How to Find a Pharmacy Tech/Intern Job During School – What You Haven’t Tried

Last week we covered WHY it’s important to work during pharmacy school.

Here’s HOW to find a job. Which one of these haven’t you tried yet?

· Ask your classmates and their friends. Your classmates offer a window into their worlds of being a tech/intern. They know when their employers are hiring. They know the scoop on who’s leaving. Ask them who to contact and if they’d put in a good word for you. Don’t stop there. Ask them if they know of anyone who works for ABC Pharmacy or XYZ Hospital.

· Your college’s career/internship/job fair. Take advantage of having several potential employers in one room. Your upper classmates are looking for potential jobs as pharmacists and you can attend to ask about a tech/intern job. There’s another bonus here: you will collect a few business cards of potential employers who you can email 1) in a few days thanking them for their time, and 2) in a few months asking if there’s any new openings.

· Ask your academic advisor. If they aren’t aware of any jobs, they probably know people who can help further, or direct you to a campus resource you may not be aware of.

· Ask your professor. The one who talks about their practice site at the beginning of lecture? Yep. The guest speaker who comes in to talk about their specialty? Yep. The alumni panelists who talk about different career paths? Yep. Approach them all, introduce yourself, and let them know you are seeking a part-time tech/intern job.

· Have a dream job in mind? Do you think working at ABC Pharmacy or XYZ Hospital would look AMAZING on your CV? Ask someone in the Dean’s office if there are any alumni who work at those places and if you could have a contact name/email.

· Email the faculty and staff who work in the Experiential Education office. This is the office that coordinates ALL of your rotations – IPPE and APPE. They have thousands of connections ALL over your geographic location. Email them, ask for a meeting, and express your interest in finding a tech/intern job. Ask them if they know of any or have any suggested connections.

I saved the best for last! This is a little outside of the box, but I think you can handle it:

Drive around to all of the surrounding pharmacies and hospitals and ASK FOR A JOB. Wear professional clothes, bring your resume (you may not need it), and ask if they are hiring. Ask for a business card so you can follow up in 1-2 months to ask again. Your willingness to show up in person will help you stand out in a sea of emails.

What have you tried that worked? Tell us all about it here.

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