Please help,pharmD Still jobless

[Spring123]

Hi everyone!
I have been looking for a job in VA for a few months now with no luck! I am a 2012 graduate.

I did not intern while i was in pharmacy school, because i didn't have work permit to get hired and i think that is what's hurting my chances. I did really well on all my rotations my forth year and i've been told i have a great personalty and i'm very friendly. I work well with other and truly care about people and want to help them but i have no connections to find a job. I'm thinking of the following options:

1) apply as a technician and work my way up ( I know since i'm licensed in VA as a pharmacist, i'm still a pharmacist but i'll work with a technician salary if i have to) Do you think this is realistic?

2) get an intern license in a nearby state like DC and work as an intern to get experience. Would they hire a pharmacist in another state as an intern?

If you have any suggestions please leave it. I Don't know what to do anymore...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lnsean]

Hi everyone!
I have been looking for a job in VA for a few months now with no luck! I am a 2012 graduate.

I did not intern while i was in pharmacy school, because i didn't have work permit to get hired and i think that is what's hurting my chances. I did really well on all my rotations my forth year and i've been told i have a great personalty and i'm very friendly. I work well with other and truly care about people and want to help them but i have no connections to find a job. I'm thinking of the following options:

1) apply as a technician and work my way up ( I know since i'm licensed in VA as a pharmacist, i'm still a pharmacist but i'll work with a technician salary if i have to) Do you think this is realistic?

2) get an intern license in a nearby state like DC and work as an intern to get experience. Would they hire a pharmacist in another state as an intern?

If you have any suggestions please leave it. I Don't know what to do anymore...

You're not allowed to work as an intern if you are licensed as a pharmacist.

 

[ACE Rx]

Hi everyone!
I have been looking for a job in VA for a few months now with no luck! I am a 2012 graduate.

I did not intern while i was in pharmacy school, because i didn't have work permit to get hired and i think that is what's hurting my chances. I did really well on all my rotations my forth year and i've been told i have a great personalty and i'm very friendly. I work well with other and truly care about people and want to help them but i have no connections to find a job. I'm thinking of the following options:

1) apply as a technician and work my way up ( I know since i'm licensed in VA as a pharmacist, i'm still a pharmacist but i'll work with a technician salary if i have to) Do you think this is realistic?

2) get an intern license in a nearby state like DC and work as an intern to get experience. Would they hire a pharmacist in another state as an intern?

If you have any suggestions please leave it. I Don't know what to do anymore...

First mistake is not interning and developing connections while in pharmacy school. I know people that didn't have work permits either but they found ways to make it work for them.

I don't know whether your family is loaded with cash or not but its silly for you as a licensed pharmacist to work as a technician with all that debt piling up. Consider this, would someone who got their MD work as a medical assistant and work their way up or a DDS work as a dental assistant? Why you would degrade yourself is beyond me.

Finally, the reason for the IPPEs and APPEs were for you to get experience as a student so you would be ready by the time you graduate. If you graduated as a PharmD and not passed the NAPLEX yet, you could work as a graduate intern. However, once you get licensed as a pharmacist, you are NO longer able to work as an intern.

I don't know how school was like for you but my school told us on day 1 that pharmacy saturation is becoming more problematic and that we have to be the best candidates we can possibly be. Needless to say, competition at my school is fierce but I haven't heard of any one of our graduates not be able to find a job somewhere.

I hope your school is not one of these new schools that are popping up making our situations worse. If it isn't, you may want to check the alumni association and try to make connections that way.

 

[Spring123]

First mistake is not interning and developing connections while in pharmacy school. I know people that didn't have work permits either but they found ways to make it work for them.

I don't know whether your family is loaded with cash or not but its silly for you as a licensed pharmacist to work as a technician with all that debt piling up. Consider this, would someone who got their MD work as a medical assistant and work their way up or a DDS work as a dental assistant? Why you would degrade yourself is beyond me.

Finally, the reason for the IPPEs and APPEs were for you to get experience as a student so you would be ready by the time you graduate. If you graduated as a PharmD and not passed the NAPLEX yet, you could work as a graduate intern. However, once you get licensed as a pharmacist, you are NO longer able to work as an intern.

I don't know how school was like for you but my school told us on day 1 that pharmacy saturation is becoming more problematic and that we have to be the best candidates we can possibly be. Needless to say, competition at my school is fierce but I haven't heard of any one of our graduates not be able to find a job somewhere.

I hope your school is not one of these new schools that are popping up making our situations worse. If it isn't, you may want to check the alumni association and try to make connections that way.

Thanks for your comment. Without work permit, i couldn't get hired, not even as a technician while i was in school, but i did a ton of volunteer work with different organizations and held leadership positions. I am not loaded, i need a job and i also don't like to sit around and do nothing. that's why i thought of working as a technician because i know in the state that i am licensed as a pharmacist i can not intern. But when i brought up interning, i meant in nearby states where i am not licensed.

I was a good student in school, and my pharmacy school has been around for a long time. It's a reputable school, but they didn't mention anything about saturation until forth year. I've contacted my dean, but no responses yet.... I'm a kind of person that if i have to mop the floor to get to where i need to get..i'll do it. I love my profession, but what can i do when i don't have experience?? i can't just sit around. but i don't know if companies would hire a pharmacist for a technician job?

 

[awval999]

Thanks for your comment. Without work permit, i couldn't get hired, not even as a technician while i was in school, but i did a ton of volunteer work with different organizations and held leadership positions. I am not loaded, i need a job and i also don't like to sit around and do nothing. that's why i thought of working as a technician because i know in the state that i am licensed as a pharmacist i can not intern. But when i brought up interning, i meant in nearby states where i am not licensed.

I was a good student in school, and my pharmacy school has been around for a long time. It's a reputable school, but they didn't mention anything about saturation until forth year. I've contacted my dean, but no responses yet.... I'm a kind of person that if i have to mop the floor to get to where i need to get..i'll do it. I love my profession, but what can i do when i don't have experience?? i can't just sit around. but i don't know if companies would hire a pharmacist for a technician job?

Are you a US Citizen? Are you eligible to work or do you need to get sponsored?

 

[rxlea]

You could teach at a community college or one of the technical colleges that train technicians..

 

[Spring123]

Are you a US Citizen? Are you eligible to work or do you need to get sponsored?

I don't need to get a sponsor. I am a permanent resident and will get my citizenship in a year and i have work permit

 

[Spring123]

You could teach at a community college or one of the technical colleges that train technicians..

Thank you, i'll look into that

 

[bacillus1]

A few of my classmates who could not get jobs ended up working Per Diem at hospitals. This may be a good option for you, and if a full-time position opens afterward, you will be among the first in line for it.

 

[Hope1974]

1. Washington DC is not a state, it's a district, ie District of Colombia.

2. You can't work as an intern if you are licensed as a Pharmacist.

3. You can't work as an intern in another state unless you are enrolled in pharmacy school.

4. In order to work as a tech, most states now require certification which envolves enrolling in a class or being hired in retail and going through their program. Call the board of pharmacy for requirements.

5. If you ARE working as a tech and you are licensed as a pharmacist and you make a mistake and the company finds out, you might still be liable because you are a licensed pharmacist. I wanted to volunteer in the VA and they told me I couldn't because it was a conflict of interest. It's like this, if an MD were to volunteer in the ER and for some reason had to perform CPR on someone and cracked the persons ribs, he's still liable because he's a licensed doctor.

6. As much as people say teachers don't make s***. They make way more than most jobs you can find with minimal education. I lost my job and am serving in the school system here and making upwards of $24 an hour( more than that, I choose not to say) I'm making reasonable money. Although its close to the end of the school year, look into subbing next time around. And, um your area pays some of the highest teachers salaries, I know, cause I used to work there.

7. Other options: write down your other options as goals and work at them. When you get disappointed and or want to give up remember there are others like you out there and some have it much worse.

A. Keep looking for per diem
B. look at private pharmacies
C. Omg, you're in an area where there are opportunities for research. Johns Hopkins hires many foreigners like yourself- but the pay sucks cause people wanna work there because of the name.
University of Marylandhas positions but look for occupations with titles other than "pharmacist". So, I would be looking for Research Assistant or something. If you limit yourself to just "pharmacist" positions it's difficult. Do something else while looking for what you want, and have several back up plans- I.e Plan A, Plan B.....
D. Consider a license in another state.
E.look at your list each week and revise it. I started adding more desperate things to the list, like considering a PA degree, moving to another state after I got a job off course, n I even thought of leaving the country, but things are looking up again.

 

[jawnly211]

deleted - wrong forum.

 

[Spring123]

1. Washington DC is not a state, it's a district, ie District of Colombia.

2. You can't work as an intern if you are licensed as a Pharmacist.

3. You can't work as an intern in another state unless you are enrolled in pharmacy school.

4. In order to work as a tech, most states now require certification which envolves enrolling in a class or being hired in retail and going through their program. Call the board of pharmacy for requirements.

5. If you ARE working as a tech and you are licensed as a pharmacist and you make a mistake and the company finds out, you might still be liable because you are a licensed pharmacist. I wanted to volunteer in the VA and they told me I couldn't because it was a conflict of interest. It's like this, if an MD were to volunteer in the ER and for some reason had to perform CPR on someone and cracked the persons ribs, he's still liable because he's a licensed doctor.

6. As much as people say teachers don't make s***. They make way more than most jobs you can find with minimal education. I lost my job and am serving in the school system here and making upwards of $24 an hour( more than that, I choose not to say) I'm making reasonable money. Although its close to the end of the school year, look into subbing next time around. And, um your area pays some of the highest teachers salaries, I know, cause I used to work there.

7. Other options: write down your other options as goals and work at them. When you get disappointed and or want to give up remember there are others like you out there and some have it much worse.

A. Keep looking for per diem
B. look at private pharmacies
C. Omg, you're in an area where there are opportunities for research. Johns Hopkins hires many foreigners like yourself- but the pay sucks cause people wanna work there because of the name.
University of Marylandhas positions but look for occupations with titles other than "pharmacist". So, I would be looking for Research Assistant or something. If you limit yourself to just "pharmacist" positions it's difficult. Do something else while looking for what you want, and have several back up plans- I.e Plan A, Plan B.....
D. Consider a license in another state.
E.look at your list each week and revise it. I started adding more desperate things to the list, like considering a PA degree, moving to another state after I got a job off course, n I even thought of leaving the country, but things are looking up again.

You have some great points that i didn't think of. Thank you very much.

I did contact the board a few weeks ago and they said i can work as a Tech in VA with my Pharmacist license but i am liable as a pharmacist

 

[nnguyenc]

Awesome, just got an infarction

 

[rxlea]

Awesome, just got an infarction

An MI?????

 

[Spring123]

Awesome, just got an infarction

Are you ok?

 

[nnguyenc]

SDN admin's

 

[Muse600]

do a VA residency

 

[bacillus1]

do a VA residency

I think the OP means Virginia when saying VA, not Veterans' Affairs. Also, a VA residency sadly does not guarantee a VA job upon completion. Even if it did, the VA is very slow in responding to job applications.

 

[PharmDHawkeye]

I think the OP means Virginia when saying VA, not Veterans' Affairs. Also, a VA residency sadly does not guarantee a VA job upon completion. Even if it did, the VA is very slow in responding to job applications.

The sad thing is, residency doesn't guarantee a job anywhere. You enter a smaller market that is probably equally saturated.

My question for the OP is, what are you doing in the meantime? Have you considered expanding you search beyond VA? It doesn't make sense to just be jobless forever, you are going to have to relax your standards and take a job that's somewhere else, pays less, or isn't exactly what you're looking for.

 

[awval999]

The sad thing is, residency doesn't guarantee a job anywhere. You enter a smaller market that is probably equally saturated.

My question for the OP is, what are you doing in the meantime? Have you considered expanding you search beyond VA? It doesn't make sense to just be jobless forever, you are going to have to relax your standards and take a job that's somewhere else, pays less, or isn't exactly what you're looking for.

Residenices are becoming a lot like pharmacy schools. New ones popping out everywhere. I will tell you this--- if you have a residency from Johns Hopkins or Mayo Clinic you WILL get a job. If you have a residency from podunk rural hospital, ehhh--- it's not going to be a slam dunk.

 

[Judgment Dragon]

Hi everyone!
I have been looking for a job in VA for a few months now with no luck! I am a 2012 graduate.

I did not intern while i was in pharmacy school, because i didn't have work permit to get hired and i think that is what's hurting my chances. I did really well on all my rotations my forth year and i've been told i have a great personalty and i'm very friendly. I work well with other and truly care about people and want to help them but i have no connections to find a job. I'm thinking of the following options:

1) apply as a technician and work my way up ( I know since i'm licensed in VA as a pharmacist, i'm still a pharmacist but i'll work with a technician salary if i have to) Do you think this is realistic?

2) get an intern license in a nearby state like DC and work as an intern to get experience. Would they hire a pharmacist in another state as an intern?

If you have any suggestions please leave it. I Don't know what to do anymore...

What pharmacy school did you attended?

 

[kendruha]

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that it'll take awhile before you find a job. Most likely it will be more than a year (on average).

Recent graduates have tried temp agencies and its been successful for them. If you do temp agencies, at least you'll be making some money even though it's not a permanent job.

Also, what's stopping you from moving to another state where there's a demand? More rural areas would probably have more positions available.

Good luck. Be positive

 

[Rattlergirl53]

Are you just looking for jobs in VA that are in northern VA like close to DC? I'm guessing that is the area you live in but you are licensed for the whole state.

One of my classmates got a job in the western part of VA, yeah it's not DMV area but it's a job.

 

[Blue402]

As someone above me said, try using a staffing agency/recruiter like RxRelief, Rphonthego, Aerotek, Adecco, or others, just google them. They will try and get you some temporary contract work (although they might find something permanent for you as well) while you continue to look.

What job search sites are you using to look?