Hospital vs Retail

[Cassiopious]

I wasn't sure where the best spot to place this was, but I had a question that's kind of related to the job market.

I currently work as an evening tech at a 24-hour CVS. My goal is to pass the CPht and get a job at the hospital that I am just up the street from. My question is this: would it be better to rough it out at CVS and work my way up as an intern so I can keep the job security, or go out on a limb and try to get away as fast as possible? I've been at CVS for a year, and I'm not sure I necessarily have enough experience to secure a hospital tech position, or that my job security would be as substantial there after graduation. However, it is CVS, and I'm not sure I even have it in me to last another 6-7 years as a tech and then an intern until they'd give me an official pharmacist position. I don't want the stress of this job to have negative effects on my schoolwork, but I want to keep a job so that I keep the connections.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

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[lapharmacienne]

I would definitely go for the hospital job if you can get it...they can always train you so experience is not a major factor there.

 

[farmadiazepine]

Hospital. You can always easily come back to CVS.

 

[BidingMyTime]

When are you planning to go to pharmacy school? It sounds like you are planning to be working as a technician for 6 - 7 years, and then start pharmacy school (there is no "working your way up" to be an intern, you have to be admitted to a pharmacy school, and most places require 1 year of pharmacy school under your belt, before you can be an intern.)

Given that pharmacy school sounds 6 - 7 years out for you, I would definitely make the move to hospital now, if that is what you want to do. I'd probably get cpht certified first, just because that will give you a slight advantage when applying to the hospital, but it really doesn't matter. I assume the hospital would also give you the training to be cpht certified (in IL, its required that all employers must give technician training, but I don't know how that works in your state.)

Another possibility if you get the hospital job, see if CVS will let you work 1 shift a month in order to keep your contacts there.

 

[Cassiopious]

I would definitely go for the hospital job if you can get it...they can always train you so experience is not a major factor there.

I'm certainly hoping so. I'm also hoping that the certification/actual job experience will help.

Hospital. You can always easily come back to CVS.

Very similar to what some of my coworkers are saying, but they of course all still work for CVS! It's good to hear that from another source.

When are you planning to go to pharmacy school?

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I'll be going to pharmacy school in the next 2-3 years after my prereqs are finished, but I meant I'd have to work at CVS for another 6-7 years total before I become a pharmacist. Which is still a long time to stick with CVS.

Another possibility if you get the hospital job, see if CVS will let you work 1 shift a month in order to keep your contacts there.

A great idea! One of my coworkers left for another job, but after an ridiculous amount of hullabaloo, she came back to the store for shifts once a week. I'm sure my store would never turn down the help, and it would definitely assuage my worries about keeping CVS as a backup plan.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses!