When you were in pharmacy school, you might have been required to—or wanted to—volunteer as a way to help build your résumé. But, did you know that as a seasoned independent community pharmacist you can still benefit from volunteering your time?
Hectic work schedules, managing a team of employees and building personal relationships with each of your patients can leave little time left in your day. But making time for helping others is good for you—and your business.
Discover seven ways volunteering can help benefit your career as an independent community pharmacist.
1. Spruce up your résumé
No matter how long you’ve been working, you always want to find a way to add something new to your résumé. Whether it’s volunteering your abilities at a free clinic or sharing your expert knowledge by speaking at a local school, volunteering is a great way to prove your dedication to potential employers, and set an example for your pharmacy staff.
2. Learn new things
When you volunteer and get outside your workspace, you’ll learn new things you might not have discovered inside your pharmacy’s walls.
For example, volunteering on a medical mission to another country can give you the opportunity to help those who may be less fortunate and unable to afford medical care. You may even get the chance to help people with conditions you’ve never seen before. Or, you may new learn a new way of treating illnesses from meeting health care providers of different cultures and backgrounds.
3. Network
You may have grown used to working day-by-day with your pharmacy team. Although it’s a wonderful thing to have a socially cohesive workplace, it never hurts to expand your network.
Volunteering your time allows you to connect with other health care professionals you may never have met without getting out and volunteering.
4. Get referred
Another benefit of volunteering is building partnerships. For example, you may meet a local area physician while volunteering at a free clinic, and when he notices how much you care about any and all types of patients, he may be more likely to refer his patients to your independent community pharmacy.
5. Become a mentor
Do you have interns or young pharmacy graduates working at your independent community pharmacy? If so, volunteering is a great way to mentor pharmacy novices.
Taking an intern to a senior center or area hospital will not only help you expand your horizons, it will also give them an opportunity to learn.
Showing them the different career paths available as a pharmacist, or even sharing your own personal knowledge and expertise, will make your pharmacy the place new hires want to work.
6. Please even more patients
When you volunteer at different places outside of your independent community pharmacy, you’ll get the chance to work with new patients.
For example, if you volunteer at a free clinic, you may have the opportunity to help patients who aren’t able to afford clinical services elsewhere. And, these types of patients will be extremely appreciative of your services. When patients sing your praises, they’ll be more likely to refer their friends and family to your pharmacy.
7. Get outsize your comfort zone
After working for a number of years, any person is bound to feel the burdens of stress and job burnout. One way to replenish your love of your occupation is to get outside your comfort zone.
Doing something new, like volunteering your time and services, will help remind you why you went to pharmacy school in the first place.
Discover five volunteer opportunities for your pharmacy.
