Why do you want this position?

This is a very common one for many different types of jobs. Stress your dedication to customer service and helping people. Mention how you recognize the way in which care and the proper medication can make beneficial changes in a person’s life. Research the company you are applying to, and talk about why you think they are a great organization, and how your abilities would benefit them. Talk about your attention to detail and how important it is for a pharmacy assistant.

Are you good at time management?

It is always helpful to bring up past examples. Think about times in previous jobs (or your personnel life) when you had to do a number of things within a certain time frame. How did you make it work?

Prioritizing tasks is a good first step, but you need to provide more detail in order to really sell your ability in an interview. If you have not done this sort of work before, consider times when you have dealt with pharmacy assistants. Think about their duties and the things that can happen during a workday. What would you do in order to provide the necessary service to clients in a reasonable time frame?

How would you handle a problematic customer?

This is a common question for workers dealing directly with the public. If you have previous customer service experience, think about the ways in which you dealt with these situations. What worked and what did not?

Think also about the fact that many of the clients may be seniors dealing with age-related problems and pain issues. Stress that you are empathetic and patient, but also recognize the need to help others waiting in line.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS?

Another common question and one that can potentially trip you up. Do not mention something that will automatically lose you the job (e.g. “I’m always looking at Facebook during business hours”). Similarly, avoid something that does not really apply, such as “I drink too much coffee.”

Pick something that qualifies as a weakness, but is also an area where you have been improving. For example, you can mention that you sometimes spend too much time pouring over the fine details of a task. However, with experience, you are now able to do this with the same amount of detail, but also an appropriate degree of time management.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO DEADLINES?

Some customers are on major medications that they must take daily. If these individuals run out, they will need their drug refills that day.

Discuss past experiences where you have had deadlines. Was there more than one at the same time? If so, how did you prioritize your time? Think about how you would make sure the customers who were most in need would benefit, while not compromising others you are serving.

LET’S GET STARTED

If you are considering a career as a Pharmacy Assistant, check out our program page to find out how you can become a job-ready graduate!