Retail Vs. Fellowship/ Industry

[jerzafgn]

Hey.

I'm in a predicament where I have to choose between working retail and fellowship/industry. I'm not sure which way to go and so I hope you guys can give me some helpful pointers.

Retail:
Pros:
Make almost three times as much then you would doing a fellowship. When you leave work you don't have to bring anything home.

Cons:
Customers can be a pain. Job satisfaction isn't the highest. Job growth is limited depending on the chain, mostly pharmacy manger then district manager.

Industry:
Pros:
Quality of life and job satisfaction seems to be higher. Growth opportunities are vast. You develop skills which are transferable to many corporate/ business firms.

Cons:
Pay is less then retail. You won't make six figures until working for a couple years if i'm correct. Hours are long and you bring work home when working on projects.

What are your opinions?

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[PharmaTope]

for me, i wouldn't like to do projects especially if you are not interested in it.

industry is changing. name some new drugs coming out? no big money makers at all. industry is cutting back as well. the jobs a lot of people go for dont need a PharmD either. just go with what you like. i couldnt do the industry thing personally.

 

[vaughnpereira]

What exactly does "industry" entail?

 

[mustang sally]

I would pick fellowship for quality of life reasons, but that's just my personal feeling. Even knowing how unstable it is these days...you can always go back to retail if necessary.

 

[pharmdosu]

You should pick what you think is best for you and suits you the most because it will make you happier in the long run. You have legit concerns for both fields, but do NOT make money a factor. money should not matter when it comes to doing what you REALLY want to do.
I was in the same position last year. I chose retail hoping to pay some of my loans before trying to switch back to industry in a year or two. Patients can get on your nerves and be very annoying, but I just dont let them get to me. Retail can get pretty repetitive and boring, but Your biggest concern should be the people you work with in the pharmacy. If you dont get along with the people you work with, then retail will suck. I float, and I enjoy it a lot because I work in different stores so it doesnt feel too repetitive because I get to work with different people almost everyday. But I also wouldnt mind working permanently in any of the stores because my co-workers are great. However, working in the industry is still what I would like to do and I do not care about the pay cut, because I think it would be the better career for me.