Ryan Quinn graduated from UVM in 2016 and is now in his 4th and final year at the Colchester, VT campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Science (ACPHS). In May, he’ll receive his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. A fun fact about Ryan is that he met his wife on UVM’s Trinity campus during his sophomore year.
While at UVM…
Ryan majored in biochemistry and (not surprisingly) completed a minor in Pharmacology. During his first two years, he was on the UVM Crew team. He describes that as “an awesome experience [that] I would recommend to anyone who likes early mornings, great exercise and team building experiences.”
Why pharmacy?
Ryan knew since he was young that he wanted to help people. By the end of sophomore year, he realized that a career in the lab wasn’t for him, and he began to explore other options where he could put his biochemistry background to use. After some research and with help from his academic advisor, he narrowed it down to medical school or pharmacy school. A toxicology course in junior year was the introduction to pharmacy he needed to fall in love with the field. That motivated him to apply for a job as a pharmacy technician at a local pharmacy, and “the rest is history.”
3-year program vs 4-year pharmacy program:
PharmD programs vary in length from 3 – 4 years. The shorter programs generally require summer sessions. ACPHS offers a 4-year curriculum in Albany and a 3-year accelerated path in Colchester (although when Ryan began, both programs were 4 years in length). Ryan says that for him, a 4-year curriculum was the right choice. He weighed the appeal of finishing a full year earlier, with the tradeoff of a heavily increased workload. He opted to decompress the training to give him more time to spend with his wife and the ability to keep working part-time.
Favorite part about pharmacy school?
Ryan’s “absolute favorite” part of pharmacy school is the ability to take what he learns during class and immediately be able to apply that knowledge at work, which he finds “incredibly satisfying” and an efficient way to retain information. He also is excited to experience the constantly evolving nature of pharmacy and the opportunity for daily learning.
After graduation from ACPHS?
Ryan will have to take and pass certifying exams to become licensed to practice pharmacy. He plans to find a position in a community pharmacy, ideally in the Burlington area, and is excited to make a difference in his community.
Advice for an undergraduate considering a career in pharmacy:
Ryan offers this advice: “Pharmacy is an incredible, multi-faceted career path… Getting a job as a pharmacy technician is a great first step…It will be a fantastic way to make sure you enjoy the work you will most likely end up doing one day.” Not only that, having interactive experiences with pharmacists and customers will help you create a compelling and genuine application that showcases your motivation for the career and your understanding of the joys and challenges that come with it.
By Health Professions Interest Group Leader Maggi Davis, ’21
We have amazing students at the University of Vermont who get involved in wonderful organizations. This week we’d like to introduce you to Key Nguyen, a senior Nursing major currently applying to graduate programs. This interview gives an insight into the flexibility of the nursing profession.
Campus Involvement:
Key is actively involved both on and off campus. In his first few years at UVM, he held leadership positions as a student senator in the Student Government Association and as a Resident Advisor. He used this time to develop more of his soft skills, like leadership and communication, and to gain strong connections on campus before diving into the nursing curriculum. Junior year, clinical rotations begin, and Key slowed down on his campus involvement to focus on academics. He is currently a student leader for SGA, the President of the Boulder Honor Society, and a student representative for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean search committee. He wishes there were more than 24 hours in a day so he could be even more involved!
Converse Home:
Key started working for a local nursing home, The Converse Home, his sophomore year. He is a patient care assistant, working 25 hours a week to help support his family. Key feels fortunate to have had an early start into patient care, as many nursing majors don’t dive into this until junior year. He took Health Assessment (one of the first nursing-related classes) at the same time he started working at the Converse Home. Key was trained well and picked up a lot of skills as he went. He says he loves working at the Converse Home because of the great team and leadership.
Gerontology Interest:
Gerontology has always been Key’s area of interest and was the reason he applied to nursing school in the first place. He says he connects easily with older adults , and attributes some of this to his culture. Key is originally from Vietnam and was taught from a young age to venerate older adults. Throughout his life, caring for older adults has defined him, and helped him feel comfortable quickly in his role at The Converse Home. Communicating and interacting with the geriatric population comes naturally to Key, and because of this, he greatly enjoys his work at the nursing home.
Advice for younger nursing majors:
Key’s advice for younger nursing students is to start to get involved and to communicate with upperclass peers. To urge younger students to reach out, he says, “We are not that scary, and we love talking to underclassmen students and give advice to help them out.” He hopes first and second year students will be more proactive about asking juniors and seniors about the interesting opportunities they have had on their journeys. He also says it is a good idea to plan ahead. He feels it was an advantage to start working with patients way before starting clinicals in the hospital. This helped him have patient communication and assistance skills in his back pocket, so when he was in the hospital for clinicals, he only had to worry about the more technical skills he was learning. He says younger students do not have to wait to get to the hospital to start learning these communication skills, so start reaching out for opportunities!
Future Career Goals:
Key is currently in the process of applying to graduate programs, and has been working on his personal statement. He has gotten help with his applications from the pre-health advisor, Cara Calvelli, and from the UVM Writing Center. He is applying to Adult and Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner programs. This will allow him to focus on more preventative care for anyone 13 years or older. He says this is relevant to his minor in Behavioral Change Health Studies from the Larner College of Medicine. He believes the future of health care will be outside the hospital, and more focused on keeping people healthy and away from hospitals. After becoming a nurse practitioner, Key hopes to get a doctoral degree to hold a higher leadership position. His focus is also to help people from underserved communities, and more specifically, from immigrant or refugee communities. As an immigrant himself, he has a closer tie to some of the injustices within the US healthcare system, and he wants to dedicate his future work to change that. He wants to serve the people he holds close to his heart, who have similar backgrounds. Key also would like to move toward the political aspect of healthcare after gaining clinical experiences. Because a lot of change in healthcare starts at a federal level, Key wants to start tackling these changes from a legislative aspect. Key says his future career goals may change in the future, but he is open to change. This is something nurses are very good at, being flexible to changing however they need to in order to provide the best care.
DNP vs MD:
A DNP is a Doctorate in Nursing Practice that prepares students to become nurse practitioners (NP). An NP has similar responsibilities to a medical doctor. However, there are many important distinctions between the two. There is some confusion about the titles, since NPs are nurses who hold doctoral degrees. A DNP follows the nursing model for care, which is a more holistic approach to care that incorporates the whole person. The MD pathway uses the medical model, which is focused on disease processes and treatments. Both are necessary for patient care, but Key Nguyen identifies more with the nursing process. The DNP provides the opportunity for him to learn about both the clinical and leadership aspects of nursing care.
We have amazing students at the University of Vermont who get involved in some wonderful organizations. This month we’d like to introduce you to Mimi Hsu, a senior, who has found a creative and impactful way to volunteer despite pandemic. Learn about the organization she has joined, Telehealth Access for Seniors. This new non-profit, founded earlier this year by students at Yale University, has already made a palpable difference.
Meet Mimi Hsu (she/her) ‘21
Major: Biochemistry
Career Goal: Unsure exactly what but knows she is interested in the healthcare field. Considering going to PA school.
How did you become a volunteer for TeleHealth Access for Seniors? She heard about it through the Pre-health listserv and emailed the volunteer coordinator
Given COVID-19, most medical practices have switched to a telehealth model where doctors connect with patients via video chat. Unfortunately, many elderly, low-income patients lack the camera-enabled devices necessary to attend these appointments. To help solve this problem, we collect old smartphones, tablets, and laptops for elderly patients so they can receive care for chronic conditions while avoiding the risk of infection. We also provide remote tech support and easy-to-use guides for how to set up devices, FaceTime, and various telehealth apps. We currently have a volunteer network of about 300+ students across the country and have donated 1860 devices and raised $80,000+.
Volunteers coordinate with their state team to spread the word and seek device donations through social media, service organizations, news outlets, etc. Additionally, volunteers help collect, reset, and sanitize the devices at their homes before sending them to their local clinic or VA. We also ask volunteers to participate in weekly meetings with their state team.
Mimi’s responsibilities as a student volunteer
Mimi was recently promoted to become a Vermont State Lead for the organization. This means she is now helping with volunteer recruitment and doing more administrative tasks. Prior to being a state lead, she dabbled in many different tasks. She learned how to write grants and dabbled in alumni outreach as well as tech support. There are also some fundraising options for students to help out with, but Mimi personally has not had much involvement in that. The volunteers generally pick up donated devices or organize drop off centers for people to donate devices. Overall, Mimi says there are a lot of different tasks you can choose to do and it is up to you, as the volunteer, to choose which ones you would like to focus on.
Mimi’s favorite & least favorite part about working for organization
Favorite Part: Mimi feels that this organization has allowed her to meet many people in the state of Vermont. Especially, with COVID, she has enjoyed the constant social interaction that this organization has.
Least Favorite Part: At the beginning she felt a little lost because this position requires a lot of self-motivation. It is a type of volunteer position where no one is going to hold your hand and tell you want to do. However, there are plenty of resources and people willing to help and teach you, you just have to ask!
The Time Commitment
According to Mimi, the time commitment is up to you. You set your hours. However, she generally devotes 5-10 hours a week to the organization.
How has this experience impacted her?
Between doing this and volunteering at 2 homeless shelters Mimi has begun to form strong ties with the Vermont community. She definitely believes that her networking skills/her ability to form long-lasting relationships with others have grown exponentially since starting the position. She also has realized how close the Community Health Centers work with low-income and seniors to provide adequate care. All her experiences within the organization have been positive. Mimi encourages that anyone interested joins since it is such a rewarding experience.
Additional things to know if you’re considering joining
YOU DO NOT NEED A CAR: Mimi stresses that a lot of people are hesitant to join because they feel they need a car to go pick up donated devices. She says a lot of pick up points are in a biking or walking distance.
Want to Join?
Things have slowed down since high school student volunteers are back in school and have less time on their hands. The organization is actively seeking student volunteers. If students are interested in joining Mimi and the rest of the Telehealth access volunteers, they can contact the volunteer coordinator Abe at abe.baker-butler@telehealthforseniors.org and mention that they found out about the program through Mimi Hsu.
Welcome to the final installment of the Senior Series newsletter. In this installment, we’ll explore salary negotiation — which is an often-overlooked portion of the job search. While the thought of negotiation can leave many job-seekers feeling uncomfortable, it can be especially challenging for a first-time job searcher. Keep in mind that your employer doesn’t have all of the power in this situation. Advocate for yourself, consider what leverage you have, and take steps to enter a salary negotiation prepared because you might still be leaving money on the table if you don’t.
A decent portion of the salary negotiation process begins before you even get an offer. In order to put yourself in the best position to negotiate you have to have an understanding of your needs, skill set, and the average salaries for similar positions in your industry.
As we’ve shared in previous messages, we recommend setting aside some time each week to work on different aspects of the job search process. This newsletter is pretty densely-packed, so consider breaking it up into smaller pieces. Be sure to schedule an appointment to meet with a career coach if you’d like to speak about this in a one-on-one setting.
Three members of the regional alumni board have volunteered to talk with you more about salary negotiation– Sarah Madey ‘09, Senior Manager of Global and Digital Marketing at Hasbro; Aimee Marti ’91, VP Branding and Corporate Social Responsibility at Aspenti Health; and Thomas Stirling ‘10, President of Stirling, Inc. Consider sending them a message in UVM Connect!
And remember: Even though you are graduating, alums can still access Career Services for free! So please don’t hesitate to reach out and consult with us as you navigate life as a new graduate.
Adapting: Prepare for a job search during the “new normal”
Searching: Stay visible and connected while job searching
Drafting: Work on your resume and cover letter
Interviewing: Tips for virtual interviews
Deciding: Negotiating your salary
Do Your Homework
Prior to Applying
A great place to start is with determining the cost of living in the location you wish to start your career in. Create a monthly budget for yourself including expenses such as rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, gym membership, and recreation. Don’t forget to include student loan payments if you have them. Cost of living calculators are wonderful tools to help you get an idea of what these necessities will cost in your city of interest. Nerd Wallet allows you to compare these expenses from one city to the next so you can determine what your budget may look like in a new city or you can compare options to help choose the most cost-effective option.
Once you have an idea of what type of salary you will need to get by, start exploring what you can expect to earn. Glassdoor allows users to log salaries for positions they have previously held. Glassdoor then aggregates that information and provides an average salary for those positions. This information will be beneficial in your search in that it will help you eliminate jobs that won’t meet your needs, allowing you to spend more time prioritizing the applications for those that will.
During the Application
Completing this research prior to applying to a job can benefit you when you come across a pesky application that asks you to list your desired salary. This question can be tricky. If you list something too high, you might get cast out of the running early. If you list something too low, you might undersell you worth in this role. If you’ve conducted your research ahead of time, you should be able to approach this scenario confidently. Here are a few pointers that we suggest if you do find yourself face to face with this question:
Application platforms work differently and allow for different submissions.
If the platform allows you to enter letters to be submitted, enter “Open to Negotiating”. This will allow you some wiggle room when negotiating post offer.
If you are unable to letters in the text box, try to submit a salary range. Use the average salary you uncovered as a mid-point for your range but make sure the lower number of you range is not lower than what you budgeted for.
If you are unable to enter a range, use the average salary you uncovered in your research.
Important Considerations
When applying for a job, salary isn’t the only thing to consider. Benefits play an important role in the equation as well. The salary for one job might look low in comparison to another but make sure to see what they include for insurance (medical, dental, visual, life)? Do they provide a plan to contribute to a 401K or 403b, and if so, how much would they match if you were to contribute? It might be hard to place a high value on these items when comparing salaries but a decent benefits package can save (and earn) you a lot of money in the long run. You will often get the best picture on benefits once an offer is made but try searching the human resources page of the company prior to applying as many companies will include some information for applicants there.
Once the Offer is Made
Who You’ll Talk To
Now that you have thought strategically about how to align your needs with that of the company’s, you will start the negotiation once you have an offer at hand. Depending on the organization size, you can expect to speak to several people. Specifically, you can count on your prospective supervisor being involved with your negotiations as well as an HR Representative. You will most likely conduct negotiation over the phone, but you should expect to receive your final offer in writing.
Framing Your Negotiation
Collaborative Negotiation
There are many ways for you to start bargaining your prospective salary and benefits package with your future employer. One of the many approaches, including collaborative negotiation. Not everyone needs to be hardball negotiator to achieve an optimum result. By understanding the organizations’ interests, motivation, and values, you hold the key to reaching a win-win resolution.
“And, not but”
Once an offer has been made, open the conversation by thanking the employer for their offer and ask for some time to reflect on their initial proposal. You may also want to acknowledge the unprecedented times we are living in and using empathetic statements will help you avoid the tension that comes with using “but” when countering an offer. Some companies will give you a deadline (usually no more than 5-7 business days), but you should also be prepared to give a timeframe.
Asking for More
Take stock of what skills you have and what the company or organization needs. From your research before and during the application and interview process, you should already have a list of ways you can would go above and beyond in supporting the organization’s mission and the specific role they are hiring for. It is common to add around $1000 to $5000 to your initial offer, and no higher than the salary range that you found through your research. You might be tempted to provide a hard number; unless pressed by the employer, provide a range with the lower amount being the number you are most comfortable with.
Looking Ahead
While the ongoing public health crisis might make it even more difficult to advocate for yourself, it is important to try so that negotiations can remain open in the future. Because of the current economy, the organization may not be able to meet your counteroffer. In light of the current circumstances, you might have to be more open to a lower final offer than you might have been under regular circumstances. If the employer is not able to offer a higher salary after your negotiation, consider proposing a later date to re-visit your pay rate.
For example, you might ask to re-visit your salary in six months, or when normal operations resume. If at all possible, try to be very specific with the date and time. This way, you will have time to prove yourself to the employer and ensure that you have concrete examples of how you have improved the organization – and the employer might have had time to get back on its feet financially. This strategy is key and will set you up for an opportunity to chat with your employer about your salary and benefits package after having some direct experience under your belt.
Closing Thoughts
We know these are uncertain times, and the idea of negotiating an offer might feel even more intimidating than before. Do your best to articulate your worth, and know that employers will likely appreciate your confidence — and your flexibility, if they simply are not able to accommodate your counteroffer.
Last year, we had UVM alum and local employer Tom Parent host a workshop on salary negotiation. He gave a few quick pointers in a video after the event – check out his advice for first-time job seekers.
Take care, and keep an eye out for future communications to recent graduates from our office. We are wishing you all the best in your job search and hope you will reach out if there’s anything we can do to help!
Handshake is a key partner in helping employers adjust to changes in the recruiting and hiring process due to COVID-19. Many employers have shifted to fully remote operations and realize that staying connected to potential talent and hiring for certain positions is essential to their company’s vitality and longevity.
As the #1 recruiting platform on college campuses,
Handshake’s unique features help students showcase their skills and experience
so employers can find the talent that aligns with their business. Employers are
increasingly interested in searching for students with career interests and
competencies that will bring positive, innovative solutions to the changing
world of work.
“More than ever organizations are turning virtual for their job search, FAST is no different, we are finding new and innovative ways to reach candidates. Handshake allows us to directly connect with students to invite them to our virtual events and let them know about current job openings. We encourage students to put in the extra effort of updating their profile (past work experience, picture, extra curriculum activities, etc.) and utilize the different search functions in Handshake to see what companies are hiring and what jobs are available.”
– Sarah Bruet, Fast Enterprises, LLC
Maximizing your presence on Handshake gives proactive recruiters a chance to message you directly, and you will be well-poised to apply to new opportunities that are right for you.
Companies Hiring:
Many employers are actively hiring college students on Handshake today. You can discover more about these companies on Handshake’s Blog, as well as find local and regional opportunities by searching the platform. Type the word “remote” into the keyword search box to find jobs/internships that might work for you regardless of where you are sheltering in place. Remember to check back regularly in order to see new postings daily!
Your Profile:
Optimizing your Handshake profile by adding important details about you and your interests is key for Handshake to recommend opportunities or virtual events but also helps employers find you! Use the resume auto-upload feature and Handshake’s Profile Completion bar to help you fill out the following areas of your profile:
Photo
Graduation Date
Career
Interests
Experiences
Organizations
where you have worked/interned/volunteered
A list of your
skills
Resume (Need
help on your resume? Watch this module on Blackboard, or make an appointment
with a career counselor.) Emily to add key links here
Career Interests:
Many employers actively search students by using filters to identify potential candidates by location, job type and roles to meet their company requirements. Filling out the career interests fields is a way to add specificity to your profile and ensures recruiters can search you under a variety of filters. Students who have filled out these fields are 2.5x more likely to see and apply for relevant opportunities. Work & Volunteer Experience, Courses (especially for STEM or technical fields), Organizations & Extracurriculars, Skills, including “hard skills” like software programs and coding, and “soft skills” like communication are also important search criteria. Update your career interests to have a more tailored Handshake experience.
Recruiter Messages:
Over the last two months, Handshake has seen a 250% increase in employer messages sent to students. 80% of students who fill out three or more profile fields get messaged from recruiters, so it’s important to check Handshake for new messages and respond thoughtfully. Recruiters may reach out to invite you to an upcoming event, apply for a job/internship, or to help you learn more about their company. Communicating with recruiters is a great way to expand your network and learn more about potential opportunities for now or in the future. Handshake shares four tips on how to successfully respond to a recruiter’s message to increase your chance of getting hired.
Virtual Events:
Many companies have quickly transitioned their on-campus visits to virtual events and have posted them on Handshake. There are a variety of events that might be of interest, some are recruitment specific, but others might contribute to your career development in other ways. Many companies understand that in these unique times, students are re-imaging their job searches, being creative in building new skills and exploring companies. Attending Sherwin-Williams virtual session on “Asking & Answering Tough Interview Questions” or “AT&T is All of Us“ panel on the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion could be a productive way to spend time in between job searching.
Take Action:
In just a few minutes, you can have Handshake start working for you! The strategies above will help you optimize your profile, tailor your experience, connect you to recruiters and highlight job/internship opportunities of interest. Handshake’s mission is to “democratize access to opportunity” for all students, and fully utilizing this platform will keep you proactive during this uncertain time and focused on your short and long term career goals.
To get started, visit uvm.joinhandshake.com and log in with your UVM net ID and password.
