Need some advice - 2020 grad, employment/testing questions

[brolli]

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Just passed NJ naplex, failed my MPJE. I am currently waiting the 30 days before being able to take it again, and I'm also interested in getting licensed in PA.

I was working at CVS but wasn't given an offer at the end of my intern period. Currently I'm not working anywhere. I've been applying to places via indeed.com and also via the company websites (riteaid, walgreens, etc). What makes it confusing for me right now is that I am not exactly sure if I should be applying as a pharmacist or intern since I don't currently have a license yet. Regardless I've been doing both. It seems like jobs in general from what I understand are very hard to come by right now and it's only getting worse. What should I be doing? Looking at more states? Should I apply to work as a technician in the meantime to not have too big of an unemployment gap?

 

[deleted562805]

Just passed NJ naplex, failed my MPJE. I am currently waiting the 30 days before being able to take it again, and I'm also interested in getting licensed in PA.

I was working at CVS but wasn't given an offer at the end of my intern period. Currently I'm not working anywhere. I've been applying to places via indeed.com and also via the company websites (riteaid, walgreens, etc). What makes it confusing for me right now is that I am not exactly sure if I should be applying as a pharmacist or intern since I don't currently have a license yet. Regardless I've been doing both. It seems like jobs in general from what I understand are very hard to come by right now and it's only getting worse. What should I be doing? Looking at more states? Should I apply to work as a technician in the meantime to not have too big of an unemployment gap?

1. Apply to grad intern positions and any job positing that gives you six months to get licensed in NJ, while studying for MPJE.

2. Pass the MPJE. If you can’t find a job in NJ with a NJ license, apply to jobs in PA and see if PA board can provide a temporary license. Georgia and Oklahoma provide temp licenses to pharmacists who are licensed in another state.

3. Many jobs out of state require you to be licensed in that state and may take applicants licensed from other states due to reciprocity. But applying out of state without even NJ license is going to be difficult and gives you zero chance of getting a job.

For MPJE: pass the MPJE. You have five tries. If you don’t pass the MPJE in your state in your 5 th attempt. You have to retake the NAPLEX and MPJE for another state

 

[FoodstampPharmacist]

1. Apply to grad intern positions and any job positing that gives you six months to get licensed in NJ, while studying for MPJE.

2. Pass the MPJE. If you can’t find a job in NJ with a NJ license, apply to jobs in PA and see if PA board can provide a temporary license. Georgia and Oklahoma provide temp licenses to pharmacists who are licensed in another state.

3. Many jobs out of state require you to be licensed in that state and may take applicants licensed from other states due to reciprocity. But applying out of state without even NJ license is going to be difficult and gives you zero chance of getting a job.

For MPJE: pass the MPJE. You have five tries. If you don’t pass the MPJE in your state in your 5 th attempt. You have to retake the NAPLEX and MPJE for another state

This is great advice but do "grad intern positions" really exist? I don't think that type of position is common as I have not seen it on the common big job posting sites (indeed, linkedin, ect). I would love to be corrected. I would instead suggest OP to apply for pharmacist technician jobs if it is legal in his state to do so.

 

[deleted562805]

This is great advice but do "grad intern positions" really exist? I don't think that type of position is common as I have not seen it on the common big job posting sites (indeed, linkedin, ect). I would love to be corrected. I would instead suggest OP to apply for pharmacist technician jobs if it is legal in his state to do so.

Or those temporary pharmacy jobs

 

[FoodstampPharmacist]

Or those temporary pharmacy jobs

I think OP's best bet would be a privately own, independent pharmacy as a pharmacy technician.

 

[Marzapan]

Should have dropped out of pharmacy school 4 years ago instead of dismissing the "trolls"...

 

[FoodstampPharmacist]

Should have dropped out of pharmacy school 4 years ago instead of dismissing the "trolls"...

It is never too late to be who you might have been friend. I have seen individuals change their lives that were in their 70's. Maybe consider what money means to you personally. Does money really mean that much to you?

 

[Marzapan]

It is never too late to be who you might have been friend. I have seen individuals change their lives that were in their 70's. Maybe consider what money means to you personally. Does money really mean that much to you?

Whether money matters to me or not is irrelevant because we're discussing OP's situation?

 

[FoodstampPharmacist]

Whether money matters to me or not is irrelevant because we're discussing OP's situation?

Oh sorry. You didn't have a subject in the sentence so I assumed the subject was you, the poster but now I see that you mean OP was the subject of the sentence. My apologies friend! <3

 

[disgonbgud]

Without a license, most places (unless desperate/have a professional connection with you) will only take you as an intern/technician and will throw away a pharmacist application.
Grad intern jobs that are actually open* basically don't exist at this time of year though.
Technician jobs - if you can find ones that are specifically listed as temp or contract, this is possibly your best bet. But the fact that you can re-test in 30 days means they're not going to want to waste time training you when you will leave the spot as soon as you can find a pharmacist job. Not to mention, as far as I know most state boards don't let you work as a tech if you are a licensed pharmacist.
Perhaps you can do some other entry level work in a related field in the short term?

 

[mentos]

Just passed NJ naplex, failed my MPJE. I am currently waiting the 30 days before being able to take it again, and I'm also interested in getting licensed in PA.

I was working at CVS but wasn't given an offer at the end of my intern period. Currently I'm not working anywhere. I've been applying to places via indeed.com and also via the company websites (riteaid, walgreens, etc). What makes it confusing for me right now is that I am not exactly sure if I should be applying as a pharmacist or intern since I don't currently have a license yet. Regardless I've been doing both. It seems like jobs in general from what I understand are very hard to come by right now and it's only getting worse. What should I be doing? Looking at more states? Should I apply to work as a technician in the meantime to not have too big of an unemployment gap?

Your post history shows you were going to apply to med school over ten years ago. Why oh why did you choose pharmacy in 2016??

 

[sozetone]

Should have dropped out of pharmacy school 4 years ago instead of dismissing the "trolls"...

OUCH.... but yeah sadly true. we prob told you or someone you knew what to expect. However, that said,

Reach out to DM's personally and send emails introducing yourself , (include a nice resume) . Call pharmacies near you explain you are looking for a job and can they hook you up with their DM's email? if your a good talker, you can get it after a few attempts. Most pharms will be D**ks about it, but you'll get that one like me who will hook you up eventually. hit up wal-mart, walgreens, then CVS. CVS is an absolute LAST resort worthless company. Walgreens is quickly catching up though. It's a numbers game man. I've done it and it works. Many Dm's appreciate a "GO-GETTER" with a "sense of urgency" ...they want to know you will go above and beyond and not let the pharmacy fall behind while taking care of business metrics. Some will just dismiss your email and move on as they get so many. Make your self stand out, and LEAVE AN IMPRESSION. DRESS PROFESSIONAL if you get even an informal "meet and greet".

As for the MPJE, failure cannot be an option. Buy the pronto pass, read the statutes over and over, practice tests....6 weeks intensive prep time should ensure a pass. you will eat, sleep and poop New Jersey Law ok? You will probably walk out of the MPJE and drive home punching the steering wheel. (i've done this, it hurts), and be surprised days later with a decent score. It is a black and white law exam, which they have twisted into situational based questions, with multiple correct answers, and in K-type answer format no less! Very difficult, however if you feel the questions were soooo difficult you had a hard time, remember, it's also adaptive testing! which means you were on a winning streak with correct answers, you see? then they try and throw a rope around your legs and hog tie you with strange BS questions . that's why you leave punching the walls and come out on top.

Basically im saying "DONT GIVE UP".... land a job , save your money. Do income based repayment and SAVE EVERYTHING you can. Forget paying off your loans quickly, get that out of your head. Give them the minimum and wait to see what happens 10-15 years from now to these loans.

ok im done....hope that helped a little. lol.