Dilemma for pharmacy tech turned intern

[HmoobRX]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has run into this dilemma as a tech turned intern. I have been with CVS for the past 5 years and currently make $12.18. However, I am entering pharmacy school this fall and was told that ALL 1st year interns make $12. I was told that I won't be paid less than what I am already making but they won't give me anything else in terms of a raise. I find this really unfair because most of the techs turned intern or new 1st year intern hires will all make almost the same pay as me, meaning they are all getting about $2-3 raise. I'm bother by this because the reason I'm making $12.18 is because I have been with the company for 5 years and my raises were based on merit. But this won't even be taken into consideration and I just feel a little slighted and like my service to the company over the past 5 years has meant nothing. This information came from my pharmacist in charge and I have not talked with the intern coordinator to confirm, but if this is true then I will probably start looking for other opportunities with other pharmacies. If I get an offer that is even just a little higher than CVS as an intern then I think I will not pass up on it.

What would you do if you were in this situation? Am I right to feel this way?

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[bananaface]

For 18 cents an hour, don't worry about it. If you can get more someplace else and want to go there, cool. Over the whole year how big of a loss is it going to be? Next year you will get a raise and the year after that another raise. Eventually you will be a pharmacist and fretting over 18 cents will seem so silly.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Same thing happened to me a few times. First when the minimum wage was raised to my hourly rate (after two years of working), then when I became an intern. It sucks, but it's a fact of life. Not worth complaining about.

 

[owlegrad]

Do they have to change your job code? I would be pretty upset if I had to take a pay cut when getting "promoted". It's only 0.18/hr but still.

I feel for you. Just don't burn any bridges, ok? If you find something better somewhere else go for it, but keep your options open. Take a long term view of the situation. Is it worth giving up 5 years of seniority for pennies an hour? At least where you are you have mastered your job and that confidence will carry over into your new role easily. Giving that up might not be what you want to do. Think it over carefully.

 

[kmapes]

I feel for you. Just don't burn any bridges, ok?

This is the best advice you could receive. Pharmacy is all about networking. Even though I really disliked the place that I was a tech at for over a year, I stuck it out and they have told me that I am more than welcome to come back in my time off from school. That's soooo much better than having to search for a new job that'll only take me for a month while I'm on winter or summer break.
Not only that, if you can hold out, it'll look better to new places that you apply to later on. Loyalty and showing that you are a great worker are things that employers look for...it'll definitely help you in the future.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

Look for other opportunities, but try to make it not look like the pay issue is the reason you are doing so. Five years is a fair amount of time to be at a single job. You probably have seen it all by now and there is nothing wrong with trying to expand your skill set and move forward (especially if it involves a pay raise). As the other posters here have said, do not burn any bridges. The pharmacy network is highly connected, and a moment of bad judgement can definitely come back to haunt you.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

One thing more to add. If you do plan to stay on with CVS in your career as a pharmacist, your five years of tech experience + intern experience will be of great advantage to you if competition for a pharmacist job becomes fierce around the time you graduate. It will also be a factor when you negotiate your wage as a pharmacist.