CVS Pharmacy Technician interview questions

Always hiring new and motivated associates, CVS regularly needs workers to staff store locations throughout the United States. Areas of employment include retail store, pharmacy, distribution, and corporate. Interview processes vary greatly for each department, and the company conducts structured interviews specially tailed for each job title. The pharmacy retailer usually uses an in-person interview to evaluate a candidate. For entry-level store jobs, interviews are typically held one on one with hiring managers. Upper-level jobs in management and corporate services are often held in panel format.

Typical Questions Asked

In-person interviews usually last between 20 and 30 minutes in length. Committed to a fair evaluation process, CVS generally keeps interview questions straightforward and avoids trick questions. Basic interview questions almost all interviewees need to answer include: "Tell me about your experience.", "What characteristics are necessary in a CVS employee?", "What are your three strengths? Weaknesses?", and "Why do you want this position." Sales-related jobs often require applicants to answers additional behavioral questions regarding customer service. Management job hopefuls typically need to answer questions about leadership and goal setting. Pharmacy technicians may need to take computerized assessments after interviews.

Phone Interviews

Sometimes held prior to in-person interviews, CVS occasionally conducts phone interviews with interested applicants. Phone interviews tend to last only a few minutes. Generally, interviewers look for interest in the job, communication skills, and availability. Prior to calls, applicants should make sure to brush up on phone interview skills. When the call comes, applicants should find a quiet places to carry out phone interviews.

Proper Preparation Is Key

Applicants need to come to CVS interviews ready to make lasting impressions. Before the interview, applicants should prepare by studying the company history, products and services offered, and company culture. For further preparation, applicants should practice answering basic interview questions and come up with some questions to ask interviewers. Once prepared, applicants should go into the job interview dressed in professional clothing.

Setting Yourself Apart

Positive attitudes, energetic personalities, and a genuine interest in the potential job opportunity greatly benefit workers during the hiring process. As a retail company, CVS looks to hire workers with sound customer service skills. Whenever possible, applicants should discuss any attributes that may set them ahead of other candidates. Choice topics to bring up include earning good grades in school and past successes with following directions and exceeding benchmarks.

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: I was a cashier and stock person, basically. If we weren’t working the counter, we would be stocking shelves and get all of that stuff squared away.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: At CVS, my favorite part about working there was probably you knew what you were doing every day. You weren’t getting extremely busy; you basically stock the shelves, ring customers out. It wasn’t busy.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: Pretty much, you got in around eight in the morning. There are big crates of stuff, and you just stock those crates.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: It’s pretty intensive, actually. They have a two-part interview. They check everything, and then they interview you.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: They basically just wanted to know my prior job experience with interacting with customers. I hadn’t had any stock experience, but I had the ability to do it.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: I think I was more energetic during the interview. I let them know that I was hardworking, that I was going to be there every day, and I let them know that I wanted the job. I wasn’t just going through the steps.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
CVS Pharmacy Cashier: Pretty much, make sure your schedule… let them know your days off in advance. And make sure you follow the schedule, that you’re there every day on time and do what you’re supposed to do.

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
CVS Pharmacy Technician: Job title is pharmacy technician. Primary duties, there are different stations, so sometimes you had to count the pills, read prescriptions, take prescriptions over the phone from doctors, put prescriptions into the computers and sell the prescriptions to the customer.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
CVS Pharmacy Technician: The work environment on a busy day was chaotic, really chaotic, because sometimes stuff doesn’t get done and if it gets slow at one point, it just slows up the whole day. It’d just get more backed up and backed up. On a good day when everything gets done right, if you had a good team that day, it’s easy.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
CVS Pharmacy Technician: I’d come in, look at the board. They had a board for stations that you go to. I might start off at Drop Off, so for maybe the next two hours, I’d be there. People would drop off their prescriptions, I’d write down their information. Then the next two hours, I’d be at another station, so I would count pills, type up labels, stuff like that. Then the rest of the day, I’d be at Pick Up, so I’d be selling it back to the customer.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
CVS Pharmacy Technician: It was like any other application. You apply and after you apply, you take the questionnaire. Once you take the questionnaire, if you do get called back for the interview, you get an interview. They ask you questions like, “Say an old woman’s hard of hearing and she can’t understand what you’re saying, how are you going to help her?” Stuff like that. If you do well in the interview, there’s a background check and drug screening process. If you do well on those, then you’ve got the job.