Set yourself up for career success

An open mind, great timing, and some luck have served Jessica Marx well during the early part of her pharmacy career.

By Jessica Marx, PharmD

At 16 years old, I applied for a part-time job at the CVS down the street that was looking for a cashier. At the time, I had absolutely no idea how much this part-time job I took for a little extra cash would help to shape my entire trajectory.

I loved my job as a cashier. I would get to know the regular customers who would come in for their daily newspaper and gallon of milk. I remember the day when the pharmacy in the back was short staffed. My manager asked me if I would be able to stay a couple hours after my shift to help ring-up patients who were picking up prescriptions in the pharmacy. Having never worked back there before, I was a little hesitant, but I agreed. Until that day, I had no idea what really happened in a pharmacy or what a pharmacist did, but I quickly realized how much the community both trusted and relied upon their pharmacist. From counseling patients when they started new medication therapies to answering questions about first aid and possible side effects, the pharmacist knew so much about medication therapy. I had no idea. After spending some more time in the pharmacy, I eventually decided to transfer to the pharmacy permanently and went on to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician. 

My experiences at this part-time job triggered the formation of my future secondary education aspirations. I wanted to be a pharmacist, just like the pharmacists I worked with at CVS, and that’s exactly the path I traveled down. Many years, exams, and experiential rotation hours later, I graduated pharmacy school. I received my offer for a pharmacist position at CVS in 2016, just a few months before graduation. I worked as a staff pharmacist for just over 6 months before being promoted to Pharmacy Manager. My story could have ended here. After all, I had attained what I had already set out to attain in a matter of months. 

But I can assure you, my story doesn’t end here. 

Another opportunity presents itself

I worked as Pharmacy Manager for just short of 2 years before completely changing my practice setting. The funny part is that I wasn’t even looking for a new position at the time, but rather, I was presented with an opportunity at a local community hospital that would include working in the emergency department (ED); an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Although I wasn’t actively looking for a new position, I was ready to make a change from my current role.

To take a step back, it wasn’t until my APPE rotations that I knew I was interested in emergency medicine and critical care. My second-to-last APPE rotation was at Portsmouth Regional Hospital (my now current full-time employer). During this APPE, I was exposed to the role of the ED pharmacist. My preceptor was well-aware that I already had a job lined up in the community setting, but I made it clear that despite this, I was by no means “checked out,” and that I was still wanting to learn as much as I could during those 6 weeks. 

I also communicated my interests, and as we went on, my preceptor morphed my schedule to allow for extra time in the ED as well as with infectious disease. This same preceptor reached out to me last year when the hospital had an open position, asking if I would potentially be interested in applying. It is essentially because of this APPE experience that I am fortunate enough to hold the position I have now.

Pearls of wisdom

In today’s job market, it’s so common to hear how some pharmacists feel as though they’re stuck in their positions or practice settings. I entirely recognize how fortunate I am to have ended up in my position as an ED pharmacist just 3 years after graduating and without even completing postgraduate training. 

For me, there was definitely a great deal of luck and timing involved—as there usually is—but I do think that there are also some valuable pearls embedded within my journey that I can pass along to you.

1. Pharmacy is a small world. You probably have heard this a thousand times by now, but that’s because it’s the ultimate truth. It’s imperative to always make good impressions and never burn bridges. It’s important to always represent yourself in the best light because you never know who someone else might know, and you never know where life might bring you. These connections can make you or break you, and you certainly don’t want a negative impression to be a reason that holds you back. On this same note, be sure to view each of your experiential rotations as opportunities (because that’s what they are). They’re opportunities for knowledge, for experience, and for networking. They’re opportunities to gain a potential future career or mentor. Ask questions. Be curious, show initiative, and make your interests and intentions both well-known and clear.
2.  Keep an open mind. You never know where you might end up. Your plan today may not equate to your journey tomorrow, and that’s okay. Be open to change and opportunity. If you don’t end up where you originally planned post-graduation, not to fret. You have a long career ahead of you. In 3 short years, I have already made some significant changes. Who knows where I might end up in 19 years? The same applies to anyone, especially given the current climate of the profession since the numerous expanding opportunities for pharmacists, especially in non-traditional roles. Embrace change!
3. Always have a plan. I want to be clear: although you should absolutely be open to change and new opportunities, you should still have a plan. Don’t be afraid to take small positive risks while working toward a plan that outlines what you want to accomplish in a year, in 5 years, and in 10 years. Without goals in sight, it will be difficult to make any progress. Just know that it can be okay to divert from the plan if an opportunity arises. It’s impossible to plan for everything!
4. Leverage your experiences and opportunities. One thing I haven’t yet mentioned is that I worked a second job as an intern at a local hospital  throughout pharmacy school. Because of this experience, I was able to stay on as a per diem staff pharmacist after graduation while full-time at CVS, which also assisted in my transition from full-time in the community setting to full-time in the hospital setting. Of course, while the skills from one institution to another were directly transferable, the moral is to be sure to use your experiences to market yourself. Whether you take time to volunteer, work a different job, or have a hobby, many skills used for these experiences are transferable and can be used to market yourself for new opportunities.
5. Stay involved. My involvement in APhA has helped me further develop soft skills such as leadership and communication while continuing to stay informed and continuing to network. After all, it sometimes is all about who you know. In addition, being actively involved in professional organizations demonstrates dedication to the profession and can potentially be used to set you apart from others.

Do what you love

Although the pharmacy job market is becoming increasingly competitive, remember that you never have to be stuck. Choose to continue to immerse yourself and opportunities will be sure to find you. Figure out what you love and chase those dreams. Be sure to set yourself up for success. Keep an open mind because you really never know what you might end up loving or where your career might take you years down the road. 
Above everything else, always choose to do what you love, not just what you “don’t mind” or “can stand.” It may not be easy to get there, but it will make all the difference in the world once you finally reach where you’re trying to go. I think Roald Dahl said it best in one of my favorite quotes: “I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it, and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good.”

Jessica Marx, PharmD, is a Clinical Pharmacist at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, NH.