My story as an Unemployed Pharmacist with Residency, experience, solid network

[celirph]

Any tips for job searching? I've been looking for a few days, no call backs. I am considering my options. Willing to get licensed elsewhere...but where? Currently in FL, market very saturated. My situation: 10+ years in retail, no student loans, no mortgage holding me up. Which state actually has openings? Lower salary is ok, anywhere from 60K and up. Previous position dried out.

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[type b pharmD]

Any tips for job searching? I've been looking for a few days, no call backs. I am considering my options. Willing to get licensed elsewhere...but where? Currently in FL, market very saturated. My situation: 10+ years in retail, no student loans, no mortgage holding me up. Which state actually has openings? Lower salary is ok, anywhere from 60K and up. Previous position dried out.

I wouldn't start worrying until you had been looking for a few weeks or months !

How many jobs have you applied for ? I would think 20-30 genuinely polished apps per week is a good baseline and give it a 4 week time frame . Source ? That's how I did it each time and ended up with about 8 offers

 

[BMBiology]

Any tips for job searching? I've been looking for a few days, no call backs. I am considering my options. Willing to get licensed elsewhere...but where? Currently in FL, market very saturated. My situation: 10+ years in retail, no student loans, no mortgage holding me up. Which state actually has openings? Lower salary is ok, anywhere from 60K and up. Previous position dried out.

Where were you working? What happened to the position?

 

[RxStudentatUB]

I don't think the military is as generous to pharmacists anymore.

They're not. Medical doctors, nurses (RN's and practitioners) + Physician Assistants are still being recruited. Dentists are having some luck, but the market for military dentistry is drying up and there is very little market left for military pharmacy. This is Maryland/Virginia area, might be different for West Coast.

 

[gwarm01]

Please don't accept a job for 60k. You would be doing a disservice to yourself and the profession.

 

[confettiflyer]

Please don't accept a job for 60k. You would be doing a disservice to yourself and the profession.

Because unemployment and moving into your parents' basement is totes preferable.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Please don't accept a job for 60k. You would be doing a disservice to yourself and the profession.

Whistleblowers at the work place ratting someone out for stealing, then this type of whistleblower where $60K salary is accepted at one place, then word quickly spreads everywhere and everyone copies this model. Thank goodness CVS still pays $53ish per hour.

 

[celirph]

Everyone will already copy that model. I've got kids. I have to take care of my family financially. If I don't have to take 60K, I won't. This is my first week looking. I am trying to be positive, but it's tough. Type B PharmD--thank you for your advice, I will def go that route.

 

[Dalteparin]

Any tips for job searching? I've been looking for a few days, no call backs. I am considering my options. Willing to get licensed elsewhere...but where? Currently in FL, market very saturated. My situation: 10+ years in retail, no student loans, no mortgage holding me up. Which state actually has openings? Lower salary is ok, anywhere from 60K and up. Previous position dried out.

For a lot of larger employers, you can see all their openings nationwide on their website. That might help you figure out where the jobs are and whether or not it's feasible for your family to move there. Good luck!

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Everyone will already copy that model. I've got kids. I have to take care of my family financially. If I don't have to take 60K, I won't. This is my first week looking. I am trying to be positive, but it's tough. Type B PharmD--thank you for your advice, I will def go that route.

Do you have time to take a little road trip along the midwest? You can probably talk to a few managers and get your face + name out there state by state stopping at a whole bunch of pharmacies humanely possible. If your family situation allows for it, I would try it if there's nothing else. It is definitely time consuming, I cannot speak to this efficiency so hopefully someone else has some good information, but I really wish things work out for you!

 

[Eichhoernchen]

Oklahoma, Kansas, Oregon--all have positions open.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Why would you recommend something you don't know works?

Better than nothing at this point. Have any recommendations for this person?

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

Do you have time to take a little road trip along the midwest? You can probably talk to a few managers and get your face + name out there state by state stopping at a whole bunch of pharmacies humanely possible. If your family situation allows for it, I would try it if there's nothing else. It is definitely time consuming, I cannot speak to this efficiency so hopefully someone else has some good information, but I really wish things work out for you!

Drive across the Midwest?? Just call one of the temp services. RPh on the Go, Aerotek, MediTech, whatever. They will get you a job someplace. If you do a good job you will probably get hired full time.

 

[trailerpark]

Whistleblowers at the work place ratting someone out for stealing, then this type of whistleblower where $60K salary is accepted at one place, then word quickly spreads everywhere and everyone copies this model. Thank goodness CVS still pays $53ish per hour.

Isn't 53 an hour kind of low?

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Everyone will already copy that model. I've got kids. I have to take care of my family financially. If I don't have to take 60K, I won't. This is my first week looking. I am trying to be positive, but it's tough. Type B PharmD--thank you for your advice, I will def go that route.

You've only been looking for one week and say it's tough? Jeez.

 

[Guilded_Age]

Isn't 53 an hour kind of low?

Do they give food stamps with $53? I couldn't maintain my excessive lifestyle for anything less than $80/hr. I need my Porsche and Whole Foods.

 

[trailerpark]

Do they give food stamps with $53? I couldn't maintain my excessive lifestyle for anything less than $80/hr. I need my Porsche and Whole Foods.

I'm just saying I've only been licensed for 6 months and making $59.16

 

[type b pharmD]

It is time consuming for sure ! Also going weeks without any info will cause anxiety .. one way of looking at it that helped me was to make the assumption I had about a 2% chance of getting any given job ... If this is true (not saying it is just a hypothetical) , then you should be basically guaranteed a job if you apply 50 times ... That's 4 apps per day or less , over a 2 week time period .. I would say (if you combine all of my job hunts) I got responses back on 10% of my apps , and got interviews on 6% .. .. it took an overall timeframe of about 3-6 weeks each time and I ended up with offers on about 70% of my interviews . Once you start getting callback you are on the right track .. it is the waiting for first contact that is the most frustrating.

I would recommend sending company tailored cover letters to each job and also putting a phone call or email in to express sincere interest to the relevant party within about 10 days of sending the initial app. Your goal should be to make each company or job you apply to think that you're the best person they could possibly hire .. doesn't matter what or how you do that , or even if you have to brag or exaggerate a bit.. once you have the job none of it matters anyway .

I would also say that from rumors I've heard, there are a decent number of open jobs in Florida although 0 in some specific areas .. I would start with the mindset of being willing to go anywhere in the state ..if you are a decent rph, I wouldn't consider out of state relocation until after at least 4-6 weeks of applying in state

 

[Guilded_Age]

I'm just saying I've only been licensed for 6 months and making $59.16

That's way more than is needed for a position like that. This market is going to correct so fast a lot of folks are going to get whiplash.

 

[trailerpark]

That's way more than is needed for a position like that. This market is going to correct so fast a lot of folks are going to get whiplash.

I bust my ass at work. I think I'm worth $59.16. But you think one day I'm going to get a memo that my hourly wage is being decreased 10%? I only bring home about 2,600 every 2 weeks if I get 80 hours. Not exactly rolling in the dough and I think a bazillion dollar company like Wally World can afford it.

 

[workinhard]

As an update since the thread went off topic.

I never found fulltime pharmacist work again. Hospitals budgets got cut again and again. Local hospitals hire only per diem. The number of per diem pharmacists is longer than the pharmacy technician list.

I applied for the past few years to everything I could. I got two per diem positions and took any shift I could get but when hospital cut back positions the hours for per diem disappeared.

I found some non-pharmacist work to temporarily pay rent. My degree essentially became worthless. I was really shocked by this. My residency training was useless as was all my experience. Retail was looking for fresh grads to use and abuse. Some retail guys I know lost their jobs as well. Some retail pharmacies had vested interest in a newly created "staffing company" where they kept a kickback per hour for staffing. So they eliminated some pharmacists who had benefits and higher pay to hire $50/hr temps with the pharmacy owners keeping another $10/hr kickback that then expanded out. $$$$
One of the retail guys (RPh) found no full time since. I never seen a profession eat its own like this.

A friend of mine (pharmacist) lost his job but eventually found work as a director in Texas. He left his wife and kids back home to go to Texas for work for a year with hopes of returning. Texas is 1500 miles from his wife and kids.

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

 

[Guilded_Age]

"B-but I want to help people and I'll just network to get a job! The aging population will raise demand! My teacher told me this as he sped off in his sports car that he bought with my tuition money."
-Class of 2019

God help us all.

 

[confettiflyer]

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

You're walking into another bubble...surprised you didn't look into NP or PA, or other mid-level with prescribing rights.

Lots of desperate agency work in extreme far Northern California that keeps coming across my desk, if anyone else is that desperate for a job...

 

[SClENCE]

I hope you were joking when you said you're going to nursing school.

 

[gwarm01]

I know it's rough out there, but there are jobs available. I would (and did) move halfway across the country to find a desirable job before I went back to school.

 

[fauxden]

You're walking into another bubble...surprised you didn't look into NP or PA, or other mid-level with prescribing rights.

Lots of desperate agency work in extreme far Northern California that keeps coming across my desk, if anyone else is that desperate for a job...

don't you have to first become a nurse to become a nurse practitioner? as for PA... i feel like that is another healthcare bubble waiting to burst.? no?

 

[Guilded_Age]

I know it's rough out there, but there are jobs available. I would (and did) move halfway across the country to find a desirable job before I went back to school.

Once we terraform Mars we'll have a great new underserved rural location to perform MTM at.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Interesting thread, never saw this until now. Workinhard, I'm very sorry to hear about your situation. I can only imagine how hard it became as time went on. A stress that no individual should endure. I want to wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

don't you have to first become a nurse to become a nurse practitioner? as for PA... i feel like that is another healthcare bubble waiting to burst.? no?

Registered Nurse degree + years of experience required for enrollment into Masters of Nursing program, after that you have the NP degree. The PA bubble will probably burst, it just depends how fast PA schools expand throughout the country.

 

[mustang sally]

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

Good luck with nursing. Hopefully you had all of your student loans from pharm school paid off.

 

[68quebec]

don't you have to first become a nurse to become a nurse practitioner? as for PA... i feel like that is another healthcare bubble waiting to burst.? no?

Yes, you have to have BSN degree to apply NP program while PA does not (still require Bachelor's degree though).

PA is probably the most wanted healthcare professional jobs in the nation at this moment (other than MD/DO btw). If you are looking at the job posting site such as indeed.com, too many job opening for PA in the salary range of 70k-110k (higher require more experience). Of course one day PA will experience the same route as pharmacist market now having but not in the near future yet. Golden age for them probably.

 

[68quebec]

As an update since the thread went off topic.

I never found fulltime pharmacist work again. Hospitals budgets got cut again and again. Local hospitals hire only per diem. The number of per diem pharmacists is longer than the pharmacy technician list.

I applied for the past few years to everything I could. I got two per diem positions and took any shift I could get but when hospital cut back positions the hours for per diem disappeared.

I found some non-pharmacist work to temporarily pay rent. My degree essentially became worthless. I was really shocked by this. My residency training was useless as was all my experience. Retail was looking for fresh grads to use and abuse. Some retail guys I know lost their jobs as well. Some retail pharmacies had vested interest in a newly created "staffing company" where they kept a kickback per hour for staffing. So they eliminated some pharmacists who had benefits and higher pay to hire $50/hr temps with the pharmacy owners keeping another $10/hr kickback that then expanded out. $$$$
One of the retail guys (RPh) found no full time since. I never seen a profession eat its own like this.

A friend of mine (pharmacist) lost his job but eventually found work as a director in Texas. He left his wife and kids back home to go to Texas for work for a year with hopes of returning. Texas is 1500 miles from his wife and kids.

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

If you are enrolled into nursing school for job opening, then you had a better option as PA (unless you have less than 100-500 hours of healthcare experiences). OR relocating might be a better option. I'm sorry for your situation though..

 

[Lnsean]

is the job market that bad that people are having to go back to school because they can't find anything? I haven't put in an application in 5 years....i guess i'm a little bit out of touch with current market conditions.

 

[confettiflyer]

is the job market that bad that people are having to go back to school because they can't find anything? I haven't put in an application in 5 years....i guess i'm a little bit out of touch with current market conditions.

No this is an outlier situation based on my unscientific review of my friends' gyrations in the labor market.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Once we terraform Mars we'll have a great new underserved rural location to perform MTM at.

People are trying to escape to the military to offer their services as a pharmacist, but even they're getting turned down. This is in the Baltimore/DC/Virginia region.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I would (and did) move halfway across the country to find a desirable job before I went back to school.

This. I can't imagine going back to school rather than moving.

What people fail to realize is that the most desirable locations in the country, LA, NYC, etc, are saturated in all professions. You can't get a pharmacist job there, because there are too many pharmacists who want to live there. But this is also true of, nursing, dentists, doctors, PA, accountants, whatever magic career you think will get you a job there. There ARE jobs for pharmacists, just not where you want to live. Likewise, get your teaching certificate, PA degree, BSN, whatever, and you will find your desirable location is completely saturated with that degree as well. Reality is, whatever degree you get/job you desire, you will not be getting it in LA, NYC, big desirable city (OK, Sparda is the inexplicable exception, but he *does* have experience.) You will have to move, and if you are lucky, you will be able to move back to the area of your choice after you get experience.

 

[YoungEel]

As an update since the thread went off topic.

I never found fulltime pharmacist work again. Hospitals budgets got cut again and again. Local hospitals hire only per diem. The number of per diem pharmacists is longer than the pharmacy technician list.

I applied for the past few years to everything I could. I got two per diem positions and took any shift I could get but when hospital cut back positions the hours for per diem disappeared.

I found some non-pharmacist work to temporarily pay rent. My degree essentially became worthless. I was really shocked by this. My residency training was useless as was all my experience. Retail was looking for fresh grads to use and abuse. Some retail guys I know lost their jobs as well. Some retail pharmacies had vested interest in a newly created "staffing company" where they kept a kickback per hour for staffing. So they eliminated some pharmacists who had benefits and higher pay to hire $50/hr temps with the pharmacy owners keeping another $10/hr kickback that then expanded out. $$$$
One of the retail guys (RPh) found no full time since. I never seen a profession eat its own like this.

A friend of mine (pharmacist) lost his job but eventually found work as a director in Texas. He left his wife and kids back home to go to Texas for work for a year with hopes of returning. Texas is 1500 miles from his wife and kids.

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

This is not real.

 

[qvctran]

Hi everyone. I'm a newbie. I am a 2014 grad and I haven't been able to find a full time position. I just started talking to recruiters/managers out in the midwest and northwest area. I think there are still jobs out there, just not in the most desired areas. Guess I just have to be flexible and work in a crappy market and then transfer or something. Anyone have experience doing that? Do they actually transfer you once you are an employee?

 

[wagrxm2000]

As an update since the thread went off topic.

I never found fulltime pharmacist work again. Hospitals budgets got cut again and again. Local hospitals hire only per diem. The number of per diem pharmacists is longer than the pharmacy technician list.

I applied for the past few years to everything I could. I got two per diem positions and took any shift I could get but when hospital cut back positions the hours for per diem disappeared.

I found some non-pharmacist work to temporarily pay rent. My degree essentially became worthless. I was really shocked by this. My residency training was useless as was all my experience. Retail was looking for fresh grads to use and abuse. Some retail guys I know lost their jobs as well. Some retail pharmacies had vested interest in a newly created "staffing company" where they kept a kickback per hour for staffing. So they eliminated some pharmacists who had benefits and higher pay to hire $50/hr temps with the pharmacy owners keeping another $10/hr kickback that then expanded out. $$$$
One of the retail guys (RPh) found no full time since. I never seen a profession eat its own like this.

A friend of mine (pharmacist) lost his job but eventually found work as a director in Texas. He left his wife and kids back home to go to Texas for work for a year with hopes of returning. Texas is 1500 miles from his wife and kids.

However, I enrolled into nursing school. Lots of opportunity in nursing. Lots of strong numbers and being a male in nursing seems to be very high demand. Wish my post had better news update than this. Never thought I would have to go back into school. I wish everyone the best but please have an exit strategy just in case you end up like me. I'm not an outlier as I cannot tell you how many pharmacists are out of work.

This is ridiculous, you clearly didn't want to move. Instead of moving you'd rather throw away the $200k and go to school again?

 

[Momus]

Yes, you have to have BSN degree to apply NP program while PA does not (still require Bachelor's degree though).

PA is probably the most wanted healthcare professional jobs in the nation at this moment (other than MD/DO btw). If you are looking at the job posting site such as indeed.com, too many job opening for PA in the salary range of 70k-110k (higher require more experience). Of course one day PA will experience the same route as pharmacist market now having but not in the near future yet. Golden age for them probably.

I know an NP making 170k in CA boonies. Not bad...

 

[hajja]

I'm a licensed pharmacist and have worked in retail for 9 years. Currently unemployed and thinking about taking courses in nuclear pharmacy. Does anyone have an idea about the job market for nuclear pharmacist?
Thanks.

 

[SClENCE]

I know of districts (CVS) that have a very major shortage of pharmacists.

 

[BMBiology]

I'm a licensed pharmacist and have worked in retail for 9 years. Currently unemployed and thinking about taking courses in nuclear pharmacy. Does anyone have an idea about the job market for nuclear pharmacist?
Thanks.

What happened to your job?

 

[gwarm01]

This is ridiculous, you clearly didn't want to move. Instead of moving you'd rather throw away the $200k and go to school again?

There has to be more to this if it is real.

I could easily make a thread called "My story as an employed pharmacist with no residency, only intern/tech experience, and literally zero network" where I was able to get a job at a regionally prestigious specialty hospital in a very desirable metro area well over 1000 miles from where I lived. I was willing to move to where the job was, and now I'm happier than ever.

 

[wucool33]

Hi everyone. I'm a newbie. I am a 2014 grad and I haven't been able to find a full time position. I just started talking to recruiters/managers out in the midwest and northwest area. I think there are still jobs out there, just not in the most desired areas. Guess I just have to be flexible and work in a crappy market and then transfer or something. Anyone have experience doing that? Do they actually transfer you once you are an employee?

If they like you, yes, they will help u get transferred.

 

[qvctran]

Do you think they would put "transfer" in writing? I heard that some companies say they will transfer you, but never end up actually doing it. I am speaking to 2 different companies (both major chains) tomorrow and Friday. Any advice would be great appreciated! Also, do you guys know if they will help pay for your license transfer or perhaps relocation? My guess is probably not.. but worth asking right?

 

[wucool33]

Do you think they would put "transfer" in writing? I heard that some companies say they will transfer you, but never end up actually doing it. I am speaking to 2 different companies (both major chains) tomorrow and Friday. Any advice would be great appreciated! Also, do you guys know if they will help pay for your license transfer or perhaps relocation? My guess is probably not.. but worth asking right?

No one is going to put anything in writing before you even work for them... They won't do it even if u do start working for them... Why would they? Nothing is guaranteed. It's all about being good enough and learn to make the right person notice you and like you. It's still about who you know and not what you know.

Pay for your license transfer and relocation? LOL what do you think this is? 2004?

 

[qvctran]

No one is going to put anything in writing before you even work for them... They won't do it even if u do start working for them... Why would they? Nothing is guaranteed. It's all about being good enough and learn to make the right person notice you and like you. It's still about who you know and not what you know.

Pay for your license transfer and relocation? LOL what do you think this is? 2004?

Thanks for your advice. Wishful thinking on my part about paying for transfer/relocation..

 

[BMBiology]

Nothing is guaranteed. Some companies even require your current supervisor to sign off on any transfer request. So if you are doing a good job and they can't find a better replacement then you may be stuck there for a while.

There is no harm in asking for relocation assistance. I would ask anyways

 

[SClENCE]

Do you think they would put "transfer" in writing? I heard that some companies say they will transfer you, but never end up actually doing it. I am speaking to 2 different companies (both major chains) tomorrow and Friday. Any advice would be great appreciated! Also, do you guys know if they will help pay for your license transfer or perhaps relocation? My guess is probably not.. but worth asking right?

It's not worth asking. You'll just look stupid.