Jumping ship from retail..

[Chrish]

If you are a retail rph with no other work experience and not many connections outside and looking for a career change, what is a realistic chance of finding a non-retail gig? Hospital, LTC or working for PBM etc. How many of you have done it and how did you get in?

Asking for a friend

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[ValeRx]

I kept in contact with preceptors. When a job finally opened up after 8 years, I contacted them and they put in a good word.

 

[SELDANE]

Hmmm.. Tell your "friend" to be prepared to accept a job in something like an ambulatory hospital or a small hospital with a low bed count. Your "friend" may have to work the dreaded 2-11 shift or some form thereof. They may have to also work every other weekend. But after a year or so your "friend" will have some inpatient and IV experience. With the extra credentials they are much more appealing. In all honesty it's worth the effort. The other option is to stay in retail and do a Pavlovian run to a window every time a bell or chime goes off.

 

[rxmommy7]

I did it. I worked independent retail for 11 years, then moved and all that was available was hospital. I was hired no problem - maybe no other applicants at the time?!? I’ve been told I made the transition well. I’m cross trained at home health/hospice and will eventually move to oncology too.

 

[Xenophylia]

I did it. I worked independent retail for 11 years, then moved and all that was available was hospital. I was hired no problem - maybe no other applicants at the time?!? I’ve been told I made the transition well. I’m cross trained at home health/hospice and will eventually move to oncology too.

Look for a night shift opening. That's how I got back into LTC after about 25 years of being out of it. I actually like working nights, but there's always a chance of moving to day later on. But night shifts are harder to fill and less competition so easier to get your foot in the door.

 

[Chrish]

I did it. I worked independent retail for 11 years, then moved and all that was available was hospital. I was hired no problem - maybe no other applicants at the time?!? I’ve been told I made the transition well. I’m cross trained at home health/hospice and will eventually move to oncology too.

How long did it take for you to learn about hospital pharmacy? How did you do it? Did you read some book or just learned at the job after starting?

 

[ValeRx]

Going to hospital, at least if you're just staffing in the central pharmacy, is not difficult to transition to. It's the same as just learning another pharmacy's software program. Except now you've got to deal with lab values, IV antibiotics, etc.

 

[wazoodog]

I kept in contact with preceptors. When a job finally opened up after 8 years, I contacted them and they put in a good word.

Impressing or keeping in touch with preceptors doesn't guarantee anything, but the potential long term (even life-changing) opportunities that could come by are overlooked or taken for granted all too often by rotation students.

I've reached out to a handful of my former APPE students within a year of them graduating - ones in retail who I knew weren't doing a residency/fellowship - with almost guaranteed opportunities in pharma. Only 1 took it up and I actually had to convince the individual to give it a chance - its turned out well. The few others turned it down because they couldn't part with the perceived security of a cvs/wags job.

 

[ValeRx]

Impressing or keeping in touch with preceptors doesn't guarantee anything, but the potential long term (even life-changing) opportunities that could come by are overlooked or taken for granted all too often by rotation students.

I've reached out to a handful of my former APPE students within a year of them graduating - ones in retail who I knew weren't doing a residency/fellowship - with almost guaranteed opportunities in pharma. Only 1 took it up and I actually had to convince the individual to give it a chance - its turned out well. The few others turned it down because they couldn't part with the perceived security of a cvs/wags job.

Yep. Sometimes you gotta pay your dues (for almost a decade in my case) and play the long game to get where you want. In a world of necessary instant gratification for many people, they don't see the benefits!

 

[mentos]

You need connections. This is what I did.

Got a per diem at hospital - took me 2 years to find this and only got in cause I knew someone. A full time position never opened up.

Took me another 2 years to get my current LTC job - also got in cause I knew someone. I think the experience from my per diem job helped.

 

[johnpharm01]

If you are a retail rph with no other work experience and not many connections outside and looking for a career change, what is a realistic chance of finding a non-retail gig? Hospital, LTC or working for PBM etc. How many of you have done it and how did you get in?

Asking for a friend

How to get there- impress hiring authority. Amazingly simple things like showing up on time, no excessive call offs make for less headaches for them. Retail to ltc very possible esp if lots of assisted living because you are just bubble packing their meds. Retail to hospital easiest point of entry is overnight shift at hospital. Your store in a downward spiral?

 

[Xenophylia]

You need connections. This is what I did.

Got a per diem at hospital - took me 2 years to find this and only got in cause I knew someone. A full time position never opened up.

Took me another 2 years to get my current LTC job - also got in cause I knew someone. I think the experience from my per diem job helped.

And yeah- connections/friends are important. I got my current job through a nurse I knew that worked with the pharmacy owner who hired me because he wanted to start a night shift. The job was NEVER advertised and if I hadn't fallen in their lap I have no idea if they would have ever started a night shift.

 

[wazoodog]

Connections don't just help in the most obvious ways - I see people trying too hard to leverage their connections to directly hook them up with a job in their workplace.

Learn how to utilize your network in a holistic sense. Such as giving you feedback on what skills you need to develop to better your chances, where to look for job postings, access to recruiters or not so obvious places where job postings come up, interview tips, resume tips, even how to improve your networking. Sometimes they're there just to listen and be a friend. One of the most overlooked areas I dont see people asking for help is simply requesting honest feedback and advice on soft skills/behaviors and how to develop them - if you dont have a lot of experience other than retail than this is an area you CAN and MUST refine to stand out.

The biggest benefits I've seen from networking is when I'm not trying to network - but rather just get to know someone and enjoy their company. People end up helping people they like and whose values they've found admirable.

In no particular order, the people I've ended up helping had these qualities:

- Personable
- Integrity
- Good communicator
- Ability to teach themselves a skill by asking the right questions
- Instead of staying in a comfort zone, takes initiative to be accountable for new responsibilities and learning new things
- Reliable
- Welcomes feedback of all kinds
- Humility
- Resolves issues with solutions, instead of looking for excuses or others to blame
- Ability to navigate ambiguity through self-starting instead of looking for simple answers to broad questions handed on a silver platter

Notice I didn't mention being smart or knowing a lot of subject matter. Those are important but to me they come after the the above.

 

[johnpharm01]

Connections don't just help in the most obvious ways - I see people trying too hard to leverage their connections to directly hook them up with a job in their workplace.

Learn how to utilize your network in a holistic sense. Such as giving you feedback on what skills you need to develop to better your chances, where to look for job postings, access to recruiters or not so obvious places where job postings come up, interview tips, resume tips, even how to improve your networking. Sometimes they're there just to listen and be a friend. One of the most overlooked areas I dont see people asking for help is simply requesting honest feedback and advice on soft skills/behaviors and how to develop them - if you dont have a lot of experience other than retail than this is an area you CAN and MUST refine to stand out.

The biggest benefits I've seen from networking is when I'm not trying to network - but rather just get to know someone and enjoy their company. People end up helping people they like and whose values they've found admirable.

In no particular order, the people I've ended up helping had these qualities:

- Personable
- Integrity
- Good communicator
- Ability to teach themselves a skill by asking the right questions
- Instead of staying in a comfort zone, takes initiative to be accountable for new responsibilities and learning new things
- Reliable
- Welcomes feedback of all kinds
- Humility
- Resolves issues with solutions, instead of looking for excuses or others to blame
- Ability to navigate ambiguity through self-starting instead of looking for simple answers to broad questions handed on a silver platter

Notice I didn't mention being smart or knowing a lot of subject matter. Those are important but to me they come after the the above.

For probably 95% of pharmacy jobs soft skills and all the other attributes don't matter. In fact, the key to moving up is being liked. In retail pharmacy you would be the person who makes the store the most money. Other settings might be having common background or hobby.

 

[mentos]

And yeah- connections/friends are important. I got my current job through a nurse I knew that worked with the pharmacy owner who hired me because he wanted to start a night shift. The job was NEVER advertised and if I hadn't fallen in their lap I have no idea if they would have ever started a night shift.

Same, my hospital job was not advertised.

 

[owlegrad]

For probably 95% of pharmacy jobs soft skills and all the other attributes don't matter. In fact, the key to moving up is being liked. In retail pharmacy you would be the person who makes the store the most money. Other settings might be having common background or hobby.

What do you think soft skills are?

 

[johnpharm01]

What do you think soft skills are?

Soft skills are skills that help an employee work in a team. And while yes, employers say they want employees with these skills bias is pervasive. Worked at a chain pharmacy, the store managers were tall (6'3"+) by in large. Strange coincidence their boss was as well. I have had managers who have had no people skills, no soft skills but they were liked. I have also been hired for jobs simply because I had things in common with the hiring authority including one because my boss and I hunted the same animal.

 

[johnpharm01]

Soft skills are skills that help an employee work in a team. And while yes, employers say they want employees with these skills bias is pervasive. Worked at a chain pharmacy, the store managers were tall (6'3"+) by in large. Strange coincidence their boss was as well. I have had managers who have had no people skills, no soft skills but they were liked. I have also been hired for jobs simply because I had things in common with the hiring authority including one because my boss and I hunted the same animal.

Disgonbgud explain

 

[samven582]

Going to hospital, at least if you're just staffing in the central pharmacy, is not difficult to transition to. It's the same as just learning another pharmacy's software program. Except now you've got to deal with lab values, IV antibiotics, etc.

You work at the VA. There's not much critical thinking when it comes to order verification.

 

[samven582]

Connections don't just help in the most obvious ways - I see people trying too hard to leverage their connections to directly hook them up with a job in their workplace.

Learn how to utilize your network in a holistic sense. Such as giving you feedback on what skills you need to develop to better your chances, where to look for job postings, access to recruiters or not so obvious places where job postings come up, interview tips, resume tips, even how to improve your networking. Sometimes they're there just to listen and be a friend. One of the most overlooked areas I dont see people asking for help is simply requesting honest feedback and advice on soft skills/behaviors and how to develop them - if you dont have a lot of experience other than retail than this is an area you CAN and MUST refine to stand out.

The biggest benefits I've seen from networking is when I'm not trying to network - but rather just get to know someone and enjoy their company. People end up helping people they like and whose values they've found admirable.

In no particular order, the people I've ended up helping had these qualities:

- Personable
- Integrity
- Good communicator
- Ability to teach themselves a skill by asking the right questions
- Instead of staying in a comfort zone, takes initiative to be accountable for new responsibilities and learning new things
- Reliable
- Welcomes feedback of all kinds
- Humility
- Resolves issues with solutions, instead of looking for excuses or others to blame
- Ability to navigate ambiguity through self-starting instead of looking for simple answers to broad questions handed on a silver platter

Notice I didn't mention being smart or knowing a lot of subject matter. Those are important but to me they come after the the above.

MODs can you please make this a sticky?

 

[ValeRx]

You work at the VA. There's not much critical thinking when it comes to order verification.

Which is why I said, "at least if you're just staffing in the central pharmacy, is not difficult to transition to."

 

[Always Choose Vanco]

I "just" graduated (c/o 2020)
Have always worked retail since undergrad. My first RPh gig licensed has been CVS and they wanted me to start floating. The training period showed me the writing on the wall. Landed a LTC (which is apparently a unicorn job?) and jumped ship. Happy to finally be out. IDK if I got lucky or not, just kept applying. Got lucky. They show up every now and then.

 

[Chrish]

I "just" graduated (c/o 2020)
Have always worked retail since undergrad. My first RPh gig licensed has been CVS and they wanted me to start floating. The training period showed me the writing on the wall. Landed a LTC (which is apparently a unicorn job?) and jumped ship. Happy to finally be out. IDK if I got lucky or not, just kept applying. Got lucky. They show up every now and then.

So you got it just by applying? Did you know anybody over there? And if you don’t mind me asking, which website did you use to apply?

 

[Always Choose Vanco]

So you got it just by applying? Did you know anybody over there? And if you don’t mind me asking, which website did you use to apply?

Yeah a spot opened up on Indeed.