Am I screwed? How to Secure a Job During P4 Year

[Digsbe]

So basically I went into pharm school wanting to do retail, after P1 year I changed my mind to clinical. I worked as a tech in undergrad for a chain and interned for about a year with another chain and am currently not working anywhere. During APPE I've pretty much changed my mind to wanting to go back into retail (still thinking but almost solid on this). Currently not interning anywhere, what's the best way for me to secure a job straight out of school?

I went to our career fair, interviewed with pretty much all the chains and left my CV with them. Some places had told me to apply for openings when the time comes, it seemed more like an informal meet and greet interview type of thing where they'd put my info in for recruitment purposes if they had us put it in online (some places just took our CV's). I want to be proactive, I'm willing to relocate to several places and want to be able to graduate, have a good full-time job lined up and know which state(s) I need to get my license in first. For those who didn't intern and get hired from within your company that had jobs straight out of school how did you go about doing that? What's the best way to do that?

As far as my CV goes there are things I'm proud of on there. Some published research, some leadership experience, etc. Since I was more clinical focus I don't have tons of retail experience outside of IPPE and the years back when I worked in retail, but I'm hoping the other things still look good to potential employers and maybe give them the hint that I'm a hard worker and take things seriously.

Nearly all of my APPE's are clinical since that was my focus when we put in our preferences, so I won't be doing an APPE at any of the major chains. Most of the positions I'm rotating at require a residency so I likely wouldn't get a job offer from an APPE site either due to them being all clinical based. Any advice?

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[297point1]

Can you have a heart-to-heart talk with the experiential office and see if you can be placed in a retail APPE immediately? Seems to me this is the least difficult APPE switch to make.

Most people in your shoes make the change from wanting retail to wanting hospital; I don't see it go the other way too often.

Good luck.

 

[Digsbe]

Can you have a heart-to-heart talk with the experiential office and see if you can be placed in a retail APPE immediately? Seems to me this is the least difficult APPE switch to make.

Most people in your shoes make the change from wanting retail to wanting hospital; I don't see it go the other way too often.

Good luck.

Unfortunately my school is extremely strict, we aren't allowed to reschedule APPEs, once you get your list the only way it changes is if the school has to cancel it for some reason. I've also already done my community pharmacy rotation at an independent (which was a good rotation).

After doing a lot of the clinical rotations they didn't feel very "clinical." I've always loved doing immunizations and being able to help the public at large. If I stay a clinical route it will be to do AM Care most likely, but at this point given a lack of AM Care jobs (and payment for services) I'll probably settle into retail. I don't hate doing it, sure I don't like metrics as most people don't but I don't hate the hours you work, the pay, or being in the public.

 

[bacillus1]

One of my friends just got a job with CVS with no prior retail experience...just be willing to move an hour or 2 away from the large cities, and you might be OK.

 

[297point1]

Unfortunately my school is extremely strict, we aren't allowed to reschedule APPEs, once you get your list the only way it changes is if the school has to cancel it for some reason.

If you don't ask, the answer is predetermined.
If you ask, you never know...tell me what you have to lose by asking.

 

[Digsbe]

If you don't ask, the answer is predetermined.
If you ask, you never know...tell me what you have to lose by asking.

I can try, but I doubt it will be warmly received. They were VERY up front about not changing rotations and told us how it's disrespectful to preceptors for them to commit to a student and have it changed for reasons like that.

Since I've already done my community pharmacy rotation and my management rotation the only other "retail" one I could possibly do is compounding anyway. Part of me is also looking forward to the rotations I do have though since they are fairly unique (stem cell transplant, psych, etc.)

Do you think it would be a good idea to sign up for the talent pools they chains have and contract DM's in areas I'm interested in? What would you do assuming I don't get a chain APPE?

 

[radio frequency]

Contact your preceptor from your community rotation and tell them you've decided you want to pursue community pharmacy and to let you know if they hear of any openings. Start applying online to the various pharmacy companies you are willing to work for. If you apply to enough locations, you will likely get a call back from a recruiter.

All that said, many recruiters don't start following up on student applications until February or so, so it's still pretty early in the game. I think your idea of contacting nearby DMs is a great idea.

 

[Twentytwelve2]

Corps hire internally first so you need to get an intern job now, although that is very difficult because a P4 is approaching graduation so they cannot keep you on a pre-grad intern salary for long and your longevity there will be short since you will be licensed soon after. I'd check Indeed.com, and also go to to retail chains career page and search for intern openings. Although, I did all this with no luck. I'm just going to keep my head up and hope for the best.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Don't assume your classmates who are interning right now will stay on as a pharmacist for their company. Some of them will match to residencies or find work with other companies.

 

[BMBiology]

Yeah you are somewhat screwed. Having an internship is a key to a pharmacist job.

If you are OK with moving to a undesirable location then there are still opportunities. That decision has to be made early in the game. Get licensed ASAP is also essential.

I would do whatever I can to get an internship now. Get as much retail experience as you can. It is obvious what you have to do. Executing it is harder.

Sounds like med school is what you desire. Some are not too difficult to get accepted assuming you did well in pharmacy school. I wouldn't work as a pharmacist for a couple of years then apply. I would do it now. The debt is scary but there is income based repayment.

I can tell you 90% hate retail. You don't want to be one of those broken souls. Do it while you are still young.

 

[fewaopi]

Corps hire internally first so you need to get an intern job now, although that is very difficult because a P4 is approaching graduation so they cannot keep you on a pre-grad intern salary for long and your longevity there will be short since you will be licensed soon after. I'd check Indeed.com, and also go to to retail chains career page and search for intern openings. Although, I did all this with no luck. I'm just going to keep my head up and hope for the best.

I can understand this at most chains.

But OP, don't worry, I got my internship only a few months before graduation (although I had some experience before). It's likely very hard, but not impossible to get some type of work experience before graduation.

And yes contacting DM's directly is a good idea. Get emails, phone #'s, call directly. I find email to have been the best way and if you start now, you'd even have a head start over me so don't give up. That's the most important. Keep searching and searching. Lot of times it's about timing.

 

[297point1]

I can try, but I doubt it will be warmly received. They were VERY up front about not changing rotations and told us how it's disrespectful to preceptors for them to commit to a student and have it changed for reasons like that.

Warmly received? This is your future at stake here, and you are worried about your request being warmly received? Good grief.

Trust me: when it comes to APPEs, students make requests ALL THE TIME that are FAR MORE RIDICULOUS that this.

You should get in the habit of advancing your own interests, even if it is a little uncomfortable to do so. Otherwise, you are setting yourself to get steamrolled for the rest of your life.

 

[Eichhoernchen]

Email DMs in cities/districts you are interested in. This is how I got all my interviews and job. Just have to be persistent.

 

[hye345]

I'm in the same boat: a few months of retail in P1 year, hospital inpatient for ~3 years, now decided to pursue non-residency option. I'm also planning on attending a career fair/on-campus interviews with recruiters. Curious, have any of them gotten back to you afterwards?

I do have a friend, a 2015 graduate, who didn't intern anywhere while in school, applied but failed to get into residency, but got a full-time floater position at Walmart (2 locations ~1 hour outside of a mid-sized city) in around April of P4 year. She said that Target also wanted to hire her, but their plan was to have her float for 6 months, then make her a PIC; she didn't go for that. Bottom line, there is hope if you apply broadly.

 

[cj98]

Try to get an internship as a p4 in a chain. You can probably get a job if you are persistent about looking around/flexible with your location but I think it's a good idea to be very comfortable in a retail setting. They will just throw you out there (most likely in a busy store) once you pass your boards. Most pharmacists start to quit when they don't realize how overwhelming retail can get

 

[Digsbe]

Warmly received? This is your future at stake here, and you are worried about your request being warmly received? Good grief.

Trust me: when it comes to APPEs, students make requests ALL THE TIME that are FAR MORE RIDICULOUS that this.

You should get in the habit of advancing your own interests, even if it is a little uncomfortable to do so. Otherwise, you are setting yourself to get steamrolled for the rest of your life.

I'm not trying to avoid it, I probably phrased things poorly.

All I'm saying is I've done both my community APPE (at an independent) and my management APPE so I couldn't do another community rotation. They were also up front about not having schedules changed at the request of students. I'm bracing for a scenario where I don't get to swap APPE but I'll still ask about it.

 

[Son_Goku]

Warmly received? This is your future at stake here, and you are worried about your request being warmly received? Good grief.

Trust me: when it comes to APPEs, students make requests ALL THE TIME that are FAR MORE RIDICULOUS that this.

You should get in the habit of advancing your own interests, even if it is a little uncomfortable to do so. Otherwise, you are setting yourself to get steamrolled for the rest of your life.

This. It is YOUR job to make requests and their JOB to answer to these requests (warmly, coldly, doesn't matter).

Your CV sounds solid. You should have no issue getting an internship with CVS who seems to take just about anybody. Ask some of your classmates for DM emails and get started.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Why are you guys going on about him switching his ACPE? 1) even if students do it all the time, if his school frowns on it as being disrespectful, I think he should avoid asking to switch 2) he said the only other retail rotation he could do would be in compounding, which I'm guessing is probably one of the more popular retail rotations and is probably filled up.

I better bet would be for him to find a fellow student doing the compounding rotation who would want to switch for one of his cool rotations (stem cell?) and then the 2 can go together to the school and asked for the OK to switch.

But really, getting 1 rotation in compounding isn't going to make or break him in regards to a future in retail. Far better would be to work on getting a technician/intern job.

 

[deleted723470]

Fellow p4 here, same boat, all my sites are clinical sites because I thought that's what I wanted to do. I think the best thing to do at this point is to determine where you want to work, and approach the pharmacy manager. Talk to them. Find out the who the DM is for that district and contact the DM. Schedule an appointment or go to his office to drop off your resume and cover letter. See them in person. Face recognition can do carry you a long way.