in working in the community, or a hospital setting may be more enticing. There are lots of potential settings you can work in as a pharmacist — the world is your oyster, and you should aim to tailor your pharmacy CV to each type of role. It doesn’t need to be complicated, small tweaks should be sufficient.

Think about it in terms of writing to the hiring manager and telling him/her why you are right for the role. What would they want to read on your CV to make them think ‘hmmm, this candidate fits the bill perfectly”?

Your CV is the one document that can get you to an interview, so take your time and don’t rush it.

Stick to these guidelines and you can’t go far wrong:

• Consider your audience, and how you would communicate with this person in real life.
• Make sure your CV design is clear and concise. There is no need to go over the top with the design.
• Scatter your CV with relevant keywords, which can be taken from the job description.

Choosing the best CV format for pharmacist

The best format to use for your pharmacist CV is reverse chronological. This would usually start with the employment history, but it will depend on your level of experience. If you have little work experience, you might want to place your education at the top of your pharmacist CV instead.

Choosing the right CV format is the first port of call when writing your application. Use your judgement in what would be the most enticing for the hiring manager based on your expertise/education, and what they are looking for.

CV summary example

Just as the first step in a patient’s journey is the diagnosis, the first stage for a pharmacist CV is the summary. The summary is placed at the top of the CV and this is where you introduce yourself to the hiring manager. You make your first connection with the summary by informing the hiring manager of what knowledge you have about health and medicine, and what service you can provide customers.

Don’t refer to yourself as "I" or by your name, just use action verbs such as "administered medication," "advised patients," etc. You can see more of how this is done in our CV sample.

Employment history sample

With any good treatment plan, the first dose is the start of the journey to success, just as the employment history is the first step in gaining employment.

As mentioned above, the employment history would usually be under the summary, but if you have no experience or very little and good qualifications, you might want to start with your education instead. With the employment section, always start with the most recent, and work your way back.

Use bullet points to describe the actions, such as “providing vaccinations to customers" or “advising on the best course of treatment and administering the most appropriate medicines.”

You may want to support the responsibilities with some tangible evidence, where possible. For instance, dealing with 100+ patients a day in the local community. It is not essential for a role as a pharmacist, but this example would show that you can work in and cope in a busy environment. 

You can find a pharmacist CV sample below that you can adapt to suit your needs.

CV skills example

Sometimes, as a pharmacist, you need to back up the first dose with a second to support it, and this is what you should do with the skills on your CV. Your skills are there to support your employment history, and this is where you have the chance to highlight any skills that you feel will enable you to stand out.

Don’t forget to top up your CV skills, with your personal qualities, as these are also considered strengths. For instance, you might have extensive knowledge in healthcare and medicine, as well as excellent communication skills and the ability to lead a team. A good combination of both will ensure your pharmacist CV stands out, as seen in our CV sample below.

Pharmacist CV education example

You must have a qualification that is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to be able to become a pharmacist. If you feel that your education outweighs your experience, by all means, you can put it at the top under the summary. However, in general, it would be under the skills section. Some roles require better qualifications than others. 

List your education from the most recent, and include any CPD you have been involved in, such as online courses. It is always attractive for employers to see that you are committed to ongoing learning. It shows you are motivated and keen to keep your skills up-to-date.

Here is an example of the education section from a pharmacist CV example.

CV layout and design: making it count

The primary purpose of this CV guide is to help ensure you get as many chances as possible to get to the next stage — the interview. Although quality content is paramount, don’t neglect the layout and design. Make sure it is easy to read, clear and concise. There’s no need for any fancy designs, just ensure it is pleasing to the eye and easy to read.

If design isn’t your thing, and you’re not too sure what is pleasing to the eye, take a look at our tried and tested  CV templates, the formatting tasks that might be causing you concern, are taken care of here.

Key takeaways for a pharmacist CV sample

1. Make sure you have a clear structure for your pharmacist CV before you get started
2. Consider where the job will be based, and who your audience will be, and write your CV as if you are speaking to them
3. Use relevant keywords scattered throughout your pharmacist CV sample. You will be able to find these in the job description.
4. Make sure you use our online CV maker. This will make your life much easier when writing your CV.

For even more insights, check out our cover letter samples too.