How do I secure a job prior to graduation?

[Amphetamine Salts]

i went to my school's career fair today and had 2 on campus interviews. i handed out some resumes and sent a follow up email to one mail order company. unfortunately i don't think they're hiring prior to graduation though and would like you to be licensed first.

i had two retail interviews, the 1st one seemed bogus and i was told that they won't be making selections until feburary, and that in order to get something i would have to reach out around that time. my second interview was at rite aid. it felt more like a legitimate interview with behavioral type questions. unfortunately i don't think i performed that excellent because i only recieved few questions. the last one i had was a behavioral question in which i had to tell a time in which i provided good customer service. i sort of re iterated an example i said earlier and threw in some extra general examples. after that the interviewer asked me what questions did i have. seemed like the interview was cut short but i'm not too sure.

anyway, i sent a thank you e-mail to the regional recruiter of rite aid, reitrated my regional availability and said let's keep in touch. i also reached out to a walgreens recruiter who i wanted to interview with today but unfortunately did not get a selection for reasons unknown.

with that being said i'm not sure what to do next. i really would like to secure something before i graduate. i have tons of loans that i need to repay, undergrad due to parent plus and grad. the amount of debt i am in is shocking. which is why i can't really delay going without a job after graduation even for a few months. that would really make life difficult. which is why i'm trying with my efforts to get some sort of offer as soon as possible. anyone have any tips or advice on what i should do next?

thanks

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[ranger99rx]

How about apply as an intern for one of the chain? It's probably easier if you already have 1 foot in. If you don't like that company then apply as an intern for another one. Always looking for job until you find one that you like. With this market, you never know when they will cut your hours unless you are a PIC. If you are worry about student loan then apply for retail full time and part-time else where (LTC, hospital, etc.) In my market w/ my company, most newly hired pharmacists are part time only until there is a full time spot open.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

i currently intern at CVS and have been there for a little over 3 years. the issue is that i was not so set on retail when i first started and that definitely came out to the pharmacists, which is why i never got an interview for CVS. i remember saying i wouldn't want to work for CVS at all a year ago, at this point though i'd be happy with any retail position that i can get

 

[steveysmith54]

How about reaching out to your preceptors/rotation sites to ask for any kind of a position or referral, perdiem/etc. That easiest way to get a job prior to being licensed is to have someone who can vouch for you and knows you.

You should def try to mend your fences with CVS. They are the highest or second highest job provider that I know of.. I'd try to reach out to your DM or anyone that you know of there to give you a chance, sell yourself as someone who knows the computer system etc, willing to go anywhere, be an asset to the company.

I graduated a WHILE ago. I had 5 job interview who came to my school and all said the same thing, right now we are not looking to hire, we will keep your application on file.. I started out my career at a chain, as well as a part timer. Don't give up. But expect it to be hard and expect to work your butt off. Real school starts now.

 

[Melazine]

I graduated in 2016, I had a full time job offer from Rite Aid the year before I graduated (I was interning with them at the time). I guess just have very impressive work ethic, never say "no," and do whatever they ask.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

How about reaching out to your preceptors/rotation sites to ask for any kind of a position or referral, perdiem/etc. That easiest way to get a job prior to being licensed is to have someone who can vouch for you and knows you.

You should def try to mend your fences with CVS. They are the highest or second highest job provider that I know of.. I'd try to reach out to your DM or anyone that you know of there to give you a chance, sell yourself as someone who knows the computer system etc, willing to go anywhere, be an asset to the company.

I graduated a WHILE ago. I had 5 job interview who came to my school and all said the same thing, right now we are not looking to hire, we will keep your application on file.. I started out my career at a chain, as well as a part timer. Don't give up. But expect it to be hard and expect to work your butt off. Real school starts now.

i just wish i knew what to actually do at this point. it appears that CVS isn't hiring locally and i have missed the opportunity to interview, these were done sometime during september to october

of course if i were to go anywhere it would be less difficult to get a job. but at the moment i would prefer somewhere local, uprooting my life and going to a different part of the country wasn't really my plan

i tried to get in contact with walmart pharmacy's district manager but i was unsuccessful at that. perhaps i should try walmart again? maybe call around and see if they have any intern positions available

 

[steveysmith54]

i just wish i knew what to actually do at this point. it appears that CVS isn't hiring locally and i have missed the opportunity to interview, these were done sometime during september to october

of course if i were to go anywhere it would be less difficult to get a job. but at the moment i would prefer somewhere local, uprooting my life and going to a different part of the country wasn't really my plan

i tried to get in contact with walmart pharmacy's district manager but i was unsuccessful at that. perhaps i should try walmart again? maybe call around and see if they have any intern positions available

Just curious what part of the country are you trying to work in? I hope it’s not Los Angeles or New York lol

I would continue to knock on CVS’ doors, they will have pharmacists reject their offers as residency matches are announced, people hear back from more desirable jobs, etc... sometimes you got to beg to get what you want or need...

Lastly, sometimes things don’t go according to plan... deal with it lol

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

Just curious what part of the country are you trying to work in? I hope it’s not Los Angeles or New York lol

I would continue to knock on CVS’ doors, they will have pharmacists reject their offers as residency matches are announced, people hear back from more desirable jobs, etc... sometimes you got to beg to get what you want or need...

Lastly, sometimes things don’t go according to plan... deal with it lol

alright, i sent an e-mail to the pharmacy supervisor around august regarding interviews but never heard back. i just now sent another e-mail. i feel bad because during my time at cvs i haven't kept up with any experienceRX training and never really took it seriously. i feel if i were to get interviewed and was questioned on my progression and time there i may be likely to fumble due to not having legitimate training throughout the years (store is always very busy and it's always just work work work).

i'm in the tri-state area, northeast

 

[beautifulrobot]

i feel bad because during my time at cvs i haven't kept up with any experienceRX training and never really took it seriously. i feel if i were to get interviewed and was questioned on my progression and time there i may be likely to fumble due to not having legitimate training throughout the years (store is always very busy and it's always just work work work).

Own your mistakes and think about what you've learned from them and what you're doing to avoid making them again. Showing insight and taking initiative to change is a strength, not a weakness. Also give yourself some credit for the work you've done and the experience you have gained, even if you weren't always performing at your best or taking the job as seriously as you could.

 

[PharmLifeWoot]

CVS is really your only chance of getting a job secured prior to graduation.

 

[Chriskahn]

How about reaching out to your preceptors/rotation sites to ask for any kind of a position or referral, perdiem/etc. That easiest way to get a job prior to being licensed is to have someone who can vouch for you and knows you.

That doesn't always work, but it doesn't hurt to try.

It's really up to the DM when it comes to hiring. I got honors in one of my retail APPE and my preceptor encouraged me to apply as an intern in order to get one foot in the door and maybe get hired on as a pharmacist after graduation. He vouched for me but the DM said no. Not even as an intern. And my preceptor was a store manager that's pretty well respected.

 

[steveysmith54]

That doesn't always work, but it doesn't hurt to try.

It's really up to the DM when it comes to hiring. I got honors in one of my retail APPE and my preceptor encouraged me to apply as an intern in order to get one foot in the door and maybe get hired on as a pharmacist after graduation. He vouched for me but the DM said no. Not even as an intern. And my preceptor was a store manager that's pretty well respected.

In chain, you're right. If it's in a hospital or independent pharmacy, it's a different story. I speak from personal experience, I had received a per diem offer from both hospital and independent after rotations. The owner of the independent and hospital director thought i was a good fit for their workplace.

 

[steveysmith54]

Just add one more point for anyone who is still in Pharmacy school... I didn’t realize how important networking is in this saturated market until later on...a lot of desirable jobs are generally filled even before a job is posted... the director or hiring person typically already has someone in mind for the position based on recommendations from collages/friends... id say 1/3 of the job postings are typically filled and are being posted per company policies as a formality

Second, anytime that one has any kind of job or even rotation as intern , one needs to always needs to treat this opportunity as an audition for a job... even if there are no current openings, there may be some in the future or a good reference is critical

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

I sent in an online application for a grad intern position at walgreens today. I think right now my plan is to periodically check indeed for new job postings for grad intern positions. also to be on the look out for e-mails pertaining to more career fairs or interview opportunities at my school

 

[Hulkbuster333]

For retail, you have to apply to the grad intern positions. For places that have already hired their potential new grads, get the district manager contact info and contact them when people find out about residencies. A lot of people will accept retail positions in case they don't get a residency. One DM told me to contact him every month or so to see if he had anything when I was looking.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

For retail, you have to apply to the grad intern positions. For places that have already hired their potential new grads, get the district manager contact info and contact them when people find out about residencies. A lot of people will accept retail positions in case they don't get a residency. One DM told me to contact him every month or so to see if he had anything when I was looking.

yes at the moment i need to go for grad intern positions, not pharmacy intern. if i just do pharmacy intern that does not guarantee me a pharmacist job afterward which is what i want. and i can't apply to pharmacist jobs now because i have no license.

i already have cards from the career fair for certain managers at retail. any ideas on how i can get the contact info of district managers for other pharmacies like walmart, giant pharmacy? i'm not sure if calling stores and requesting that directly will work. also, i'm not sure if any of these managers would have interest in talking to me if they haven't met me. one district manager told me to reach out during feburary to see if anything is available. seems like some time from now, but i will definitely reach out

 

[Hulkbuster333]

yes at the moment i need to go for grad intern positions, not pharmacy intern. if i just do pharmacy intern that does not guarantee me a pharmacist job afterward which is what i want. and i can't apply to pharmacist jobs now because i have no license.

i already have cards from the career fair for certain managers at retail. any ideas on how i can get the contact info of district managers for other pharmacies like walmart, giant pharmacy? i'm not sure if calling stores and requesting that directly will work. also, i'm not sure if any of these managers would have interest in talking to me if they haven't met me. one district manager told me to reach out during feburary to see if anything is available. seems like some time from now, but i will definitely reach out

You pretty much call a store in the area you want and tell them you are a pharmacy student and ask for the information. Every place I called gave me an email address.

 

[npage148]

If you're in the NE, look to Maine or VT or upstate or the southern tier NY (like real upstate). They seem like they are hard to fill places

 

[gwarm01]

Just add one more point for anyone who is still in Pharmacy school... I didn’t realize how important networking is in this saturated market until later on...a lot of desirable jobs are generally filled even before a job is posted... the director or hiring person typically already has someone in mind for the position based on recommendations from collages/friends... id say 1/3 of the job postings are typically filled and are being posted per company policies as a formality

Second, anytime that one has any kind of job or even rotation as intern , one needs to always needs to treat this opportunity as an audition for a job... even if there are no current openings, there may be some in the future or a good reference is critical

This is true. I've seen so many job postings that were basically filled before they even went up.

I always felt lucky about getting my first job out of school. I had moved across country and was applying blindly to every hospital within a 100 mile radius. I got a job at a very well respected institution against all odds. I was later told by the director that HR had network issues all year and they only received one or two resumes for any job that was posted. The universe is funny sometimes.

 

[quickpic007]

i went to my school's career fair today and had 2 on campus interviews. i handed out some resumes and sent a follow up email to one mail order company. unfortunately i don't think they're hiring prior to graduation though and would like you to be licensed first.

i had two retail interviews, the 1st one seemed bogus and i was told that they won't be making selections until feburary, and that in order to get something i would have to reach out around that time. my second interview was at rite aid. it felt more like a legitimate interview with behavioral type questions. unfortunately i don't think i performed that excellent because i only recieved few questions. the last one i had was a behavioral question in which i had to tell a time in which i provided good customer service. i sort of re iterated an example i said earlier and threw in some extra general examples. after that the interviewer asked me what questions did i have. seemed like the interview was cut short but i'm not too sure.

anyway, i sent a thank you e-mail to the regional recruiter of rite aid, reitrated my regional availability and said let's keep in touch. i also reached out to a walgreens recruiter who i wanted to interview with today but unfortunately did not get a selection for reasons unknown.

with that being said i'm not sure what to do next. i really would like to secure something before i graduate. i have tons of loans that i need to repay, undergrad due to parent plus and grad. the amount of debt i am in is shocking. which is why i can't really delay going without a job after graduation even for a few months. that would really make life difficult. which is why i'm trying with my efforts to get some sort of offer as soon as possible. anyone have any tips or advice on what i should do next?

thanks

if youre a cvs intern they are always looking for people nationwide despite what BS you hear elsewhere. Maybe California is in your future.

 

[ornithoptor]

Here is a tip for job seeker.
Go to ASHP Midyear.
Sign up for PPS
I was never going to get residency, but I paid for the trip and sign up for the service, I ended up having 20ish interviews in 3 days.

Great investment, I got multiple offers as result. Of course, the caveat is that you must be willing to relocate, and this happened years ago.
Good luck.



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[Amphetamine Salts]

i actually don't plan to go to midyear. i'm not really into that scene to be honest.

frankly, i still don't even understand why people want to do residences. like i just don't get it. some guy in my class told me that he's pursuing a PhD after graduating from pharmacy, he said he wants to do research and find a cure for Alzheimer. really all fascinating stuff, i have absolutely no interest to go down that route though, same with residency. i guess i'm just wired differently

 

[ornithoptor]

Just to clarify: I was not at Midyear for residency interview. I paid the registration so I could have unlimited job interviews. When I divided up the cost and 20+ interviews I went, it was very cost effective.


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[steveysmith54]

i actually don't plan to go to midyear. i'm not really into that scene to be honest.

frankly, i still don't even understand why people want to do residences. like i just don't get it. some guy in my class told me that he's pursuing a PhD after graduating from pharmacy, he said he wants to do research and find a cure for Alzheimer. really all fascinating stuff, i have absolutely no interest to go down that route though, same with residency. i guess i'm just wired differently

Maybe they don’t have a job offer like you and didn’t make a good impression at CVS, either

 

[alprazolamborghini]

Just to clarify: I was not at Midyear for residency interview. I paid the registration so I could have unlimited job interviews. When I divided up the cost and 20+ interviews I went, it was very cost effective.


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The thing i dont get is arent majority of hospital systems in midyear there for promoting their pgy programs? would it be beneficial for non residency trained people or for students who are not thinking of residency? I mean, who goes to mid year not thinking about post graduate training

 

[lord999]

i actually don't plan to go to midyear. i'm not really into that scene to be honest.

frankly, i still don't even understand why people want to do residences. like i just don't get it. some guy in my class told me that he's pursuing a PhD after graduating from pharmacy, he said he wants to do research and find a cure for Alzheimer. really all fascinating stuff, i have absolutely no interest to go down that route though, same with residency. i guess i'm just wired differently

Speaking from the perspective of actually doing that, he's full of it. I completely understand your perspective that this is a job that I've already invested in, and it's time to cash in and being frustrated with that check bouncing. Unfortunately, the golden apple requires insertion still.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

The thing i dont get is arent majority of hospital systems in midyear there for promoting their pgy programs? would it be beneficial for non residency trained people or for students who are not thinking of residency? I mean, who goes to mid year not thinking about post graduate training

this is my thinking too. seems that mid year = for post graduate training such as residency/fellowship. since i have no interest in that it's not really my scene. i don't think they have many retail interviews at mid year? anyone feel free to correct me though

 

[beautifulrobot]

this is my thinking too. seems that mid year = for post graduate training such as residency/fellowship. since i have no interest in that it's not really my scene. i don't think they have many retail interviews at mid year? anyone feel free to correct me though

You can go to the ASHP website to see which PPS positions are available to interview for. They include some community/retail positions, but are usually more "clinical services manager" type positions for retail stores.

 

[ranger99rx]

Walmart is not hiring any grad intern at the moment according to conference call this morning.

 

[Modest_anteater]

i went to my school's career fair today and had 2 on campus interviews. i handed out some resumes and sent a follow up email to one mail order company. unfortunately i don't think they're hiring prior to graduation though and would like you to be licensed first.

i had two retail interviews, the 1st one seemed bogus and i was told that they won't be making selections until feburary, and that in order to get something i would have to reach out around that time. my second interview was at rite aid. it felt more like a legitimate interview with behavioral type questions. unfortunately i don't think i performed that excellent because i only recieved few questions. the last one i had was a behavioral question in which i had to tell a time in which i provided good customer service. i sort of re iterated an example i said earlier and threw in some extra general examples. after that the interviewer asked me what questions did i have. seemed like the interview was cut short but i'm not too sure.

anyway, i sent a thank you e-mail to the regional recruiter of rite aid, reitrated my regional availability and said let's keep in touch. i also reached out to a walgreens recruiter who i wanted to interview with today but unfortunately did not get a selection for reasons unknown.

with that being said i'm not sure what to do next. i really would like to secure something before i graduate. i have tons of loans that i need to repay, undergrad due to parent plus and grad. the amount of debt i am in is shocking. which is why i can't really delay going without a job after graduation even for a few months. that would really make life difficult. which is why i'm trying with my efforts to get some sort of offer as soon as possible. anyone have any tips or advice on what i should do next?

thanks

It's hard to get a full time job starting out. You should be looking for a PRN, parttime or floater position. You should look into moving to Alaska or Mississippi or rural Texas to get a job. Pharmacy is getting very competitive and unless you personally know and are connected with the DM you will NOT get a job. Getting into pharmacy school and living a luxury life with bloated student loans is the easy part. The hard part is getting a job.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

just heard back from CVS. they said they're kicking me out on 3/1 lol. 3.5 years of work there. i don't blame them though, when i came into cvs i didn't really care, and that showed. it was only recently that i started taking an interest in retail.

but anyway, cvs is 100% out. they don't want me, oh well. i suppose as a last resort i can try again once i'm licensed. but honestly, by the time march rolls around i SHOULD already have some job offers or know where i am going after graduation

 

[Modest_anteater]

just heard back from CVS. they said they're kicking me out on 3/1 lol. 3.5 years of work there. i don't blame them though, when i came into cvs i didn't really care, and that showed. it was only recently that i started taking an interest in retail.

but anyway, cvs is 100% out. they don't want me, oh well. i suppose as a last resort i can try again once i'm licensed. but honestly, by the time march rolls around i SHOULD already have some job offers or know where i am going after graduation

CVS is only really for Type A (x9999) any how. Keep up the good work looking for jobs. If you are geographically flexibly you will find a job eventually.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

CVS is only really for Type A (x9999) any how. Keep up the good work looking for jobs. If you are geographically flexibly you will find a job eventually.

i'm willing to drive up to 1 hour one way from the major city that i live in

would heavily prefer not moving

 

[Modest_anteater]

i'm willing to drive up to 1 hour one way from the major city that i live in

would heavily prefer not moving

I mean one hour isn't that far from a city center. I would try to get used to the idea that moving 2-4 hours outside a major city to a more rural area might be a reality. If you wait long enough in ur current environment pharmacists will die/retire but the competition will be fierce for those open positions.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

I mean one hour isn't that far from a city center. I would try to get used to the idea that moving 2-4 hours outside a major city to a more rural area might be a reality. If you wait long enough in ur current environment pharmacists will die/retire but the competition will be fierce for those open positions.

that would actually be very crappy if that were to happen to me. if i really can't find not even 1 job within a 1 hour distance from me after graduation i may just go crazy and start applying everywhere. i would be willing to even do 1 hr to 1 hr 15 minutes commute to be honest.

 

[ranger99rx]

Ever heard of "Home is where your job is"? You are hesitate the thought of moving, but in the end what would you rather have a full time job or a part time or even no job? You can always come back!

 

[ornithoptor]

The thing i dont get is arent majority of hospital systems in midyear there for promoting their pgy programs? would it be beneficial for non residency trained people or for students who are not thinking of residency? I mean, who goes to mid year not thinking about post graduate training

I did, and payout for my investment was very handsome. I was offered manager job at major academic hospital. Of course, I had other experiences which helped. Out of 35 of my classmates who went to Midyear, I was the only who did not care about residency. I did not go to showcase or even exhibitions, I was there just to take advantage of the PPS. Think about it, where else in the world can offer you 20+interviews in three days. Nowadays, you are lucky to have interviews after sending out multiple resumes. It is also why career fair are also valuable that connect you to all the employers. That being said, there will always be people who are not ready to take advantages in life being less than prepared.
You have spend 200k on education, why not spend another 2k to seal the deal. Take proactive approach, you will get what you want. I now have desk job with above average pay, and never bored but no stress at my own pace. Give it a shot.


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