Jesse McCullough’s Post

How are you preparing? I spent some time early in my career scheduling pharmacists. It was a challenging job. Every Monday, my colleague, Walt, and I would touch base to look at the next week of scheduling we would have to solve. "It's never been this bad, has it?" was said pretty much every week. The year was 2003. The more things change, the more they stay the same. During that time, in addition to my dispensing duties, I was also doing my "best" to keep pharmacies open in the midst of a significant pharmacist shortage. I was woefully underprepared for that job. What I have learned in the many years since is that my ability to lead and influence people was quite limited. At the time, I thought this was just the way things were. What I did not know was that I could deliberately and intentionally improve my skills to lead and influence people. Where I stand today, I believe the most important skills anyone can learn are around influence and leadership. It doesn't matter the industry. The reality is that there will ALWAYS be another challenge coming. Some situation where you may say, "It's never been this bad before." I do not know what or when your next challenge will surface. In anticipation of that day, what are you doing to prepare? How are you growing and refining your ability to lead and influence people? Believe me, when that day comes, you will be so glad you did! #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #KeepPharmacistsImproving #EveryoneDeservesToBeLedWell

How are you preparing? I spent some time early in my career scheduling pharmacists. It was a challenging job. Every Monday, my colleague, Walt, and I would touch base to look at the next week of scheduling we would have to solve. "It's never been this bad, has it?" was said pretty much every week. The year was 2003. The more things change, the more they stay the same. During that time, in addition to my dispensing duties, I was also doing my "best" to keep pharmacies open in the midst of a significant pharmacist shortage. I was woefully underprepared for that job. What I have learned in the many years since is that my ability to lead and influence people was quite limited. At the time, I thought this was just the way things were. What I did not know was that I could deliberately and intentionally improve my skills to lead and influence people. Where I stand today, I believe the most important skills anyone can learn are around influence and leadership. It doesn't matter the industry. The reality is that there will ALWAYS be another challenge coming. Some situation where you may say, "It's never been this bad before." I do not know what or when your next challenge will surface. In anticipation of that day, what are you doing to prepare? How are you growing and refining your ability to lead and influence people? Believe me, when that day comes, you will be so glad you did! #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #KeepPharmacistsImproving #AmericanPharmacistsMonth

How are you preparing? I spent some time early in my career scheduling pharmacists. It was a challenging job. Every Monday, my colleague, Walt, and I would touch base to look at the next week of scheduling we would have to solve. "It's never been this bad, has it?" was said pretty much every week. The year was 2003. The more things change, the more they stay the same. During that time, in addition to my dispensing duties, I was also doing my "best" to keep pharmacies open in the midst of a significant pharmacist shortage. I was woefully underprepared for that job. What I have learned in the many years since is that my ability to lead and influence people was quite limited. At the time, I thought this was just the way things were. What I did not know was that I could deliberately and intentionally improve my skills to lead and influence people. Where I stand today, I believe the most important skills anyone can learn are around influence and leadership. It doesn't matter the industry. The reality is that there will ALWAYS be another challenge coming. Some situation where you may say, "It's never been this bad before." I do not know what or when your next challenge will surface. In anticipation of that day, what are you doing to prepare? How are you growing and refining your ability to lead and influence people? Believe me, when that day comes, you will be so glad you did! #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #KeepPharmacistsImproving #EveryoneDeservesToBeLedWell

𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 – 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 A critical hire is a position vital to your company’s success. These types of positions require a thorough search to find the right person. There are two main ways to think about critical hires in pharmacy: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: The position significantly influences your company’s operations, strategy, or reputation. If left vacant or filled by the wrong person, it can cause serious problems. For example, a critical hire could be the vice president of pharmacy, a pharmacist in charge, or a pharmacist with a specific specialty. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: The position requires a rare or specialized skill set that's difficult to find in the job market. This could be a technical expertise, deep industry knowledge, or a specific leadership ability. Because there are few qualified candidates, the hiring process needs to be rigorous to find the best fit. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆? Take a look at Cura Talent, Our proven track record of successful placements in the pharmacy industry can help you find the perfect candidate for your team. We have a wealth of case studies showcasing how we've helped companies like yours fill critical positions in record time.

Scroll through your feed, and it seems every pharmacist has it all figured out. Perfect jobs, seamless transitions, impact-making roles. But let's pull back the curtain on the untold story of pharmacy careers. The road to success in pharmacy is rarely a straight line. Behind every 'perfect' job change or promotion is a saga of late nights, tough decisions, and sometimes, soul-searching doubts. Social media's highlight reel doesn't show the rejections, the stress of passing board exams, or the resilience needed to bounce back from setbacks. Pharmacists navigate a complex landscape, balancing patient care with ever-evolving regulations and technological advancements. The journey is marked by continuous learning, adapting, and sometimes, reinventing oneself professionally. The real story includes mentorship struggles, navigating workplace dynamics, and the pressure to stay ahead in a competitive field. Let's start a conversation about the real journeys in pharmacy. Share your story of resilience, the challenges you've overcome, and the lessons learned along the way. Your story could be the beacon that guides someone else through their path to success. Comment below with your untold story. Let's celebrate the strength, perseverance, and dedication it takes to thrive in the world of pharmacy.

EVERYONE is paid for the same thing…. A question I like to ask pharmacy students is “Why are pharmacists paid?” My question is usually answered with some version of “pharmacists are medication experts.”  While this answer may be technically correct, it can miss the point of the question. You see, my perspective changed dramatically when I learned that EVERYONE on Planet Earth is paid for the exact same thing.  My first reaction was this could not possibly be true!  How can it be possible that a construction worker, a pharmacist, and a high school gym teacher can all be paid for the exact same thing? But upon closer examination I have found this to be exactly true! Everyone on Planet Earth is paid to solve a problem. The farmer solves the problem of supplying food. The FedEx driver solves the problem of delivering your packages. The hair stylist solves the problem of unfashionable hair. The pharmacist solves the problem of medication appropriateness, safety, and efficacy for patients. And here lies the challenge: solving problems is not easy!  If this was easy, everyone would already be solving them, and we wouldn’t call them problems. Part of solving problems involves leading people through their problems.  That is certainly the case in pharmacy.  Yet many people put very little effort, if any, into developing their skills.  As such, many problems continue.   Many people become frustrated.  Many people struggle. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can learn skills that can help you lead yourself, your team, and the people you serve through the multitude of problems that need to be solved. What are you doing to acquire and improve these skills?   How are you using these skills? Allow me to invite you to a webinar this Thursday, April 4th at 12PM ET on The Forbidden Phrase and Directional Leadership.  You can sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gCk7BqRb Hope to see you Thursday! #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #EveryoneDeservesToBeLedWell #KeepPharmacistsImproving

Little Bigs Fundamentals are the little things that make a difference. With some dedicated practice, the little things can become easy, and almost automatic. This is a little embarrassing, but I can recall misapplying labels to prescription vials in my early days as a pharmacy intern. They were so crooked!  This was a fundamental I needed master in my early days.  But new fundamentals would need to be learned and practiced throughout my career: Communicating with patients and caregivers Managing inventory Managing teams  Submitting proposals Revising proposals Leading teams into new initiatives And the list goes on and on.  You know what I am talking about.  Your list may be similar or dissimilar to my list, but there is a list of fundamental things that you do, or can do, which can make a big difference. Here is the thing about these fundamentals.  With practice they can become easy to do.  Without practice, they can become easy not to do. What fundamentals are you working on today?  What are the little things you can do today which will make a big difference? #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #EveryoneDeservesToBeLedWell #KeepPharmacistsImproving

Little Bigs Fundamentals are the little things that make a difference. With some dedicated practice, the little things can become easy, and almost automatic. This is a little embarrassing, but I can recall misapplying labels to prescription vials in my early days as a pharmacy intern. They were so crooked!  This was a fundamental I needed master in my early days.  But new fundamentals would need to be learned and practiced throughout my career: Communicating with patients and caregivers Managing inventory Managing teams  Submitting proposals Revising proposals Leading teams into new initiatives And the list goes on and on.  You know what I am talking about.  Your list may be similar or dissimilar to my list, but there is a list of fundamental things that you do, or can do, which can make a big difference. Here is the thing about these fundamentals.  With practice they can become easy to do.  Without practice, they can become easy not to do. What fundamentals are you working on today?  What are the little things you can do today which will make a big difference? #forpharmacy #forpharmacists #pharmacists #pharmacyleadership #leadwell #EveryoneDeservesToBeLedWell #KeepPharmacistsImproving

🌟 Embracing the Journey: From Hospital Halls to Corporate Calls 🌟 As I look back on my journey as a pharmacist, I'm struck by the twists and turns that have defined my career. It all began in the quiet halls of a hospital, where I immersed myself in patient care, learning the nuances of clinical practice. Each day, I witnessed the profound impact of personalized medicine, which reinforced my commitment to the profession. But my story didn't stop there. With a thirst for new challenges, I stepped into the fast-paced world of retail pharmacy. The shift was significant – from the structured hospital environment to the dynamic and unpredictable retail sector. Here, I learned to think on my feet, manage diverse patient needs, and truly understand the community I served. Yet, my curiosity and desire to make a broader impact drove me to explore the pharmaceutical industry. This new chapter brought me into the realms of research, development, and regulatory affairs. I found myself at the intersection of science and innovation, contributing to advancements that reach far beyond the local community. It was a thrilling and humbling experience, reminding me of the vast potential our field holds. Throughout this journey, I’ve come to embrace one fundamental truth: it’s okay to take risks and switch paths. Each transition, while daunting, brought new opportunities for growth and learning. There were moments of uncertainty and even failure, but these moments became the most powerful teachers. To my fellow pharmacists and all professionals who might feel confined to a single path: it's never too late to pivot. Whether you’re just starting out or considering a change after years in one role, remember that your career is a journey, not a destination. Every step, even those that seem off course, adds to your story and enriches your experience. So, take that leap of faith. Embrace the unknown. Learn from every success and setback. Our careers are not linear, and that’s where the beauty lies. We have the power to redefine our paths as often as we need to, and in doing so, we discover our true potential. Here's to the courage to explore, the resilience to adapt, and the wisdom to know that every experience is a valuable part of our journey. You are Young enough to bounce back from faliures . #pharmacist #careertalks #pharmacommunity #hospitalpharmacist #communitypharmacist #industrialpharmacist