Should I leave my tech job at CVS for Target?

[PharmBoy90]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I've been working at CVS for almost a year and a half. My store is insanely busy and sometimes so hectic that I legit get anxiety at work. It isn't the worst place in the world, but my store's customers are so spoiled, that if you practically aren't wiping their ass for them, they'll complain and/or freak out on you.

Having said that, we have a lot of help (usually 4 pharmacists at a time and 4-6 techs) and I really, really love my coworkers. Sometimes working can even be fun, because we are like a family. The store I work at is also like 2 minutes away from my house.

However, the hours are crappy (I work in a 24 hour store), sometimes it is so busy that we don't even get breaks, yet we still get them taken out of our paychecks. And like I said, our store is just getting worse and worse.

I was offered a job at Target that is about 10-15 minutes away from my house, for a $1.25 more an hour. If I pass my PTCB exam, I'll get an extra $1.00 an hour raise on top of that. They close at 9 during the week and 6 on the weekends. You're guaranteed a 45-minute break and the people there seem really nice.

I'll really miss my CVS family, but the extra money would really help out while I'm still in school. Not sure what to do...🙁

 

[pharm B]

Better work environment, better pay, and better hours? Seems like you have some good things going for you in the Target column.

 

[PharmBoy90]

Better work environment, better pay, and better hours? Seems like you have some good things going for you in the Target column.

Yeah, that is true lol.

It's just that CVS is really flexible if I need a day off here and there. And I work with some pretty awesome people. We do 800-1100 scripts a day at CVS, and it gets insane.

Target says they do 1700 per WEEK. So I'm afraid it might be too slow and I might get bored, which makes the time drag.

 

[ttngu234]

Less stress and more money sounds better to me. Target has a better culture, and you'll get discount there!

 

[Incitatus]

I can sympathize with you, but I would encourage you to stick witu your current employer. The flexibility afforded you at your familiar CVS is not something you'll likely get at Target. Your store has the volume to be flexible. This Target is a slower department store that is further from home and has fewer hours to go around. You need the money, I get it, but you also need to pass your PTCB, when you do, if CVS is anything like Walgreens, your looking at an instant raise right there.
More importantly though, sticking with CVS now shows consistancy. The longer you stick with them, the better it reflects on you for pharmacy school, loans, mortgages, etc.
Patients need their asses kissed everywhere. It's just part of the practice of community pharmacy. Moving down the road is only going to be changing the scenery, not the clientel.

So, I say stick it out with CVS, the rewards are just going to be greater.

 

[WISBadger]

I've worked in a high-ish volume retail store for over 3 years now, and if you're relatively happy with about 90% of CVS, just stay there. Having breaks taken out of your check, without being given any, is absolutely illegal (but I suppose every state is different). Working a consistent high volume retail is great practice, and as for patients needed their ass kissed, well thats just retail pharmacy. Unfortunately a lot of people suck. But if your plan is eventually Pharm school, working consistently at a very high-volume pharmacy gives you infinitely great talking points in any interview.

 

[Parklife]

Apply at your local Costco if you have one. That's where I work as a tech and it's great! Maybe because it's a private wholesale club so you people usually drop off, go get free samples, try out new phones, buy goldfish in bulk, and come back right on time for their prescription. The pay is a lot better than other tech positions. 16 an hour. My pharmacists are awesome. They're always in control even under the most stressful situations and in my exp they come from big name schools with lots of involvement in the local pharmacy scene. My pharmacists offered to take me and a few other pre-health techs to a convention for pharmacists at a really nice Marriott. It was great for networking. It also helps not having a drive through

I find that these "niche" retail stores are a lot better than the usual CVS/wags/target/kroger.

Try to look for jobs at retail locations that are a little harder to get to like Sam's club or Costco.

 

[dtmbmw]

I've been working at CVS for almost a year and a half. My store is insanely busy and sometimes so hectic that I legit get anxiety at work. It isn't the worst place in the world, but my store's customers are so spoiled, that if you practically aren't wiping their ass for them, they'll complain and/or freak out on you.

Having said that, we have a lot of help (usually 4 pharmacists at a time and 4-6 techs) and I really, really love my coworkers. Sometimes working can even be fun, because we are like a family. The store I work at is also like 2 minutes away from my house.

However, the hours are crappy (I work in a 24 hour store), sometimes it is so busy that we don't even get breaks, yet we still get them taken out of our paychecks. And like I said, our store is just getting worse and worse.

I was offered a job at Target that is about 10-15 minutes away from my house, for a $1.25 more an hour. If I pass my PTCB exam, I'll get an extra $1.00 an hour raise on top of that. They close at 9 during the week and 6 on the weekends. You're guaranteed a 45-minute break and the people there seem really nice.

I'll really miss my CVS family, but the extra money would really help out while I'm still in school. Not sure what to do...🙁

i worked for target for 3 years as both a tech and an intern... youll love it there!

 

[PharmBoy90]

Any idea on how much of a raise I'll get from CVS if I pass the PTCB?

I'm still kind of torn on whether I was to go to Pharmacy school or be a PA, but I'm not sure which company is better to stick with if I decide to go the Pharmacy route...I kind of feel like I'd have a better chance of getting a job with CVS since our district manager loves me. 😀

 

[WannaBePharmD42]

When I passed the PTCB in Nov. 2011 I didn't get a raise from cvs. I even asked and they said no.

 

[PharmBoy90]

Is making the move to Target as a tech a bad move though? For some reason I feel like if I stick with CVS, they are more likely to hire me as an intern and eventually a pharmacist if I stick with the company.

 

[owlegrad]

Having the district manager as your friend is not going to hurt when it comes time to get an RPh job, that is for sure. I cannot tell you how nice it is to know that I have a job lined up after graduation. That said, you could easily end up in the same situation at Target. It really is something you just have to decide for yourself (I know you know that).

The single most important thing I would say is - have no regret. Stay at CVS, don't regret missing a chance to change scenery or take the plung but don't think about how things might have been at CVS.

Every footstep leads you to where you are - whatever you do, do it with gusto! No looking back and no "what might have been's". 🙂

Good Luck

 

[Rph888]

Is making the move to Target as a tech a bad move though? For some reason I feel like if I stick with CVS, they are more likely to hire me as an intern and eventually a pharmacist if I stick with the company.

stay at cvs, target is more likely to cut your working hours, less intern opportunity and rph opportunity as well.

 

[NickW9682]

Why dont you apply to a hospital? Better pay, better experience, and better all around. Plus, even as a part time employee you will get benefits and health insurance.

 

[twizzlers713]

why'd you apply if you didn't intend to take the job?

 

[PharmBoy90]

why'd you apply if you didn't intend to take the job?

I was curious to see how much they'd offer me.

Is it true that Target's computer system is the worst computer system ever?

 

[cleanshirt]

...

 

[PharmBoy90]

Well CVS offered me a $2 raise to stay, without being certified. So basically it's only 25 cents less than Target, and that's only if I were to get certified at Target.