Is the job hunt supposed to be this confusing?

[PharmDHawkeye]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So, I was just wondering if everyone has as annoying of a time looking for a job as I'm having.

I'm essentially just going to pharmacy chain websites and putting in online applications. This feels like a completely fruitless effort, and I'm not sure where else to look exactly. I know the market isn't great right now, so I am pretty open to working in whatever setting I can get a job in, at least to start.

Is there some other place besides chain websites that I'm supposed to be looking? I just don't know where else to even start.

 

[Hope1974]

When you find out, let me know.

 

[2012PharmDgrad]

When you find out, let me know.

Just check on Careerbuilder, lol...

 

[glory4england]

So, I was just wondering if everyone has as annoying of a time looking for a job as I'm having.

I'm essentially just going to pharmacy chain websites and putting in online applications. This feels like a completely fruitless effort, and I'm not sure where else to look exactly. I know the market isn't great right now, so I am pretty open to working in whatever setting I can get a job in, at least to start.

Is there some other place besides chain websites that I'm supposed to be looking? I just don't know where else to even start.

Are you graduating or graduated already? Did your school have a career fair your P4 year?

 

[WhYMee]

If you are still a student, try asking your friends to refer you. If not, just poke your head in the pharmacy and ask for the supervising pharmacist and ask if they or any other store they know of are hiring

 

[BrightLight]

The way I did it was (at least in California) I went to the board's website and searched for registered pharmacists on record by entering the cities where I wanted to work. Then I visited their addresses one by one to introduce myself and ask for job opportunities.

 

[BMBiology]

The way I did it was (at least in California) I went to the board's website and searched for registered pharmacists on record by entering the cities where I wanted to work. Then I visited their addresses one by one to introduce myself and ask for job opportunities.

That shows a lot of heart (kinda creepy). Too bad you didn't find me or I would have hired you!

 

[rph3664]

So, I was just wondering if everyone has as annoying of a time looking for a job as I'm having.

I'm essentially just going to pharmacy chain websites and putting in online applications. This feels like a completely fruitless effort, and I'm not sure where else to look exactly. I know the market isn't great right now, so I am pretty open to working in whatever setting I can get a job in, at least to start.

Is there some other place besides chain websites that I'm supposed to be looking? I just don't know where else to even start.

Are you a student at the University of Iowa? If you're interested in retail, there are quite a few independent and small chain pharmacies in and around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. You would need to go directly to them, introduce yourself, and fill out a paper application. Towncrest, Shepley's, and Benjamin's Apothecary have especially good reputations WRT customer service and preceptorships. As for the hospitals, just go to their websites and fill out an application. It's hard to find a job in Iowa City itself for obvious reasons, but if you're willing to drive even 20 or 30 miles, it shouldn't be difficult.

 

[rph3664]

Are you graduating or graduated already? Did your school have a career fair your P4 year?

We had our career fair while I was doing rotations 2,000 miles away.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

Thanks for the reply, everyone! Let me clarify a few things.

I am an Iowa student, but I'm looking to move away. I'm looking in Omaha, NE, Columbus,OH, Missouri, Maryland, and Illinois. I agree that it's great to reach out personally, I don't have the time or resources to do so in all of these places.

I'm interested in hospice pharmacy, but also would enjoy community or be open to a hospital job. I'm not looking for a dream job to start, I was just wondering if there was a better database to search. I'm having a ton of trouble finding hospice jobs, but right now I'm posted up on linkedin and monster, and applying to individual companies.

Any other databases I should be looking in? Where have you guys had luck?

 

[Angela1234]

No luck yet. I've tried hundreds of places so far. The job market is awful and yet people still want to go to pharmacy school. I have friends graduating this year who don't have any work lined up.

 

[Hope1974]

And people still keep going to pharmacy school.......

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

No luck yet. I've tried hundreds of places so far. The job market is awful and yet people still want to go to pharmacy school. I have friends graduating this year who don't have any work lined up.

I don't know about you, but I hadn't interned with a chain during pharmacy school. I hear there are more opportunities for us in march/april, so we may get lucky yet.

 

[Angela1234]

I have two years of experience working as a pharmacist and had to move to be closer to family.

 

[rph3664]

Do free-standing hospice pharmacies exist? I've never heard of one. I couldn't imagine any hospice, even one in a big city, being large enough to support one. I have certainly dealt with hospice, but it was always contracted through local or regional pharmacies, the ones that had 24-hour service (or someone on call if none was available) or the local hospital if they had a retail division.

 

[samuricool]

Ohio has six schools of pharmacy and Columbus is the states largest city. Unless your application jumps off the desk then I wouldn't get your hopes up.

 

[RxQueen2010]

Ohio has six schools of pharmacy and Columbus is the states largest city. Unless your application jumps off the desk then I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Ohio actually has seven pharmacy schools: Ohio State, Ohio Northern, Univ of Cincinnati, Univ of Toledo, Univ of Findlay, Northeast Ohio Medical Univ (NEOMED), and Cedarville.

My employer has a hospital position open in Coshocton, which is 75 miles northeast of Columbus. If interested, send me a message.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

Do free-standing hospice pharmacies exist? I've never heard of one. I couldn't imagine any hospice, even one in a big city, being large enough to support one. I have certainly dealt with hospice, but it was always contracted through local or regional pharmacies, the ones that had 24-hour service (or someone on call if none was available) or the local hospital if they had a retail division.

The hospice pharmacy I rotated at in Chicago was free-standing, and also provided PBM services. They had a lot of newish grads working, and provided mail-out and home delivery services too. There are bigger services, like Pharmerica, that provide similar services as well.

While I am interested in hospice, I doubt that's where I'll start. That's more of a "dream job" type scenario.

 

[samuricool]

Ohio actually has seven pharmacy schools: Ohio State, Ohio Northern, Univ of Cincinnati, Univ of Toledo, Univ of Findlay, Northeast Ohio Medical Univ (NEOMED), and Cedarville.

My employer has a hospital position open in Coshocton, which is 75 miles northeast of Columbus. If interested, send me a message.

Cedarville hasn't even started their first class, I thought. Only reason I didn't count them.

Edit: Looks like they started this past fall.

 

[xiphoid2010]

also keep in mind that OSU interns and its alumni network has columbus kind of locked down. Ohio northern grads has a decent reputation there as well. So there goes most good to decent positions. Not many toledo or cincinnati grads, but at least their reputation as from established schools are recognized. The other new schools pretty much are just stuff pharmacists joke about.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

also keep in mind that OSU interns and its alumni network has columbus kind of locked down. Ohio northern grads has a decent reputation there as well. So there goes most good to decent positions. Not many toledo or cincinnati grads, but at least their reputation as from established schools are recognized. The other new schools pretty much are just stuff pharmacists joke about.

Ohio really is stacked up with schools! Most of my efforts are going towards finding something in Omaha at the moment, but Columbus is def a close second. I hear Omaha is competitive, but I don't know how it stacks up against the 6 (now 7) schools in Ohio.

 

[rph3664]

When I said "finding a job shouldn't be too difficult", I meant as a tech, not a pharmacist, but you probably figured that out already. 😳

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

When I said "finding a job shouldn't be too difficult", I meant as a tech, not a pharmacist, but you probably figured that out already. 😳

Ah well! I'm gonna look as hard as I can until I graduate, and if there's honestly nothing in any place I could bear to work... wouldn't be the end of the world to be a tech again!

 

[Hope1974]

Ah well! I'm gonna look as hard as I can until I graduate, and if there's honestly nothing in any place I could bear to work... wouldn't be the end of the world to be a tech again!

To be a tech you have to go through a program, at least in this state(Florida) even if you hold a PharmD. And also take the test- which is a piece of cake. So, in other words you have to be certified as a technician and go through a program. I found that ridiculous.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

Here's to hoping I won't have to worry about that =)

What is the expectation of PharmD's that can't find pharmacist jobs? Is that really the last thing we have left to do?

 

[grumps]

As a 16 year veteran that has not worked as a pharmacist since aug 2011, I have given up searching. I'm just trying to get a flunkie job in a warehouse, or administrative clerk. But I can't even get those b/c my interviews come off as too smart for the job, too independent, unmanageable. The economy is too weak to open a business plus the regulations are just over the top.

 

[nafcillin]

The way I did it was (at least in California) I went to the board's website and searched for registered pharmacists on record by entering the cities where I wanted to work. Then I visited their addresses one by one to introduce myself and ask for job opportunities.

Lol

 

[New Bee]

As a 16 year veteran that has not worked as a pharmacist since aug 2011, I have given up searching. I'm just trying to get a flunkie job in a warehouse, or administrative clerk. But I can't even get those b/c my interviews come off as too smart for the job, too independent, unmanageable. The economy is too weak to open a business plus the regulations are just over the top.

As a veteran, you should have an inside track to jobs with the federal government, including VA hospitals.

 

[Angela1234]

That's an awful story, Grumps. I will keep you and me and everyone without jobs in our thoughts.You think there'd be at least a part time job somewhere for all of us.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

As a 16 year veteran that has not worked as a pharmacist since aug 2011, I have given up searching. I'm just trying to get a flunkie job in a warehouse, or administrative clerk. But I can't even get those b/c my interviews come off as too smart for the job, too independent, unmanageable. The economy is too weak to open a business plus the regulations are just over the top.

As another poster suggested, you should definitely try to get in with the VA. Even some other organizations, like some Mercy hospitals in Iowa, seem to be asking if you have military experience right on the application. Use this to your advantage, I really hope that you are fortunate and able to find some work as a pharmacist!

 

[Angela1234]

Did he mean veteran as in the VA or veteran of pharmacy, as in he's been a pharmacist for a while?

 

[Wellthen]

As a newly licensed pharmacist (granted I graduated off-schedule for medical reasons), I can confirm the job market is much worse than anticipated. I'm having a hard time even finding part-time work. Employer requirements are becoming pretty ridiculous. For example, a local hospital hiring for a PRN pharmacist (weekend evenings only) requires 2 years of experience--not preferred, I was turned down because it's a requirement. I'm waiting on a possible callback after a 2nd interview at a place 30 miles from me in a small town. I'm still competing with >20 people who interviewed. It's ridiculous out there.

Background:
I graduated from a top university and have a decade of prior business experience. And that's worth...sigh.

 

[asian pharm]

As a newly licensed pharmacist (granted I graduated off-schedule for medical reasons), I can confirm the job market is much worse than anticipated. I'm having a hard time even finding part-time work. Employer requirements are becoming pretty ridiculous. For example, a local hospital hiring for a PRN pharmacist (weekend evenings only) requires 2 years of experience--not preferred, I was turned down because it's a requirement. I'm waiting on a possible callback after a 2nd interview at a place 30 miles from me in a small town. I'm still competing with >20 people who interviewed. It's ridiculous out there.

Background:
I graduated from a top university and have a decade of prior business experience. And that's worth...sigh.

what is your location?

 

[Angela1234]

Wellthen, are you in California? Even those of us with years of experience can't get anything. Didn't even get picked for a retail floater job where you may have to commute up to 2 hours in snowstorms. I'd do anything for those of us out of work to be able to find nonretail jobs at least part time so we wouldn't have to be online talking about it anymore.

 

[Wellthen]

I'm in Texas. Don't believe the hype. Sure, Dallas has a few jobs but the vast majority are in the Valley. I can't move b/c my spouse has a specific line of work only in our town (otherwise we'd be moving out of state.) I thought pharmacy would be versatile enough that I could work anywhere pending state licensures if my husband had to move.

Angela1234, I feel for you. I can't imagine having worked for several years or decades even in pharmacy only to be phased out because of this surplus. It's a real shame.

 

[Angela1234]

I have some friends who live in Texas who work for Target, you may want to try them. Out here, the Target isn't hiring and they won't let you contact the recruiter, awesome, huh? Retail is better than having no job at all. What happened to me is that I had a retail job, which I didn't even want, on the west coast 1000s of miles away from everyone and I missed everyone on the east coast. I wanted my life back. Now I have nothing.
I always thought that there are so many types of pharmacy that you could pick what type of pharmacy you wanted to practice (long term care, mail order) and could pick where you wanted to live. Now I know it was a fairy tale.

 

[Wellthen]

Sorry to hear about that Angela1234. I've been applying for retail positions as well. It's literally dry as a bone in my direct locale, but I think some of that is due to: the time of year (fiscal year-end = budget tightening for lots of companies), many companies have already filled their upcoming positions with contracted grads (I was told I wasn't graduating "on-schedule" with their recruiting goals and to check back in a few months), the recession, and the 54% increase in pharmacy schools since 2000.

I have to say, when I started pharmacy school jobs were in plenty. Signing bonuses still existed though rare. I didn't anticipate the surplus to arrive so quickly, but then I learned that pharmacy has some of the worst national organizations out there in terms of protecting the profession. This unrestricted explosion of schools is irresponsible at best and predatory at worst.

But, I appreciate the input. I talked with Target a while back, but I'll certainly check them out again.

What happened to your job on the west coast? Did they let you go?

 

[universalcynic]

Did he mean veteran as in the VA or veteran of pharmacy, as in he's been a pharmacist for a while?

Yeah I interpreted it as the latter

 

[Angela1234]

No, I left by choice. There's only so much you can take in a job you don't even want and having to live across an entire continent from everyone. Honestly, I wanted my life back.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

I'm in Texas. Don't believe the hype. Sure, Dallas has a few jobs but the vast majority are in the Valley. I can't move b/c my spouse has a specific line of work only in our town (otherwise we'd be moving out of state.) I thought pharmacy would be versatile enough that I could work anywhere pending state licensures if my husband had to move.

Angela1234, I feel for you. I can't imagine having worked for several years or decades even in pharmacy only to be phased out because of this surplus. It's a real shame.

It's so wacky that unless you fall in the "experienced but not too experienced" category, you are in trouble. I can't find anything as a new grad, and the people that have been practicing a long time are having a lot of trouble too. Really scary to imagine it getting worse, but it really might.

 

[BMBiology]

No, I left by choice. There's only so much you can take in a job you don't even want and having to live across an entire continent from everyone. Honestly, I wanted my life back.

Sorry to hear that. What state did you work and what state are you currently living?

 

[rph3664]

As a veteran, you should have an inside track to jobs with the federal government, including VA hospitals.

I don't think Grumps is a military veteran, just a pharmacy veteran. I, too did 16 years before my last long term employer kicked me out, quite likely with the intention of not only booting me out of the profession, but the workforce as well. 😡 I also met with VERY overt hostility when employers discovered what my degree was, and repeatedly told me in no uncertain terms that not only was the interview over, but that they would really, really appreciate it if I did not apply for jobs there again. And no, I didn't threaten anyone, use profanity, etc.

That same place fired another pharmacist a few months later, and I recently found out that whatever it was that this person did also led to the revocation of their license. 😱

 

[rph3664]

No, I left by choice. There's only so much you can take in a job you don't even want and having to live across an entire continent from everyone. Honestly, I wanted my life back.

My (as of now) final pharmacy job was literally killing me. Had I worked there one more day, I would have been a patient IN the hospital where I worked. I had a panic attack that landed me in the ER and later lost between 10 and 15 pounds in less than a month; do you know how hard it is for a middle-aged woman to do that?

 

[rph3664]

And what's with this new trend of having, as directors, people who've been out of school for a year or two, or even brand new graduates? 😕 I regularly go to a meetup with a woman whose daughter graduated last year and signed on with Walgreens, and when she finally stopped floating (7 days a week, no less) and got her own store, they also wanted to make her a manager. She declined, in major part because she has a child she would like to see occasionally. Previously, people rarely did that unless they'd been out for 10 or 20 years, or more, and in hospitals, an MBA is almost always a requirement.

In the summer of 2011, I had a job through an agency with a startup that did indeed hire a new graduate as their director. I'm still in touch with a couple of those people on Facebook, and I don't think he even works there at all any more. I realized almost immediately that I did not want to sign on as a regular employee there because (among other things) the regular employees were having a lot of difficulty getting paid. 😡

 

[metrarx]

I don't think Grumps is a military veteran, just a pharmacy veteran. I, too did 16 years before my last long term employer kicked me out, quite likely with the intention of not only booting me out of the profession, but the workforce as well. 😡 I also met with VERY overt hostility when employers discovered what my degree was, and repeatedly told me in no uncertain terms that not only was the interview over, but that they would really, really appreciate it if I did not apply for jobs there again. And no, I didn't threaten anyone, use profanity, etc.

That same place fired another pharmacist a few months later, and I recently found out that whatever it was that this person did also led to the revocation of their license. 😱

That seems a bit harsh just because of the degree you hold. Did they give you a reason for abruptly ending the interview like that?

 

[rph3664]

That seems a bit harsh just because of the degree you hold. Did they give you a reason for abruptly ending the interview like that?

Basically, that I was overqualified and that they would not consider me for a job there, at that time or ever.

I came back to the site to let y'all know that a poster on another board said that she lives in Maryland, although the city wasn't specified, and their area has a pharmacist shortage.

 

[owlegrad]

I don't think Grumps is a military veteran, just a pharmacy veteran. I, too did 16 years before my last long term employer kicked me out, quite likely with the intention of not only booting me out of the profession, but the workforce as well. 😡 I also met with VERY overt hostility when employers discovered what my degree was, and repeatedly told me in no uncertain terms that not only was the interview over, but that they would really, really appreciate it if I did not apply for jobs there again. And no, I didn't threaten anyone, use profanity, etc.

That same place fired another pharmacist a few months later, and I recently found out that whatever it was that this person did also led to the revocation of their license. 😱

Didn't you just get done saying in another thread that you left voluntarily? 😕

 

[rph3664]

Didn't you just get done saying in another thread that you left voluntarily? 😕

The decision to leave pharmacy altogether was voluntary, and made in February 2012.

 

[grumps]

No, by veteran I meant a veteran of the pharmacy field. Though 16 years high volume retail here in SE Florida is enough to give one PTSD. All this technology did was speed up the amount of work thrown in our faces, it didn't make our jobs easier. Combined with Walgreens stupid let's have as many in-windows as possible and not staff them paradigm, healthcare testing, techs soliciting flu shots, smudged images sent back from Power, Power not typing all the orders on a script only to discover this at the drivethru POS, stupid DUR overrides for prenatal vitamins at POS, data entry for PSE sales, "why can't I get my EBA" whining, filling techs that panic if more than 5 labels print out, techs who get to stand in one place and complain that it's too cold ( sorry princess, my brain is the bottleneck of this operation and it needs to shed heat and unlike you I have to run around all day w/o a break, so don't dress like a pole dancer if it's too cold ), 1/3 of vials parata robot fills are incomplete, too many possible points of failure to just print a stupid label ( printer for the parata, patient info sheet printer, rx label printer), morning crew that just screws around and leaves 15 doctor voicemails in the phone queue, and a pharmacy supervisor not man enough to talk to his troops only to use a flock of flunkie interns for communications,.....it's no wonder I feel like I've been in a war zone protecting the public from a hideous corporation.
Flu shots were the last straw for me. Oh yeah, let's have an over-extended, exhausted pharmacist trying to prevent a system that wants to misfill as many prescriptions as possible and have him run around jabbing people with a dirty biological from a company shielded from any liability, shown not to be effective, possibly harmful. And let's do it without PROPER informed consent, without THOUGHTFUL screening, and without TIME for post-administration observation.

 

[Angela1234]

Amen, grumps, I agree with everything you said about retail. Especially about the vaccinations, they hold everything up that you are working on even more. Nasty customers will scream and yell at you that they are tired of waiting, which is a dangerous situation especially if you are tired from working 14 hour shifts or have had no lunch all day. It puts us and them at risk of needle sticks. Just an awful situation.