Tips for getting a Student Pharmacy Tech job?

[ScrabbleGirl]

Hi all,

I'm currently working as a dispenser in a community pharmacy. I love my job but I really want to move into hospital pharmacy and qualify as a Pharmacy Technician, which isn't an option available to me in the company I work for.

I'm aware that Student Pharmacy Tech posts often come up around July/August to coincide with the start of the academic year for college courses. So I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice on what I should do before then to improve my chances of getting a Student Pharmacy Tech job. I've already completed the NPA Dispensary Assistant's Course, but the company won't fund any more training for me or let me fund myself so that's not an option - instead I'm looking for things I can do independently (eg getting an IT qualification, or finding some work experience) that would improve my chances.

I'd be really grateful for any advice people can offer on this.

Cheers!

[badacre]

I'm about to qualify myself and I am looking for a job, I noticed on the NHS jobs website that many trusts are already recruiting student MTO's. So don't be putting it off, get applying!

[ScrabbleGirl]

Thanks for your advice. I'm registered with NHS Jobs so I get email updates whenever a relevant job is advertised, and I also check the website each day for new jobs. I've only seen one Student Pharmacy Tech job advertised in my area since the start of this year though, so do you know if there are there other websites or publications I should be looking at as well? I don't want to miss any opportunities that do come up.

[sparkybw]

The jobs may be advertised as Trainee Pharmacy Technician rather than student. You may have missed the boat for this year as many jobs have already been advertised and the interviews will be held during April and May.

[dizzyb23]

You are doing everything possible by the sounds of it. Get as much experience as you can working in the dispensary where you currently are. Get to know the locum Pharmacists that come your way also as they are an amazing source of job info because they "get around" (in the nicest possible way)......That's how I heard about my student post way back in 2003. Great locum I worked with called me before it was advertised. Locums are fab......(most of them)

[ScrabbleGirl]

The jobs may be advertised as Trainee Pharmacy Technician rather than student. You may have missed the boat for this year as many jobs have already been advertised and the interviews will be held during April and May.

Really? I'm a bit worried in that case as I've been searching on the NHS Jobs website every day (using just 'pharmacy' as a search term so I should find anything related to pharmacy) and I've only seen one job advertised all year. :-( Am I looking in the wrong place? How many jobs would normally come up each year - I live in London so I was expecting there would be more than just one advertised in the whole of the city!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[sparkybw]

There were about a dozen hospitals recruiting in the north east and they all had individual application forms. You could only apply for two of the hospitals which is what I've done and I'm still waiting to hear about interviews. But they don't interview for my two choices until the end of April/beginning of May, so I'm not too worried just yet.

I've just done a search using only 'pharmacy' as the search term and with no geographical limitations and found the following vacancies for student pharmacy technicians.

Tameside
Northampton
Guys + St Thomas'
East Kent
Nottingham

So the vacancies are out there and you are maybe being too prescriptive in your area.