You think that you’re the only one going through that? Guess what! It’s not true. After 3 years in pharmacy school, I finally realized what our main concern and our mutual question are: “What is the perfect and suitable career path for each of us?”
I guess it’s not just pharmacy students who struggle. Any other student strives to navigate his way in the working world. But sometimes it doesn’t work the way you want because you don’t know what exactly the do’s and don’ts that is required in the path you chose.
After I began to attend these sessions of soft skills and stuff like that, surfing the internet and asking for advice from older mates and mentors, I finally found some applicable answers. Here is a blueprint for a professional success:
1- Find someone who has the position you dream of.
Do you want to be a community pharmacist? Do you seek to use your pharmacy skills to be an entrepreneur in health care industry? Find someone who has the position you’re striving for and talk to them, try to learn from them to understand how they got where they are. Ask them if they attended certain courses, received special training and what are the skills that helped them having that role? And I guarantee you they’ll be happy to speak with an eager young person. Present yourself well, get your foot in the door and be open to all opportunities.
2- Develop a skill, specialty, or certification beyond the status quo.
Whether you are seeking a certain job or you already have one. You should always have an up-to-date resume that enrich your skills and will make you an asset to any organization.
Education is always an effective method to develop skills, establish your niche, and put you ahead of the pack. Whether it is a course, certification, or degree you pursue, increasing your knowledge base can’t hurt. But, it may not help as much if you do not market yourself and your achievements correctly.
3- Market yourself.
Marketing yourself as the potential you are, in the image you would like to be seen takes a lot of work, flexibility and dedication. Use your social media for your vantage; make sure that everything you post online is okay to be seen by your boss.
Always strive to produce quality results in whatever you do (even the slightest things) so that when you’re mentioned in any conversation, people will have only positive things to say about you. Imagine yourself as a brand that only generates good publicity.
4- Get a mentor.
Your mentor could be the individual from tip #1 or another experienced person in your field. He or she would help you with their insight into the industry ideally because they already made a similar journey. But, you can always be creative too.
Try to be an active listener when you meet with your mentor. Remember you have 2 ears and only one mouth for a reason.
5- Have a plan.
Have a timeline with short, intermediate and long term goals. Review them weekly and make sure you’re always walking that line.
Ask yourself, “Am I working towards my goal? Are my steps aligned with my plan?” If the answers are No, try to elevate your game and tune your steps.
6- Make 1 month, 1 year, 5 years and 10 years plans.
This is how you reach your short term, intermediate and long term goals. Begin to ask yourself where you see yourself in 10 years and then work backwards. This will help you as a detailed map to know how much work is required to get your goals.
7- Negative people are like anchors; therefore, surround yourself with positive people.
Here is a good story to bring this point home. In 1954, Roger Bannister was the first person to run the 4-minute mile. For years, people said it was simply impossible. Once news of his great accomplishment had spread, more and more people found themselves able to run a mile in 4 minutes.
People can either drain the life out of you or inspire you to achieve greatness. Surround yourself with the Roger Bannisters of the world, not the naysayers.
I hope these tips help you find your place in the professional world.
References:
#101 ways to make a professional impact #The 7 habits of highly effective people #Career advice.monster.com #Inspired by: Dr. Ahmed Abdel Fatah.
By: Dr. Deena Mustafa
Photography: Mahmoud Mansi
EDITOR: Nada Zeyada