Free Downloadable Pharmaceutical Resume Templates and Expert Writing Tips
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The pharmaceutical industry produces and markets pharmaceutical drugs that are used as medicine. A resume for jobs in this sector needs to focus on expert knowledge of prescription drugs, common ailments and proper diagnosis skills. Our easy-to-download resume templates will help you write an effective resume and provide you with specific resume examples for traditional roles in this industry.
Best Free Downloadable Resume Templates for Pharmaceutical Jobs
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Button-down
This resume highlights the skills and work history section equally so you can showcase your professional expertise as a pharmaceutical professional and list skills like customer service and payment processing. -
Refined
This resume template can pack a lot of information, making it ideal for candidates with a long career in the pharmaceutical industry. Make sure to include key accomplishments in your work history and list six to eight professional skills. -
Sprouting
With a clean and simple black and white color combination and a centered one-column layout, this design is best for candidates that want an easy-to-customize template. Use the summary statement at the beginning of your resume to catch the recruiter's attention with a few of your best qualifications. -
Hardworker
This simple template contrasts ample white space with a minimal font and design elements. Download it for your favorite word processor and use our tips to add achievements and skills for pharmaceutical professionals, your training and academic qualifications and a strong summary statement. -
Broad-appeal
This resume follows a neat and organized design to display your work experience and skills. Personalize this resume with details regarding your knowledge of drug dosage and inventory management as these skills will aid you in various pharmaceutical roles. -
Career-diagram
This template offers a dynamic design with graphic elements that make your resume pop. The two-column layout allows you to have plenty of text on the page without it feeling too crowded.
9 Pharmaceutical Resume Examples
The way you organize a resume’s sections varies according to the needs of the applicant and the role to which they’re applying. There are three popular resume formats you can use to build your resume: chronological, combination and functional. Each offers a distinct order and focuses on different sections like work history or skills.
Some of these formats for pharmaceutical resumes are introduced below. To better understand, read through these resumes and see how each of them works.
Chronological Resume
A chronological resume spotlights the work history section. This format’s name comes from the reverse-chronological order in which you list your job experiences. The chronological format works best for senior professionals with 10+ years of consistent and relevant work experience.
The chronological resume displays your work experience in detail, including some of your top responsibilities and achievements. Chronological resumes are widely used for roles like:
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1. Chemotherapy pharmacist: For this role, display your knowledge of chemotherapy drugs, including the effects of their hazardous exposure. Your skills also involve patient communication, which includes being sensitive and encouraging.
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2. Clinical pharmacist: As a clinical pharmacist, your resume needs to display your ability to evaluate a patient’s medical profile and suggest drug dosages accordingly. You could also display your expertise in changing prescriptions and giving recommendations for medicines.
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3. Pharmacy manager: A pharmacy manager oversees the daily operations in a pharmacy, and their duties include inventory management and managing staff. You could use this sample resume and customize it with your details to make an impactful pharmacy manager resume.
Functional Resume
The functional resume’s focus is on the skills section, where you will elaborate on your accomplishments. This resume format is ideal for new graduates who are starting their careers or applicants with little to no relevant experience. The unique feature of this resume is that it allows you to highlight skills from other industries and experiences and showcase them as relevant to the new role. We call these transferable skills.
As a pharmacy assistant, technician or dispenser, you may use this resume to focus on your relevant functional and professional skills for the following job openings:
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1. Pharmacy assistant: A pharmacy assistant supports the pharmacist in running the everyday operations of the pharmacy. This resume allows you to highlight necessary skills such as sound knowledge of pharmaceuticals, great teamwork and skills with stocking and ordering essential pharmaceutical items.
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2. Pharmacy dispenser: As a pharmacy dispenser, you need to showcase your skills related to the receipt and storage of medications inside a pharmacy. Use this resume template to customize it with your related skills and expertise.
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3. Pharmacy technician: This functional resume describes the skills of a pharmacy technician, such as good knowledge of generic and brand medications, excellent knowledge of medical terms and pharmacy calculations. It is an easily customizable template that can be used to create your own resume.
Combination Resume
A combination resume is a mix of a functional and chronological resume. It offers a flexible structure, which can be used to highlight your skills and work history alike. We suggest using a career objective to state your professional goals and aspirations for the role. This section also helps recruiters determine suitable roles for you.
In a combination resume, you display your skills first and then your work history. The combination resume is suitable for career changers, those looking for a promotion or generally someone with less than 10 years of work experience. You could use this resume to showcase your skills, experience and educational qualifications for the following job openings:
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1. Hospital pharmacist: This type of resume showcases your skills in checking and providing advice on drug dosage to patients. You could highlight examples of efficient patient communication and display a detailed work summary in which you mention your previous job duties and responsibilities that are aligned to this role.
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2. Long-term care pharmacist: For this resume, highlight skills like planning long-term drug therapy and discussing the plan with patients. You can use this resume example to learn about more related skills that add value to your profile.
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3. Pharmacy clerk: Your duties as a pharmacy clerk will include operating the cash register and keeping stock of medications. This resume example helps you display your previous work experience and assert your relevant experience.
What Can You Earn as a Pharmaceutical Professional?
To pursue a career as a pharmaceutical professional, you should know what salary you can expect. Your experience, specialization and job location significantly impact your earnings.
However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for May 2020, these are the median annual wages for pharmacists and the top industries in which they worked:
Industry
Median hourly wage
Median annual wages
Ambulatory health care services
Median hourly wage
$63.36
Median annual wages
$131,790
Hospitals; state, local and private
Median hourly wage
$62.63
Median annual wages
$130,280
Food and beverage stores
Median hourly wage
$61.62
Median annual wages
$128,190
Pharmacies and drugstores
Median hourly wage
$61.45
Median annual wages
$127,820
Top Pharmaceutical Skills for Your Resume
Skills are crucial in specifying the knowledge and expertise you have for your role. The following are sections where you can include your resume skills:
- Professional Summary: Include two to three skills in your resume's opening statement to show recruiters you're qualified for the job. For example, a pharmacy technician can mention their efficiency in processing and checking out prescriptions during pharmacy rush hours. Whereas, a hospital pharmacist can say they're skilled at scheduling and administering multiple medicines to X number of patients weekly.
- Skills Section: In this section, list six to eight skills that best describe why you're the most suitable candidate for the job. For instance, a clinical pharmacist should include skills such as drug compliance, interpreting orders, organization skills and knowledge of software like Cerner PharmNet.
- Work History: While describing your work history, ensure that you’ve aligned your tasks to specific skills. For example, a pharmaceutical professional should mention their drug compliance skills by writing: "worked on drug compliance audits” or “prepared detailed reports for audit purposes."
To help you correctly display your qualifications and skills, we have compiled a list of diverse pharmaceutical-related skills.
Soft skills
Soft skills refer to the skills that help you work efficiently and in a team environment. For a pharmaceutical professional, the following soft skills are required:
- 1. Excellent oral communication
- 2. Good reading comprehension skills
- 3. Proper writing skills, including following the correct format
- 4. Keen observation
- 5. Concentration skills
- 6. Well organized
- 7. Time management
- 8. Ability to identify errors quickly
- 9. Decision-making skills
- 10. Passion toward public health
- 11. Collaboration
- 12. Adaptability
Hard skills
Hard skills are job-specific skills gained through education and extensive training. For a pharmaceutical resume, some essential hard skills are:
- 1. Knowledge of medical compliance
- 2. Knowledge of FDA regulations
- 3. Patient counseling
- 4. Revenue analysis
- 5. Inventory management
- 6. Cash register operation
- 7. Creating medication labels
- 8. Medication therapy
- 9. Assisting with clinical research
- 10. Knowledge of drug composition/chemistry
- 11. Knowledge of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) regulations
- 12. Awareness of the latest drug discoveries
- 13. Awareness of Drug Quality Control methods
Technical skills
Technical skills are the skills or knowledge used to perform specialized tasks, generally using digital/ technical tools. For a pharmaceutical professional, it is good to have the following technical skills:
- Proficient with electronic batch record (EBR) software
- Knowledge of electronic prior authorization (ePA)
- Experience with electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS)
- Adept with drug monitoring programs (DMP)
- Use of lab quality control (QC) standards
Best 5 Certifications for Your Pharmaceutical Resume
Pharmacists need a wide variety of skills gained through formal education and rigorous practical training. Some additional, short-term certification courses that can be helpful are:
- Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional
- Industry Certificate in Pharma Product Management
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Certification Programs
- Drugs, Drug Use, Drug Policy and Health
- Medical Technology and Evaluation
Customer Reviews
FAQ
Updated: July 25, 2022
What are the top three skills of a pharmacist?
A pharmacist's top skills are closely linked to their specialized work areas. However, most pharmacists work directly with patients and need strong communication abilities. The top three skills essential for a pharmacist are:
- Knowledge of Medical and FDA regulations/compliance
- Excellent communication
- Knowledge of the drug development process
What do pharmacists mention under a summary statement?
When writing a summary statement for a pharmacist's role, focus on specializations like drug control, quality check or record keeping. Some tips for writing an excellent summary include:
- Verify that your education and experience sync with the open job description.
- Highlight two of your key skills mentioned in the job description and support those skills with examples.
- Focus on your responsibilities directly related to patient care and communication.
What are examples of pharmaceutical duties?
For most pharmaceutical roles, duties include:
- Communicating with patients about their drug requirements.
- Maintaining accurate patient records.
- Reviewing prescription dosages and checking their appropriateness.
- Stocking and labeling of medicines.
- Managing insurance and compliance requirements.
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