Pharmacy is a competitive business. Each retail store operates a pharmacy nowadays, we have big retail chains, pharmacies in hospitals, and many other, independent players that try to gain their market share.
Qualification and knowledge will not suffice you to succeed in an interview. You need to show something more, and I speak about the following things in particular:
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to understand the needs of other people
- Sales skills
- Desire to deliver a top-notch customer service
Non-verbal communication matters
Do the interviewers feel good with you? Do you keep an eye contact with them? Do you do everything you should do, if you were talking to the customer?
Unless you present yourself as a friendly, patient, and customer oriented pharmacist, we will hire someone else.
And if you have no previous experience with going above and beyond in your jobs, try to speak about similar situations from the college, or even from your family life. Your attitude matters, not the particular situation you narrate. Show them that you always try your best, that you are not a lazy employee who takes care of the basic duties only.
Sample answer:
I consider it my duty to do my best for every customer. In my last job, I often called my friend, an expert in electronics to ask for an advice when a customer asked a specific question about one of our products. Customers really appreciated my help, and many of them eventually made a purchase in our store.
I always try to exceed the expectations of everyone. It is the best way to make the patients come back to the pharmacy. The competition is enormous, and I understand that returning customers are crucial for each business. During my internship I tried to be helpful and I provided a lot of additional information to the patients, based on my best knowledge and conscious. I was not obliged to do so, but I somehow felt it was right to do it.
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