Job hunting advice

[2018grad]

Hi
I'm currently a P4 on my APPE Rotations expecting to graduate in may. I have been an intern at a chain retail store for the past 3 years but am looking to relocate to Chicago. The store I am currently working for does not have any stores in Chicago. I missed the deadline for interviews at my school because they only had positions for jobs In New England and I assumed they would provide more interview oppurtunities for position outside of the area. When would be a good time to start contacting district managers? Should I start now? Do I apply online as a grad intern or simply call pharmacies and to get PDMs emails and go from there? Should I contact pdms in my area and go through the process with them and then try transferring to Chicago ? Also is the job market saturated/hard to find a job in Chicago?

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[gwarm01]

Does your school have a career fair planned closer to graduation? No one is going to hire a P4 in August when you won't even by licensed until June/July of next year at the earliest. Get your resume in order and start applying next spring.

 

[quickpic007]

chicago is notoriously bad for jobs, id say apply all over online and fly out to chicago and ask for dm email in person while on a vacation. I got a couple offers this way but its the south where people are presumably friendlier.

 

[deleted820760]

Uh yeah. I would say Chicago is very saturated. Same goes for any major city in the US. Some are worse than others, and I would say Chicago is definitely one of the more saturated ones. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it might not be easy unless you get lucky.

 

[lord999]

(Nonsarcastic)
If you're going retail in Chicago proper, it's not saturated if you're willing to work in an area that I would never get drive-thru fast food in. The unsafe neighborhoods do have jobs, but you do not get hazard pay for working in them in exchange for the "privilege" of working in Chicago. Hospitals pretty much recruit only from their own residents or it's Cook County, Loyola, or Sinai. If nothing else, get in with a temp agency and work mail order. If you have any known past as a union worker, it's not possible to work in Walgreens in IL.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Also is the job market saturated/hard to find a job in Chicago?

Saturated is quite the understatement. There are only 5, yes FIVE, pharmacy schools in Chicago. Suffice it to say, there are no jobs for "outsiders" in Chicago.

[QUOTE="lord999, post: 19263050, member: 10549] If nothing else, get in with a temp agency and work mail order. If you have any known past as a union worker, it's not possible to work in Walgreens in IL.[/QUOTE]

Walgreens is unionized in Chicago, so they obviously have union people working for them in IL.

 

[lord999]

It is and that's why they unofficially try to avoid hiring union. They don't want even more to worry about when a strike is threatened.