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- Aug 12, 2005
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If anyone is looking for jobs BEFORE you get your PTCE results, I was in your same shoes a while back when I was waiting on my scores. I was going to post this in the other PTCE thread, but decided to make a new one for clarity. Some advice:
Be confident to potential employers that you passed. (even if you're not)
Offer to work as a volunteer trainee or for lower pay, with employment conditional upon passing (but don't say that up front, you want to keep that card. And I don't know if that will work for everyone if they think you will just be in the way).
When you call people, always say that you are looking for a Pharmacy Technician position (don't say that you would are looking for a tech job, or a clerk, cashier, or assistant job. it seemed like that was a red flag for them)
Reiterate that if you don't pass, you are certain that you will take it again and pass with little effort after getting some experience.
Emphasize other college coursework, like chemistry, and your goals of being a pharmacist. That is the only way some people would talk to me. If they ask if you have experience, answer POSITIVELY with "Well, I want to be a pharmacist and..." NOT negatively with "No, but..."
Try smaller pharmacies and independent places. For me they were much more receptive, and I got a job with a lower pay rate until I got my scores, and then they bumped me up. Yay!
I put on my resume that I have Pharmacy Technician certification pending passing scores on the such and such date test, and I am expecting those results on such and such date.
Cast a WIDE net and call a lot of places. I got a LOT of no's so this was very necessary. Don't be picky.
I got a job before I got my scores, but if I hadn't, I think it would be a good thing to update them, because most places probably shredded my resume if they saw that my certification was pending.
Be confident to potential employers that you passed. (even if you're not)
Offer to work as a volunteer trainee or for lower pay, with employment conditional upon passing (but don't say that up front, you want to keep that card. And I don't know if that will work for everyone if they think you will just be in the way).
When you call people, always say that you are looking for a Pharmacy Technician position (don't say that you would are looking for a tech job, or a clerk, cashier, or assistant job. it seemed like that was a red flag for them)
Reiterate that if you don't pass, you are certain that you will take it again and pass with little effort after getting some experience.
Emphasize other college coursework, like chemistry, and your goals of being a pharmacist. That is the only way some people would talk to me. If they ask if you have experience, answer POSITIVELY with "Well, I want to be a pharmacist and..." NOT negatively with "No, but..."
Try smaller pharmacies and independent places. For me they were much more receptive, and I got a job with a lower pay rate until I got my scores, and then they bumped me up. Yay!
I put on my resume that I have Pharmacy Technician certification pending passing scores on the such and such date test, and I am expecting those results on such and such date.
Cast a WIDE net and call a lot of places. I got a LOT of no's so this was very necessary. Don't be picky.
I got a job before I got my scores, but if I hadn't, I think it would be a good thing to update them, because most places probably shredded my resume if they saw that my certification was pending.
