Just out of curiousity

[Arjw2]

I probably already know the answer to this question but here goes anyway ..

Well as we know Pharm is saturated. I’m only a P1 but I do want to do residency so I’m trying my best to maintain a good GPA etc etc. In the off chance I don’t get residency I’ll probably be working retail like many others, fine.

When I tell my classmates that I worry about not finding a job when I graduate they tell me I’m crazy because by the time I graduate I’ll have 15 years of pharm experience so it won’t be a struggle.. Will that matter though? I feel like I’ll be the same as the person coming out that has never have worked a day in a Pharmacy because mine is tech & now intern experience.. not actual Pharmacist.

Thoughts? I know nobody is guaranteed a job but in terms of experience, will my 15 years of experience count at all because it’s not as a pharmacist?

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[CetiAlphaFive]

I probably already know the answer to this question but here goes anyway ..

Well as we know Pharm is saturated. I’m only a P1 but I do want to do residency so I’m trying my best to maintain a good GPA etc etc. In the off chance I don’t get residency I’ll probably be working retail like many others, fine.

When I tell my classmates that I worry about not finding a job when I graduate they tell me I’m crazy because by the time I graduate I’ll have 15 years of pharm experience so it won’t be a struggle.. Will that matter though? I feel like I’ll be the same as the person coming out that has never have worked a day in a Pharmacy because mine is tech & now intern experience.. not actual Pharmacist.

Thoughts? I know nobody is guaranteed a job but in terms of experience, will my 15 years of experience count at all because it’s not as a pharmacist?

Literally no one will care except for your techs when you help them with the order.

In my 2 summers of paid internships i was more effective and faster than any tech.

 

[RxPreceptor]

Experience definitely matters, even if done as a tech. With the burn and churn of techs, most techs you meet will have little to no experience. They will respect you more as a leader when you can guide them with your experience...despite not being an aged RPh or still appearing young.

Some of these techs will be baffled by the simplest of technology/computer system hurdles (I.e will just not look for or know what an RTS vial is or how to do something simple as production....correctly).

Just don't expect to know all the answers, but know what resources and references you should use (hint: not Google or Bing, etc.).

 

[owlegrad]

Some of these techs will be baffled by the simplest of technology/computer system hurdles (I.e will just not look for or know what an RTS vial is or how to do something simple as production....correctly).

This is so true.

"What button do I press again for out of stock"?
"The one that says 'Out of Stock' on the bottom of the screen"
"Right, thanks!"

"How do I print extra labels again?"
"Press 'reprint'"
"Oh yeah!"

It's like...do you not know how to read?

OP - It's up to you to sell your experiences, but the short answer is yes. If you can't convince a hiring manager that years of pharmacy experience is a positive something is seriously wrong. Plus presumably wherever you work will want to hire you vs some nobody off the street.

 

[gwarm01]

I would advise against listening to anything your fellow pharmacy students have to say about the job market. We are all delusional at that stage of our career.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

This is so true.
"What button do I press again for out of stock"?
"The one that says 'Out of Stock' on the bottom of the screen"
"Right, thanks!"

"How do I print extra labels again?"
"Press 'reprint'"
"Oh yeah!"

It's like...do you not know how to read?

OP - It's up to you to sell your experiences, but the short answer is yes. If you can't convince a hiring manager that years of pharmacy experience is a positive something is seriously wrong. Plus presumably wherever you work will want to hire you vs some nobody off the street.

I had a few trainees at CVS that did the granny typing thing.

One key at a time with one index finger.

The one that baffled me the most:

I had a tech trainee that, instead of minimizing windows, thought she had to close out of every program to reach the desktop.
And she didn't care what was open, halfway typed, unsaved in word/Excel/whatever.
It was mind boggling.

 

[Lnsean]

I probably already know the answer to this question but here goes anyway ..

Well as we know Pharm is saturated. I’m only a P1 but I do want to do residency so I’m trying my best to maintain a good GPA etc etc. In the off chance I don’t get residency I’ll probably be working retail like many others, fine.

When I tell my classmates that I worry about not finding a job when I graduate they tell me I’m crazy because by the time I graduate I’ll have 15 years of pharm experience so it won’t be a struggle.. Will that matter though? I feel like I’ll be the same as the person coming out that has never have worked a day in a Pharmacy because mine is tech & now intern experience.. not actual Pharmacist.

Thoughts? I know nobody is guaranteed a job but in terms of experience, will my 15 years of experience count at all because it’s not as a pharmacist?

Retail is getting very competitive...max 30 to 32 hours FT offers...people are being forced to relocate to find gigs

 

[steveysmith54]

Matters only if you have established connections through out your years of work who will help you get hired and vouch for you... the extra years of tech work on a resume is a very marginal benefit... if I have my own intern who I like or someone else who knows he is good vs stranger With tech experience, the tech experience isn’t going to sway my decision... In other word the tech experience may help you land an intern job, but for a pharmacist job it is not an attention grabber

 

[Sabril]

I would like to add that I can appreciate the OP for being self-conscious and realize that working as a tech/intern, even for 15 years, is very different from working as a pharmacist. It is definitely the best preparation you can have for the role, but the first day working as a pharmacist is a shocker for most people. As far as retail, I do not really think you will have much trouble landing a job especially if you can maintain good connections. It is about the best thing you can list on your resume, because what else beats that when a new grad applies for a retail position (besides being the third cousin of the district manager)?

Just don't burn bridges even if you land your residency.