Key Takeaways
- Patterson Companies is a specialized healthcare distributor with nearly 150 years of history — research their dental and animal health business segments before applying to demonstrate genuine interest.
- With only around 9 active job postings at a time, competition for each role can be significant — invest extra effort in tailoring your application to stand out.
- Workday is Patterson's ATS, so optimize your resume for clean parsing: use simple formatting, standard headers, and keywords directly from the job description.
- Consultative selling and relationship-building skills are central to Patterson's business model — highlight these competencies even if applying for non-sales roles.
- Complete every field in the Workday application and review parsed data for accuracy — incomplete or error-filled profiles may be filtered out early.
- Prepare for behavioral interviews using the STAR method, with examples that demonstrate customer focus, teamwork, adaptability, and results.
- Patterson values cultural fit alongside technical qualifications — convey humility, integrity, and a collaborative spirit throughout your application and interviews.
- Relevant certifications (pharmacy technician licensure, forklift certification, industry credentials) can significantly strengthen your candidacy for specialized roles.
About Patterson Companies
Application Process
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1
Explore Open Positions on Patterson's Workday Careers Portal
Begin by visiting Patterson Companies' official careers page hosted on Workday (pattersoncompanies.wd501.myworkdayjobs.com/PDCO). Browse available roles by keyword, location, or job category. With approximately 9 active postings at any given time, the openings tend to be targeted and specific, so review each listing carefully. Pay close attention to the job description, required qualifications, preferred qualifications, and location details. Note that Patterson hires across diverse functions including sales, warehouse operations, customer service, marketing, pharmacy, and engineering, so filter accordingly to find roles matching your background.
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2
Create or Log Into Your Workday Candidate Profile
Patterson uses Workday as its applicant tracking system, so you'll need to create a candidate account if you don't already have one. You can typically sign in using an existing Workday account from another employer's application, or create a new profile using your email address or LinkedIn credentials. Complete your profile thoroughly — Workday allows you to upload your resume, which the system may attempt to auto-parse into structured fields. Always review and correct any auto-populated information to ensure accuracy, as parsing errors are common with complex resume formats.
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3
Tailor Your Resume and Submit Your Application
Before uploading your resume, customize it to align with the specific Patterson role you're targeting. Mirror the language and keywords from the job posting, particularly around required skills and qualifications. Complete all required application fields — leaving optional fields blank can sometimes reduce your visibility in candidate searches. Attach a tailored cover letter if the option is available, especially for sales and business development roles where communication skills are paramount. Double-check all entries before submitting, as Workday systems typically do not allow edits after submission for a specific requisition.
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4
Phone or Video Screening with Recruiter
Many applicants report that after an initial application review, qualified candidates are contacted by a Patterson recruiter or talent acquisition specialist for a preliminary screening. This conversation typically lasts 20-30 minutes and covers your background, interest in Patterson, salary expectations, availability, and basic qualifications. For sales roles such as Territory Sales Representative or Equipment Sales Specialist, expect questions about your sales methodology, territory management experience, and familiarity with the dental or animal health industries. Be prepared to articulate why Patterson's mission and market position appeal to you.
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5
Hiring Manager Interview(s)
Candidates who advance past the recruiter screen are commonly invited to interview with the hiring manager and potentially other team members. Depending on the role, this may involve one or multiple rounds conducted via video conference or in person. For customer-facing roles, expect behavioral and situational questions that assess your consultative selling abilities, problem-solving skills, and customer service orientation. For warehouse and operations roles, interviews may focus more on reliability, safety awareness, and teamwork. Patterson's interview style is generally described as professional yet conversational, reflecting the company's collaborative culture.
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6
Assessment or Practical Evaluation (Role-Dependent)
For certain positions — particularly in sales, systems engineering, or technical roles — Patterson may include an additional assessment step. This could involve a sales presentation exercise, a technical skills evaluation, or a scenario-based problem-solving task. For example, a Systems Integration Engineer candidate might be asked about their experience with specific technologies or integration methodologies. Prepare by researching Patterson's product and service offerings in the relevant business segment (dental, animal health, or corporate) so you can demonstrate contextual knowledge.
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7
Offer, Background Check, and Onboarding
Successful candidates typically receive a verbal offer followed by a formal written offer through the Workday system. Patterson commonly conducts background checks and may require drug screening, particularly for warehouse and pharmacy-related positions. Once you accept, onboarding is typically coordinated through Workday and may include orientation sessions, training programs, and introductions to your team. For field sales roles, onboarding often includes product training and ride-alongs with experienced representatives to familiarize you with Patterson's customer base and sales approach.
Resume Tips for Patterson Companies
Incorporate Industry-Specific Keywords from the Job Posting
Patterson operates in specialized healthcare distribution markets — dental, animal health, and medical. Your resume should reflect relevant industry terminology. If applying for a dental sales role, include terms like 'dental equipment,' 'practice management software,' 'consumables,' or 'chairside technology.' For warehouse roles, emphasize 'inventory management,' 'order fulfillment,' 'shipping/receiving,' and 'safety compliance.' Workday's ATS uses keyword matching to help recruiters filter candidates, so aligning your language with the job description is essential.
Quantify Your Achievements with Metrics
Patterson values results-driven professionals, especially in sales and business development roles. Instead of writing 'managed a sales territory,' write 'managed a $2.5M sales territory across 150+ accounts, achieving 112% of annual quota.' For customer service roles, quantify metrics like call volume handled, customer satisfaction scores, or resolution rates. For warehouse associates, include metrics like units processed per shift, accuracy rates, or safety records. Concrete numbers help your resume stand out both to ATS filters and human reviewers.
Use a Clean, ATS-Compatible Resume Format
Workday's resume parser works best with straightforward formatting. Use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills), avoid tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers, and graphics. Stick to common fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Save your file as a .docx or .pdf (both are typically accepted by Workday). Avoid creative resume templates that may cause parsing errors, which could result in your information being incorrectly categorized or lost entirely in the system.
Highlight Consultative Sales and Relationship-Building Skills
Patterson's business model is built on long-term customer relationships and consultative partnerships with healthcare professionals. If you're applying for any customer-facing role — from Business Development Representative to Territory Salesperson to Equipment Sales Specialist — emphasize your experience building and maintaining client relationships, understanding customer needs, and providing solutions-oriented service. Use phrases like 'consultative selling,' 'needs assessment,' 'account management,' and 'customer retention' to signal alignment with Patterson's approach.
Showcase Relevant Technical Proficiency
For roles like Systems Integration Engineer or positions involving technology solutions, highlight your proficiency with relevant platforms, programming languages, integration tools, or healthcare IT systems. For sales and service roles, mention experience with CRM platforms (Salesforce, SAP, etc.), ERP systems, or e-commerce platforms. Patterson increasingly leverages technology to serve its customers, so demonstrating tech-savviness — even in non-technical roles — can differentiate your application.
Include Relevant Certifications and Licenses
Certain Patterson roles require or prefer specific credentials. Pharmacy Technician positions typically require state licensure and national certification (CPhT). Warehouse roles may benefit from forklift certification or OSHA safety training. Sales roles in dental or animal health may be strengthened by industry certifications or continuing education. List these credentials prominently in a dedicated 'Certifications' section to ensure they're easily identified by both the ATS and recruiters.
Demonstrate Cultural Alignment with Patterson's Values
Patterson commonly emphasizes values such as acting with integrity, putting customers first, embracing change, and winning together as a team. Where possible, weave these themes into your resume through your accomplishment statements. For example, describe a time you went above and beyond for a customer, led a team initiative, or adapted to a significant change in your work environment. A brief professional summary at the top of your resume is an excellent place to signal cultural fit.
ATS System: Workday
Patterson Companies uses Workday Recruiting as its applicant tracking system. Workday is one of the most widely used enterprise ATS platforms, known for its structured application process and integrated candidate management. When you apply through Patterson's Workday portal, your resume is parsed into structured data fields, and your application is stored in a searchable database that recruiters use to identify qualified candidates. Workday allows recruiters to filter candidates by keywords, qualifications, location, and other criteria, making it essential that your application is optimized for this system. The platform also supports candidate communication, interview scheduling, and offer management, so you'll likely interact with Workday throughout the entire hiring process.
- Complete all fields in the Workday application form, even optional ones — incomplete profiles may rank lower in recruiter searches and signal a lack of thoroughness.
- Review auto-parsed resume data carefully after upload. Workday's parser commonly misplaces information from non-standard resume formats, so manually correct any errors in job titles, dates, or company names.
- Use keywords from the job posting naturally throughout your resume and application fields. Workday's search functionality relies heavily on keyword matching, so mirroring the language of the job description improves your discoverability.
- Upload your resume as a .docx or .pdf file with clean formatting — avoid images, charts, tables, and multi-column layouts that can confuse Workday's parsing engine.
- If applying to multiple Patterson roles, tailor each application individually. Workday tracks applications per requisition, and recruiters can see your full application history, so submitting identical materials for very different roles may appear unfocused.
- Set up job alerts within the Workday portal to be notified of new openings that match your interests, especially since Patterson's active job count tends to be relatively small and targeted.
Interview Culture
Patterson Companies' interview process is commonly described as thorough yet approachable, reflecting the company's emphasis on building genuine relationships.
What Patterson Companies Looks For
- Customer-centric mindset — a genuine passion for understanding and solving customer problems, particularly in healthcare settings
- Consultative selling ability — especially for sales roles, the capacity to act as a trusted advisor rather than a transactional salesperson
- Industry knowledge or willingness to learn — familiarity with dental, animal health, or medical distribution markets is highly valued
- Collaborative team orientation — Patterson emphasizes winning together and cross-functional cooperation
- Adaptability and resilience — the ability to thrive in a changing industry landscape and embrace new technologies and processes
- Strong communication skills — both written and verbal, critical for roles ranging from customer service to field sales to marketing
- Results orientation with integrity — a track record of achieving goals while maintaining ethical standards and building trust
- Technical aptitude — comfort with technology platforms, CRM systems, and digital tools that support modern healthcare distribution
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sample Open Positions
Related Resources
Career Guides for Patterson Companies Roles
Sources
- Patterson Companies Official Careers Page — Patterson Companies
- Patterson Companies - About Us — Patterson Companies
- Patterson Companies - Investor Relations & Annual Reports — Patterson Companies
- Workday Recruiting - How It Works for Candidates — Workday, Inc.