Dawn’s Second Career success: Becoming a registered pharmacy technician

After a job loss, what happens next? That’s the question Dawn asked herself after a collective layoff, finding herself suddenly unemployed and having to start over. Follow her steps into a new – and successful – Second Career.

When Dawn stepped into our office in Perth after experiencing a layoff from her full-time manufacturing job, she was looking for options. Would she find another job; in what field of work; and where would she work? After a meeting with employment consultant Bobbi at Community Employment Services (CES), Dawn heard about government funding to retrain. “I found out that Second Career was possibly an option for me, and that’s what I decided to do”, Dawn explains.

Embarking on a Second Career presents job seekers with some big, long-term decisions. Bobbi elaborates on how this process opens up retraining options, “A career exploration resource was a helpful tool to determine careers that ‘matched’ Dawn’s interests, skills and values with an occupation.”

Dawn’s career match offered a new direction for employment as well as confirmation of her former profession, “I had been a Vet Tech for 10 years before I worked at the factory. That was the number one job so apparently, I picked right the first time! I have always liked medicine and Pharmacy Technician was on there. That’s where I decided to get back into medicine again.”

Bobbi emphasizes the importance of this step with all Second Career candidates, “This is crucial part of the process when considering retraining, as individuals should take the time to conduct the research to ensure they have chosen a career they will enjoy doing, and one that fits with their lifestyle. Additionally, in order to receive approval for Second Career funds, all participants must show evidence that their occupational choice is predicated to have strong employment outlooks within Ontario. There are multiple ways to locate this information including: government labour market websites, workforce planning boards, evidence of future business expansion and advertised job postings.”

Dawn gathered proof that Pharmacy Technicians are in demand. “I had to do research for my particular career. If I look at Indeed for jobs, there are at least 5 or 10 jobs each month. I also had to call the Pharmacy’s and ask questions too.”

Dawn was accepted into Algonquin Careers Academy to take the Pharmacy Technician program. It was official, she was going back to school to retrain with funding through Second Career, and that funding covered most of her tuition, books and travel expenses to commute into Ottawa. “I did my 10-month course. I graduated the next year with honours and I was the valedictorian. I was quite happy.”

Dawn had a long-term career plan in mind when requesting her placements at the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy and Perth District Hospital. “I kind of targeted my co-ops that way specifically since I lived in the area. To me, it’s like a 4-week interview for both of us – Do I like it? Do they like me? It’s hard to hide yourself in 4-weeks. If they like me, they got a 4-week interview.” And her targeted placement plan paid-off, “Fortunately, I got hired right after I was done. I went from co-op straight to [the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy]. I had the weekend off and started right here, which was wonderful.” Concurrently, she wrote the jurisprudence exam and the PEBC exams to become a registered Pharmacy Technician with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

After working full-time at the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy for a year and a half, Dawn found another opportunity to expand her career and work again at the hospital. She applied for a pharmaceutical opening and receive a call for an interview. “I did the interview and met what was required and fortunately I am now a Casual Technician. I’ll be part-time [at Shoppers Drug Mart] and casual [at Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital].”

Dawn concluded by summarizing how her Second Career experience completely changed her professional work life, “Fortunately, because of the path [CES] sent me on I went from a job back to career. People wonder what the difference is: Passion. I’d say passion is the difference. I didn’t realize that until I went back”. Dawn said smiling, “When I switched to factory, I went into ‘a job’, and as good as it was, and the wonderful people I met – when I got back into medicine again – the passion was put back into the job I do.”

Find out how Second Career can help change your own career path: fill out our contact us page.