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Success Stories

 

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Arwin Digo, Pharmacist Manager (via Facebook)

​Debbie has been a great help. She goes the extra mile in ensuring that you have the best offer that fits your requirements and needs. We appreciate all the efforts that she has made for us. Thank you Deb!

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Bhavika Mistry, Brand and Product Manager (via Email)

Raven’s Recruitment was very supportive and was always there throughout my interview process with proactive and transparent communication. And the best part is I got the job! Alan and his team have been truly exceptional and has been one of the best experiences I have had working with a recruitment company. Raven's has set a benchmark on how recruitment agencies should operate.

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Luke Carroll, Pharmacist (via Google)

Debbie is the best recruitment specialist I have dealt with over my 16 years of being a pharmacist. I remember her placing me in my 2nd job after registering as a pharmacist in 2006 and her passion for helping link employees with a great fitting environment has only gotten better with time ( not that it needed improving at all ). I highly recommend Debbie at Raven's Recruitment for both employees and employers to get the best candidate in the best position. Thanks Deb.

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National Custom Compounding Pharmacy - Matthew Bellgrove, Owner (via LinkedIn)

I could not recommend Debbie more highly to any Pharmacist or Pharmacy when it comes to employment match making. She brings a wealth of wisdom and experience, competence and professionalism and personality and humour to what can be a lengthy and arduous process.

Debbie provided support and sage advice through every step of the journey and was always available to answer any questions I had. She helped me find the perfect position for me. For any employment needs Debbie and her colleagues at Raven's Recruitment are the only call you need to make they are worth their weight in gold.

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Heather Sullivan, Pharmacist

I could not recommend Debbie more highly to any Pharmacist or Pharmacy when it comes to employment match making. She brings a wealth of wisdom and experience, competence and professionalism and personality and humour to what can be a lengthy and arduous process.

Debbie provided support and sage advice through every step of the journey and was always available to answer any questions I had. She helped me find the perfect position for me. For any employment needs Debbie and her colleagues at Raven's Recruitment are the only call you need to make they are worth their weight in gold.

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Jaana Berg, Pharmacist

Searching for a suitable role was made stress-free with the assistance of Debbie at Raven's Recruitment. Debbie went above and beyond in guiding and supporting me through the process of looking for employment. Her positive nature and strong work ethic have made what can sometimes be a challenging experience easy.

I can't recommend Debbie and the Raven's Recruitment team highly enough. I have been fortunate to have support from Debbie on more than one occasion, and will continue to use her excellent services in the future. Thank you Debbie and Raven's Recruitment team.

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Malek A Serhan, Locum Pharmacist

When I decided to quit my job as a full time pharmacist, I approached Nivi from Raven's to inquire about working as a locum. She gave me a good insight into it and assured me that the best experiences they heard were from locums doing jobs in the country as I was a little hesitant about travelling outside of Melbourne.

Nivi helped me choose my first locum job and provided me with all the details I needed. To me it was a huge change of my career but was entirely an easy process with Raven's. My first locum job in Hamilton, Vic was very good and proved to me that I made that right decision!

Throughout my first locum jobs and other jobs organised by Raven's, they were always there when I needed them. Prompt replies to all my inquiries and concerns and ongoing support whenever I needed it. They also never ran out of jobs in interesting locations!

I have been doing locums for almost 18 months now and I still refer to Raven's as one of the most reliable and the preferred one for me when it comes to locuming.

I really appreciate your work and support and I’m very thankful you were there for me when I decided to change career and been an integral part of my journey as a locum pharmacist. Thank you Nivi and Belinda and thanks to Raven's!

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Nexus Pharmacy - Deborah White

In my role as Business Operations Manager, outsourcing my own locums was beginning to become frustrating and time consuming. The team at Raven's have definitely made my life easier! They have been very professional and easy to deal with, what’s more have been able to find good locums for me in a timely manner.

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Thien Nguyen, Pharmacist

I have completed several locum jobs with Raven's Recruitment, my jobs were often overseeing by Nivi and Belinda, they all ran smoothly and were successfully completed. Belinda was even available after hours for emergency contact and general management advises if needed. Communications were always prompt and succinct and I felt very much supported by both Belinda and Nivi.  I highly recommend Raven's Recruitment.

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Balwyn North Discount Drug Store / Gunn & McConville Medication Management - Yet Shen Khor, Owner

Nivi is wonderful! She has been helping me for years to fill up whether a locum or a full time position in my pharmacy!

How do I know Nivi: This consultant assisted me with filling a vacancy

Communication: ***** (rated 5 star)

Market Knowledge: ***** (rated 5 star)

Service Level: ***** (rated 5 star)

Hiring Effectiveness: ***** (rated 5 star)

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Dalby & District Friendly Society -James Bannerman, CEO

Nivi is very professional and extremely helpful. Her knowledge of our Pharmacy certainly assists in locating suitable Locum Pharmacists. Thanks Nivi.

How do I know Nivi: This consultant assisted me with filling a vacancy

Communication: ***** (rated 5 star)

Market Knowledge: ***** (rated 5 star)

Service Level: ***** (rated 5 star)

Hiring Effectiveness: ***** (rated 5 star)

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Rick, Owner

I recently contracted Debbie to assist with recruiting a candidate to fill a managerial position. Debbie’s diligent, attentive and intelligent approach ensured we secured an exceptional candidate promptly with whom we are delighted. I would strongly recommend Debbie to any employer/HR manager who has a recruiting need for a senior position.

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Thao Le, Pharmacist

Deb is the first person who I contact when I am thinking of changing roles. Deb has consistently been able to find me challenging, lasting and suitable roles since my pre-registration year over 10 years ago. Within those 10 years I have gone from working in a small community rural pharmacy, to a large rural hospital pharmacy, and now I’m back in Brisbane working in a large retail community pharmacy.

Deb has been there the whole time and has aligned me with companies where I have been able to grow not only as a pharmacist, but as a person as well. Deb has not only given me professional guidance over the years, she has more importantly given me her honest opinion on roles which may not have been the most suitable to me at that time in my career. This shows that to Deb, it’s not just about finding any job for any pharmacist. She cares about her candidates and always has the best interest of her pharmacists at heart.

Deb has such a wonderful and unique way of turning the typically stressful task of finding a job into a fun, enjoyable and stress-free experience! This is something that, in my opinion, only Deb can pull off! Deb – you really are one of a kind and anyone would be lucky if they had the opportunity to work with you.

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The Friendlies Discount Pharmacies - Deon List, CEO

I have always found Deb to be polite, courteous, prompt, professional, honest and efficient. She always fulfils any action points from a discussion expediently. I am happy to recommend Deb for any recruitment requirements.

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TerryWhite Chemmart Samford - Karen Brown, Owner/Pharmacist

I had never utilised the services of a Recruitment agency before and was sceptical of the value of an agency. Debbie totally blew me away with her service. Within 24 hours I had 5 phenomenal candidates with extensive supporting material. I ended up employing two pharmacists because I couldn’t pass them up.

Debbie was an absolute pleasure to deal with and was professional and prompt in all correspondence. Debbie sold the benefits of working at TerryWhite Chemmart Samford better than I could! To say the investment was valuable is an understatement. Thanks Debbie

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Peggy Zhu - Pharmacist

Peggy speaking on her experience of relocating to regional central Qld for her career progression.

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Manrex Pty Ltd - Webstercare - Eloise Altavilla, Human Resources Assistant

From my first contact with Raven's and throughout the whole process, Debbie and the team at Raven's were simply delightful. The role we were recruiting for was complex and quite specific, calling on many different skills and personal attributes. Debbie's professional and friendly approach allowed me to relay our company's needs and requirements, which in turn assisted us with finding suitable candidates.

It takes a special person to put the needs of their client first, especially in such a competitive market. Debbie's approach was a breath of fresh air, always there when I needed without the pressures I have experienced from other agencies. I could not recommend Raven's services highly enough. Thanks Debbie!

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Pharmore Pharmacies - Claire Story, HR/Payroll Advisor (via LinkedIn)

I have engaged David numerous times in sourcing high calibre pharmacists and pharmacy managers for Pharmore Pharmacies. He is always a pleasure to deal with; friendly, efficient and professional. He consistently recommends great candidates to whom he has given a thorough understanding of our company and the culture in which we work. Quite simply, David nails the brief!

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Pharmacy Essentials Nanango and Kingaroy - Barry Lonsdale, Owner

Initially I tried advertising on the internet. I received many applications, most of whom were not registered to work in Australia. After considering "unknown" applicants I soon realised that if I got the wrong person the negative effects on business could be large, much larger than what it would cost to get Raven's to do the work for me.

Debbie at Raven's was able to get to the bottom of what I really needed in a candidate. I found the service to be very prompt, reliable and trustworthy. I was confident my interests were being looked after. She was also able to sell the benefits of working at my business and gave my position my more exposure than what I could have, therefore attracting better applicants.

I would recommend you try Raven's for your recruitment requirements, they take away all the hassles allowing you to get on with your work. You may think you can save money by doing it all yourself, but it will cost big money if the candidate doesn't suit your requirements.

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Malouf Group Pharmacies - Des Kerr, HR Manager

Malouf Group Pharmacies is proud to say that we have a long term relationship with the team at Raven's Recruitment and we are extremely happy with their service and commitment to our business.

Raven's have assisted us over the years with not only short term locum work but also with many permanent recruitment needs as well. We always receive quality service from the friendly team and we are always made to feel that our business is important to them.

It is because of the above reasons that we have Raven's as the only company we deal with when it comes to Pharmacist’s, Dispensary Assistants etc.

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Jamie Dalton, Pharmacist

My experience with Raven's Recruitment was absolutely brilliant from the first encounter to the last. From the initial phone consultations where I gave a run-down of myself and my aspirations, to the quick follow-up with relevant positions (alongside some very pertinent information about the areas) I felt at every step of my journey the team at Raven's were passionate about their work. They really listened, cared and actively sought out opportunities which suited me and my circumstances.

Being in the position where I required sponsorship to work in Australia (having migrated from the UK) I was hopeful of a position but knew it would be a hard sell yet Debbie and the team at Raven's were completely positive, unwavering and dedicated to helping my find the right opportunity. It is because of Debbie and the team that I am now happily living and working in a slice of paradise and have permanent residency in Australia.

I cannot recommend Debbie and the team highly enough.

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Nathan Truscott & Kate Tarnawski, Pharmacists

Our experience with Raven's has been absolutely excellent. Debbie has been our consultant over the last couple of years and the whole process has been wonderful. We have relocated a couple of times and she has really gone the extra mile for us while being incredibly supportive of our endeavours.

Her service has been extremely prompt and efficient but also personalised, helping us find jobs that are very much suited to our individual needs. We would without a doubt recommend using Raven's and are very thankful for the terrific positions Debbie has found us. Thanks Deb we love you.

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Yehia "John" Ali, Pharmacist (via LinkedIn)

Very trustworthy, this was my first impression on David, as a professional David has deep understanding of the Australian pharmacy industry both hospital and community, very aware of the changes the industry currently going through and has great experience in the needs of different workplaces.

His experience in recruitment together with his honest personality, highly professional work ethics, manners and dedication are the qualities that made me very comfortable during taking the huge decision of career change. His insight and advice were very valuable.

With his help I was able to get my dream job and his guidance along the process was something I greatly appreciated.

My first impression on David as a very trustworthy recruitment consultant is now stronger. I have no hesitation recommending him for both job seekers and employers.

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Darryl Chung, Pharmacist

I would like to say a big thank you in finding me a pharmacist position so quickly. You made the process so easy. Your correspondence was always prompt and courteous. You listened to me and provided a range of work and location options. I would recommend any New Zealand pharmacist considering working in Australia to ring Raven's Recruitment first.

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Grace Jee, Pharmacist

My mission is to work as a locum pharmacist in rural and regional areas. Locum work is challenging, but I welcome challenges. In fact, without challenges, life is boring, which is why I am so passionate about locum pharmacist work. Locum work gives me a golden opportunity to travel everywhere around Australia, solving other people problems, serving the community and adding value to other people lives. I believe that everywhere I go, I can definitely learn something new. I love learning. I believe that we can only grow and become a better people as we learn.

Broken Hill is very unique, the people, architecture and landscapes. I spent some of my weekend visiting places like The Living Desert, Day Dream Underground Mining, The 'Ghost Town', and Mundi-Mundi. These places are fantastic. The underground mining tour was really adventurous and great. I have taken more than 100 photos of Broken Hill and uploaded them to my personal website and it's amazing, I have received lots of positive feedback from my friends around the world. They told me that they want come to Broken Hill themselves, to enjoy the secret scenery in this small town.

I'm doing very well here, finding the work very satisfying and am enjoying myself by contributing my best to the Pharmacy Department, the patients and other allied health professionals in the ward. I settled in quickly, mixing around and making heaps of friends in the hospital and community.

As Pharmacist-in-Charge I am responsible for a number of staff including many pharmacy students from Charles Sturt University that come here for rural placements. I am responsible for organizing their daily activities when the pharmacy manager is not available. I also oversee the surgical ward and the Intensive Care Unit. This opportunity has really helped me to sharpen my leadership and management skills and I'm very satisfied with the services I provide to the hospital.

Lack of health care professionals in rural and regional areas, is definitely a big issue at the moment. We tend to forget about these communities. Nowdays, many youngsters love to work in big cities, claiming that rural health practice life is boring. However, I can assure you that it is NOT true. There are a great variety of activities that you can do in these country towns. If you are a person who loves nature, then rural health care professional practice is definitely for you!

There are many communities out there that need our help. So, let's don't forget about them, love them and serve them with your open kind heart! If you have never worked in a rural or regional area before, why not give yourself a chance and go and explore the country areas around Australia.

Rural pharmacy practice experience will definitely blow you away, open your eyes and grant you the chance to escape the rat-race hectic life in busy cities. For me, rural pharmacy practice has certainly been a great experience, it has granted me golden opportunities to learn many great values and lessons in life, in fact it has become one of my greatest passions.

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Richard Thorpe, Pharmacist

I have been working as a community pharmacist in a two horse town for the last six months. The town has two pubs, two servos, two supermarkets and most importantly two pharmacies. We are half way between Coffs Harbour and Kempsey, Big Banana to the north, Slim Dusty Country to the south!

Pharmacy in this environment still presents unique challenges, but the professional and personal isolation that may have put people off working outside metropolitan areas in the past is becoming less of an issue as technology gets better. Concerns I had before taking tis job included:

What to do on a weekend - Although the population of the town I live in is only around 3500, we have an excellent gym, which is my way of keeping busy outside of work. We also have beautiful deserted beaches and national parks. Others may embrace the local football club; we have all three codes, or any other number of sports clubs. The Shire Guide lists a local Philatelic Society, Scottish Country Dancers, Scrabble Club, Orchid Society to name a few. It would appear that whatever floats your boat it is available in the valley if you know where to look. Austar and internet shopping also help to keep me entertained.

How do I get quality CPE - I have always attended SHPA and PSA CPE lectures in the city and used these as my main source of CPE. DVD and video recordings of these lectures have been available for many years so it is actually easier to watch them at home in the country than to travel to see them live. Internet based initiatives such as PSAs PRIMed and access to professional journals on the internet gives endless options without leaving home. Everything is accessible via the excellent Auspharmacist.net.au. The Guild also has an initiative for country pharmacists attending conferences, they pay travel and accommodation expenses, details are available on the Guild website.

Will I be professionally isolated - I am lucky in that the other pharmacy in town is next door but one, and the two shops have always had an excellent relationship. Local doctors see you as a local ally. Through a strong division facilitator we have started HMRs in the area and I am currently working my way through 220 RMMRs which were previously sent by fax to Sydney.

Is the money really better - Yes it is! The national shortage of pharmacists puts you in a great negotiating position if you are willing to travel outside most people’s comfort zone. Better hourly rates, accommodation and extended holidays may be available depending on your commitment.

Like the sound of my job? Well get your own because I am staying here for a while yet, Raven's found me this position and I’m sure they will find one for you too!

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Ser Hui Lim, Pharmacist

A quick introduction about myself. My name is Ser Hui and I am 26 years of age. I am currently working as a pharmacy manager at Guardian Pharmacy in Moora, Western Australia. I would like to share my experiences working and living in Moora for more than a year by now.

Working in areas away from cities might not be the interest or preference of most people, for young people especially. If you do agree with the above point, you might be questioning what makes me which was only 24 at that time, decided to take up this role at a small town distanced 2 hours drive from Perth city.

Seeking for opportunity to learn and advance in my career path were the main reasons for me to look up for a higher position role. Via Ravens, I was fortunate enough to be offered the role I was dreaming for. Working as a sole pharmacist with management responsibility in Moora gives me lots of challenges and space to improve and learn. Although the learning curve was steep at the beginning, I think it is really worthy as it makes me grow not merely in my career aspects but also my people and living skill, in a faster pace too.

Besides satisfaction in terms of knowledge increase, I feel very happy being able to serve the people in this town. As this is the only pharmacy in a small town with an estimate of 3000 population in size, customers have become my neighbours and friends. Therefore, this has makes my work and life here filled with more colours with the culture and warmth of the friendly people in the town.

Working in areas away from city also gives me an opportunity to experience a different lifestyle in Australia. The environment is really great as it gives me a nearer approach to mother-nature. Probably this is what people living in the city are after in order to get away from the tense of traffic jam or a fast pace lifestyle.

As a conclusion, working on Moora has given me three of the greatest things I ever had, which is a great opportunity to learn, great people, and great environment! Therefore, I hope people would be able to have a different view of working away from city areas as it has its own great advantages which cities are not able to provide.

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Philip Smith, Pharmacist

My partner and I moved from Newcastle to Dorrigo in January 2006 for management opportunity and financial incentive that we could not get in the city at a young age of 25. We were provided with a house to live in fully furnished with power and gas all covered. We were also re-imbursed for our moving costs. It was my first job as a sole pharmacist and also my first after working at 2 different city pharmacies. I would now find it very hard to go back to working in “urban” pharmacy.

The pace is much more leisurely and there is plenty of work time to keep up with all the latest knowledge in pharmacy with drug rep information, Medscape and AusPharmList.

The community is unbelievable, friendly, inviting you to the many social events and clubs (rotary, lions etc) that are available from sporting to drama. They know your name well before you remember many of theirs and are greeted with a friendly hello.

There are a couple of pubs with meals, takeaways, cafes, beauty rooms, video/dvd stores, social sporting teams from volleyball to rugby, the lifestyle is what you choose to make of it. We are less than a hours drive to Coffs Harbour and don't miss the latest movie we want to see or major retail therapy that my partner sometimes needs!

You still have your “problem” customers, what pharmacy doesn't? But with only 1 or 2 a month, it beats the 10-20 a week I could have in the city. You can spend a little more time with them sorting out their issues and with time they are no longer a “problem” customer, but more of a “loyal” one.

Everyone speaks English, making it much easier to convey safety messages regarding medication.

The doctor/pharmacist relationship is a little closer, being the only pharmacist in town its easy to get to know the doctors if you want too, plus their family and themselves visit you for medications. I frequently get calls regarding medication advice, possible changes to medications and latest information on PBS listings. Prescription errors are fixed with an easy phone call and not meet with angst.

When you refer people to doctors with skin conditions and other problems, it is satisfying that they come back to you with a prescription or answer (instead of the closest pharmacy to doctors in town), helping with the learning process, so in future if you see something similar you can advise accordingly. I have heard many a time now “The doctor said it is what you said it was”, which still brings a smile to my face.

Its 5 minutes to work by car (Or 15 minutes walk), no red lights, no traffic jams!

Work hours where more than in the city, but easy to adjust to as no late nights, no Sundays and no public holidays.

The staff had to put up with locum pharmacist for about 6 months so they knew the running of the business inside out, so it takes pressure off you as you step into running the business. Staff turnover is a lot less than that of city pharmacies as well.

We are lucky to have a very good bunch of locums in the area and I have NEVER had a problem in getting time off when needed, even for our recent wedding and honeymoon for over a month!

I never for a minute have regretted the decision to move to the country and don't know why more pharmacist don't make the move?

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Rose Aboud, Pharmacist

I started locuming in 2001. The past few years have felt like one very long travelling adventure: new sites, new people & new pharmacies. What a great way to do what I do (pharmacy) & see & experience parts of Australia I never thought I would see. The placements have been as far north as Cairns & as south as Bega. Luckily the lingo, currency & PBS stay constant otherwise you might think you were in different countries. City people & county people. They can all tell you stories. Lives that are so different from my Sydney suburban background.

Even in the pharmacy you're dealing with people who may have driven through a flood or 3 hours to get to town for their weekly or monthly visit. (Try explaining the 20 day rule to them?) I have a 3 part rating system for each placement:

  1. the location: I usually explore within a 1-2 hour radius out of town. This may take me to the next town, beach, rainforest, bush, farms, hinterland ect.

  2. the pharmacy: workflow, procedures, systems & staff. Yes they do differ, as did my job description or role. Sometimes sole pharmacist, sometimes with 1 or more pharmacist.

  3. the accommodation: On average not too bad. Sometimes a surprise. I always ask for safe, clean & A/C if north of Sydney.

I'm happy to say that most placements had a good rating score, & if not Ravens were always there to liaise, advise & support. It was actually a difficult decision to stop locuming, but the decision to move out of Sydney was easy. Since April I've been working fulltime in lovely Port Macquarie. The people here are a mix of locals, returned locals or like me (sea changes- old & new). The lifestyle & people are easy going. Travel to shopping centres, including parking is under 5 minutes. There are several beaches to choose from ( can't wait for summer). Cafes & restaurants in abundance (very important for those coffee breaks). Very civilised. And life in pharmacy goes on, luckily for me, with a lovely team of people.

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