When do you apply for Pharmacist jobs?

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Some people I know like looking for jobs after getting their pharmacy license and some look for jobs after their graduate. Is this the typical timing I should be applying for jobs?
I will be graduating May 2016 and a lot of retail companies do interviews early through the school's career fair. I have applied to some retail companies already, but I'm wondering when I should apply for hospital jobs? Hospital is my ideal job setting, so I want to make sure I get the timing right.

 

[Lnsean]

Some people I know like looking for jobs after getting their pharmacy license and some look for jobs after their graduate. Is this the typical timing I should be applying for jobs?
I will be graduating May 2016 and a lot of retail companies do interviews early through the school. I have applied to some retail companies already, but I'm wondering when I should apply for hospital jobs? Hospital is my ideal job setting, so I want to make sure I get the timing right.

Also, a lot of my friends are staying with their parents after graduation. For me, I like having my own place, but right now I don't have any money just a lot of loans. My plan is to just stay with my parents for a year to pay off loans and then find myself a place. I know this will be limiting my career opportunities. I was wondering what other people's plan was after graduation 🙂

If you're not already working for a chain or hospital as an intern or a tech, no one is going to look at your application until you graduate. Those days are over. You can try the career fairs at your school which should be happening soon. Other than that, I'd wait until after graduation and apply while you're studying for your boards.

 

[hye345]

For retail, I'd start applying now. Go to various company's websites and apply for openings directly. Some companies like CVS and Walgreens start looking/hiring early on (November/December and onward through Spring). On the flip side, other places like Shopko only look at P4 students in the spring. It all depends on the company.

I can't speak for hospital too much, since I always figured that most of them wanted residency-trained pharmacists anyway. With that said, there was one rural hospital at the career fair I attended back in November, so its not an absolute conclusion that hospitals aren't gonna look at you until after you graduate.

 

[Bubblewrap]

Thanks guys, I have applied to retail companies and done interviews with them back in September. I was just wondering when I should be applying for hospital positions. I guess I should start applying after I graduate like one poster said.

 

[wagrxm2000]

Retail will want to hire you before you graduate apply now. I believe most people for walgreens get their offer letters around this time.

 

[RimzyA]

My school actually did a really good job of getting us jobs, for retail specifically, they organized a job fair and then we signed up to do interviews around November, and I got my offer a week after my interview. Otherwise I would just apply on their websites right now. My preceptor told me that if I had not gotten a job offer in retail I was screwed.

 

[Bubblewrap]

Yeah, I know retail starts their application process early and I'm already done interviewing with retail companies. I was just wondering about hospital.

 

[RimzyA]

Yeah, I know retail starts their application process early and I'm already done interviewing with retail companies. I was just wondering about hospital.

I know in my area most hospitals want to hire already licensed pharmacists unless you are already an intern, might want to apply after you are licensed. That's what I am planning on doing too

 

[gwarm01]

Never got an interview with a hospital until I was already licensed.

 

[deleted205891]

Never got an interview with a hospital until I was already licensed.

I did. Depends on hospital. This was a rural hospital though, and I guess they just wanted as many applicants as possible.