Work experience

Transition times: There is good news for people interested in pharmacy as a career. It is more diverse than you might think, it is more flexible than many other careers and, best of all, the powers that be are very keen to encourage students interested in the area. Work-experience prospects are excellent.

In fact, when asked about the likelihood of a transition-year student getting pharmaceutical-industry experience, Mark Glynn says: "No bother whatsoever." Glynn is education officer with the PharmaChemical Ireland section of IBEC, the employers' federation. It has sent a booklet called Opportunities in the PharmaChem Industry to every guidance counsellor in the country. It contains all sorts of information on getting work experience, including a list of companies willing to take students for short periods of time.

Some of them, such as Eli Lilly & Co, in Cork, take their responsibility very seriously. Charlie Dolan, its human-resources manager, will take people on only if he feels the company can offer them a useful experience. As a result, he brings students through the entire process, from writing a CV to interview skills. Students who win placements get a wide but specially designed range of experience, depending on their interests.

"I require students to fill out a log every day, and we go through it every morning," says Dolan. After the experience finishes, students still have his ear, and many contact him as they are filling in their CAO applications.

If you would prefer to experience working in a pharmacy rather than in industry, a personal approach might work. Drop in to your local chemist, to see if it might be possible. Be personable and display a willingness to learn. Leave a well-written CV and follow up in a day or two. As thoroughness is important in a pharmacist, your CV must be free of typing errors.

Dolan has some advice. "Text-message-style spelling is creeping into modern writing, and it's not acceptable. Before you send a CV in, give it to someone to read." He also recommends that you emphasise any experience you have of working with people. "Even if you were minding your younger brother over the summer, that demonstrates patience, which is important. Mention whether you play GAA, if you were class rep, anything that demonstrates an involvement. Demonstration of an effort is more important than grades at this stage."

You can find more information at www.pharmaceuticalsociety.ie, www.ipha.ie and www.pharmachemicalireland.ie