getting a job
after passing the evaluating exam, is it advisable to sit for the qualifying exam immeadiately? iam based in africa and i am of the believe that with good preparation and good materials , i might be able to pass, do you think it is possible.
what is your advise? can someone also secure a job in canada and obtain a work permit with just passing the evaluating exam?
michael.
Hi,
Righ now, I am on student visa in Detroit, US. I am planning to come CANADA for EE for july. 30 days maximum I can stay there as visitor from US. Is that possible to find Volunteer Work as Pharmacy Technician for 25 days after completing EE on 9th july, 09 on visitor visa???.
Thanks.
Hi Chirag,
If you can find a pharmacy willing to provide you with a voluntary position then I can not see why you would have a problem with this. Where are you taking the exam? I can't say for sure if a pharmacy would offer a voluntary position for this length of time or not. The only way to find out is to start contacting some and making enquiries. I would think the possiblity of attracting you to their pharmacy when you have become licensed should encourage a pharmacy somewhere to oblige you.
If you take a look at the Immigration Canada Website, you will see that voluntary work as described below is excluded from the requirement of a work permit.
[quote]
Unremunerated observation of the functioning of a given work environment or occupation (i.e. following a geologist on their sample-gathering trips). In some cases, minor tasks may be performed by the foreign student (such as clerical chores), however there should not a significant contribution to the productivity of the enterprise.
[/quote]
It may be best to check this with a Canadian Embassy to avoid any problems at the border.
Good luck,
Mat
If you feel you are ready to take the Qualifying Exams, then yes it is a good idea to get them done as soon as possible. However, the trick is knowing when you are ready. If you rush the process for the sake of being done quicker and fail an exam, you may end up costing yourself time, money, and one of your limited attempts to pass the exams. The PEBC Qualifying Exams are some of the hardest exams I have taken and though I sat my Evaluating and Qualifying Exams within 6 months of eachother it took a lot of hard work and truly tested me. If you are taking the exams in a short period of time make sure you are putting as many hours of study in to that time as possible.
The process of getting a job very much comes down to what part of Canada you are wanting to work in, what sector of pharmacy you are looking at (retail, hospital etc.), your pharmacy experience and your progress with the PEBC exams and immigration process. If you have passed any of your PEBC Exams or have started the immigration process this will be much more interesting to a potential employer than someone who is just starting these processes. Employers will generally not want to invest time and effort in to candidates who will take a long time to gain their license in Canada due to immigration or Exam difficulties. As such it is unlikely you would receive a job offer until you have at least passed your Evaluating Exams, and even then the job offer will be conditional upon you obtaining a visa and completing your Qualifying and Jurisprudence Exams. Having said that it does no harm to register your interest with potential employers at an early stage. Even if you do not get a job offer until after you pass your Qualifying Exams you will most likely benefit from having a line of communication with potential employers.
I think it unlikely you would be given a Canadian work permit on the basis of passing your Evaluating Exams alone. Many pharmacists obtain visas for immigration to Canada through sponsorship by family members and then work as pharamcy technicians or in other positions until they pass their PEBC Exams and gain their license.
Happy Job Hunting,
Mat