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Pharmacy Student: Become a Locum this Summer?

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Pharmacy Student: Become a Locum this Summer?

Pharmacy Student: Become a Locum this Summer?

 

You’ve had a busy year of studying, working placements and now its summer leave. A long-awaited break of 5-6 months. You may want to travel the world during this time. You may be considering working.

What if we told you that some of our clients are willing to take on Pharmacy Students as Locum Dispensers? It’s true!!

Why would you consider becoming a locum dispenser?

1.       You can gain great experience. There’s nothing like working on the job. Not as a trainee, but with full responsibilities. This gives you valuable experience which you’ll take to your next years studies. You’re not seen as a Trainee Pharmacist, your seen as a Pharmacy Professional right away.

2.       You start to impress future employers- They know that one day you’ll be a pharmacist and your name will stick./ There’s nothing more simple that finishing your MPharm and contacting an old employer and getting a very seamless job offer.

3.       You make a great hourly salary. Dependant on where the role is situated, you’re up for a great salary. There’s nothing better than being paid for what you love doing.

 

How quick can I start Locum’ing as a Dispenser?

You could start work next week! The sooner you apply and show interest, the sooner the process starts. The most ideal situation is securing your contract from the very beginning of your summer break. This way the hiring client can secure you for the longest amount of time.

Depending on the client, they will ask for a variation of documents. Some of which include:

·         Right to work

·         DBS

·         Confirmation of University studies

·         Covid-19 vaccination status

·         And others.

Look at our Locum Hub page where you can dive into the world of becoming a locum and what that looks like for you: Locum pharmacist guide | How to go locum | Quad Recruitment

 

Here’s some of the Frequently Asked Questions by Pharmacy Students working as Locums:

What if I want to go on holiday during my contract?

This is fine. If you make us and the client aware of this holiday it will be authorised just as it would if you were permanently employed.

 

What if I only want to work part time hours?

This is all based on the clients’ requirements. Some clients are fine with you working part time, others need full time contractors to ensure they are meeting their own demands.

 

Can I work through my Limited Company?

For some clients you can indeed work through your Limited company. Others it’s a big no. With the changes and introduction of IR35 last April it changed the way contractors get paid. You can check out another blog on our Umbrella companies’ website: Home — Orange Genie

How much notice do I need to give to cancel my contract?

The rule of thumb is 7 days’ notice prior to leaving your contracted position. It works the other way too. The client must give 7 days’ notice before cancelling your contract. There are generally no bad terms to cancelling a contract, they just don’t need you anymore.

 

Do I need to interview to become a Locum?

Yes- but it’s a complicated yes. We the agency host a competency-based interview which is super informal and nothing to be nervous about. We as=re simply looking for you to be able to answer simple questions in which we believe the client would be happy with. It is formally our decision if we believe you are a good match for the client as you will be working under Quad Recruitment for the contract length.

 

Get in touch if you’d like to discuss the opportunities, we currently have for Pharmacy Students in the UK.

Written by Hannah Williams

Hannah has been with Quad Recruitment for over 4 years now.

Hannah originally started her career as a recruitment consultant but after her return from her maternity leave she came in as a compliance guru and now heads up this department within Quad Recruitment