It all falls into place...

My almost month-long absence from blogging has been due to my equally month-long clinical placement in a pharmacy to the South. Needless to say I have been tired when I get back from work and don't have the mood to blog as I prefer to spend my time enjoying myself over the weekends. The location of the placement was about a 50 minute train ride from where I stay and it takes me approximately 2 hours in total to travel to and fro. My pharmacy is a 10 minute walk to the beach and was a very nice area to work in. Despite that, I felt that I laboured through this location and did not enjoy it as much as my previous placement.

Why you may ask? I had good preceptors and good staff. However, the setting of the pharmacy was such that I felt very restricted in going about with my activities. I felt as though I did not have enough freedom for some reason. Perhaps it's because of the many processes that needed to be followed in this pharmacy.

I mentioned before that I have been applying for jobs and been invited to interviews. The first job I applied for was with an established and large pharmacy chain that had a strong base in South Australia and Victoria. Indeed, it was one of the most well-known pharmacy brands in Australia. Suffice to say that I really wanted the job. After going through an interview and a vocational assessment and waiting for almost 2 months, I knew that my chance for employment had more or less vanished. I was informed later after making a call that I was not successful in my application for a position. When I heard the news though, I wasn't disappointed at all.

It happens that my placement over the previous month was in one of the branches of this large pharmacy chain. As I mentioned before, I felt that I did not really enjoy myself in the environment. In addition, I realised that the company did not value its employees as much as I would have expected. Word around already is that the pay is low unless you are at the top (positions which would normally be held by those approaching retirement). It so happened as well that while working there, "water-cooler" conversations made me realise that I would definitely not enjoy working there. As you would have gathered, I am more of a leader than a follower and strongly believe that my capabilities should be rewarded if they prove to be above expectations. For this company (and many others) however, it would seem that capabilities and potential are not recognised as much as personal circumstance. It's a pity really.

I had to go through a total of 7 interviews before receiving an offer. I accepted the offer on the spot. Why you may ask? First of all, it wasn't because I felt that I should jump at the first opportunity. On the contrary, I initially had reservations about this particular pharmacy. Nevertheless, this pharmacy proved to be different. They gave a tremendous first impression of professionalism, something a majority of jobs I applied for lack. After further research into the pharmacy, I received rave reviews from those with experience in the pharmacy industry. Most important of all, they made me feel wanted. During my interview, the employer went at length to find out more about my personality and interests. The employer (who was a notable member in the pharmacy industry) then personally took me to visit his pharmacy. When the call came, the employer made me feel that he was excited to have me working side-by-side with him next year. This is in complete contrast to other companies that make you feel that you should be greatful to them for giving you a job. He made me feel that he was honoured to have me working with him. While I made a decision beforehand to accept the offer if I received it based on my preliminary research (which indicated that I would actually learn more and get to fully nurture my capabilities), his enthusiasm at offering me the job made accepting it all the more easier. I must say, this has been the most professional pharmacy I have dealt with in my job hunt and the only one to truly recognise my capabilities and potential. At the same time, it is the only one which has dispelled my doubts about whether I would enjoy working with them.

As the title says, all things fall into place. If I had received the first job offer and taken it, I would probably be regretting the decision or find myself being de-skilled over the years. It seems that God helped me by not letting me receive an offer until it came to this pharmacy. I could not be more thankful as once again He proves to me that he answers my prayers in the best way possible.

Well, now I'll need to start rejecting offers and declining interviews since I have accepted a job offer. I must say that for once, I can't wait to start work for next year in this exciting pharmacy!