Question:
I'm a little scared of what will happen after graduation right now... It still seems kind of far away but I'm thinking about how it might be hard to find a job these days and I'm very scared of being unemployed because I've had some issues getting coop jobs before. I'm kinda interested in a residency too but I'm not sure again how competitive that is either.
Response:
Hi there! I can definitely relate to this question as just a year ago, around this time, I was feeling the same type of anxiety - not knowing what I wanted to do after graduation and not knowing if it was something realistic or feasible. Reading your question, I can assume you’re a third year student. I think third year is a good time to honestly do some self-reflection and perhaps start taking some mental steps towards a goal specifically. Ask yourself: “Which setting am I most interested in?” and “Which settings am I most experienced in?” If you’re truly interested in something and also experienced in it, you’ve got a great shot, regardless of whichever option you choose, in my opinion. But even if you’re lacking in experience, passion and enthusiasm goes a long way, especially for employers who are hiring interns and new grads. For example, some new residents from UW I know personally haven’t had a ton of hospital experience and they were hired regardless. Remember that you’re still new to pharmacy in general, so experience comes second, and interest should definitely come first.
With regards to pharmacy’s job market, your misgivings aren’t completely unfounded. Certainly, pharmacy has always had its peaks and troughs in terms of job availability and right now, I don’t think there would be many pharmacists who would disagree in saying that we’re kind of in the middle of a trough. However, I don’t think that you should let that discourage you. There are members of my class currently interviewing for positions - so there’s still lots of room to find a job. Even more, if you’re open to possibly relocating, there are still lots of positions in other areas of Ontario. And don’t be deterred if you don’t end up graduating with a job right away. The average time to find work for any university graduate is apparently around six months. Be patient and be persistent.
One thing I have personally noticed a lot of, now that I’m doing my PharmD rotation, is how receptive some pharmacists are to new grads and new ways of thinking. I think a key strength of being a Waterloo grad is that we’re trained in a whole different style of pharmacy. Many pharmacists, whether it be because they are from other countries or trained in a different era of pharmacy, aren’t completely comfortable with things like MedsChecks, Opinions or adaptations. As a new grad from a Canadian pharmacy school, this is your area to shine.
You mentioned that you have had some trouble with finding co-op positions and I can kind of sense that this is giving you some anxiety about the future (when it’s actually real!). I think you should try to remember that you’ve had a lot of practice now - compared to the average person - in terms of job applications because of our co-op program. In fact, you’ve had a lot more practice than the average pharmacist. If there’s one thing our school has definitely given us, it’s employability. In competing against pharmacy students from Toronto for residencies, I think we Waterloo students definitely noticed that we were a lot more comfortable doing this than they were. You’ve done at least 20 or 30 cover letters/resumes by now, I’m assuming. Even more, use it as a learning experience and try to figure out your perspective in terms of pharmacy for the next year. That way, by the time you graduate, I think you’ll be a much stronger applicant who can voice how he/she wants to practice best. I hope this helps in some way!
- Lanny