March 16, 2025, by ZY
Experience Sharing: Summer Internship at AstraZeneca
By Ms. Liew Xin Ying, who is currently a final year BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical & Health Science student based at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
Where did you do your summer internship? How long was it?
I applied for and secured a 3-month internship with AstraZeneca in the Corporate Affairs department, a role that was entirely new and unrelated to my academic background. Despite this, I approached this opportunity with a proactive mindset, eager to learn and explore the dynamics of a corporate environment.
What did it involve?
- Drafting invitation emails to advisory board speakers and healthcare professionals (HCPs).
- Handling administrative tasks such as recording meeting minutes.
- Researching industry trends, media coverage, and policy developments relevant to the company.
- Drafting and refining LinkedIn/Workplace posts of recent corporate events.
- Assisting in organizing corporate events, meetings with stakeholders and HCPs, or community outreach programs.
- Assisting in corporate communications by creating content for internal newsletters and employee announcements.
What did you find interesting throughout this experience?
- Building my professional connections and getting to know other peers with the same career path.
- Expanding my scientific knowledge related to the pharmaceutical industry.
- Learning how to work effectively with cross-functional teams and coordinate efforts with different department colleagues.
How did the summer internship support your learning and future career development?
- Improving my soft skills such as project and time management, event execution, and effective communication.
- Analysing research papers by collecting data is a crucial skill to develop in my career path.
- Providing me with a deeper understanding of the industry, which helped me redirect my career interests and aspirations.
- Being able to connect with professionals and industry leaders, expanding my professional network and may potentially benefit my career development in the future.
- Being in Corporate Affairs allowed me to explore different roles and functions, which will help guide my career choices moving forward.
What is one take home message you obtain from this experience?
- Whatever you do and wherever you go, you will face difficulties and challenges. What is important is to stay determined in life. Stay strong and face whatever challenges we might stumble upon. But more importantly, we must be able to learn to stay composed and find the ability to control ourselves and our emotions to ensure that we can think things through and make the right decisions, especially in stressful situations.
What is your advice to current or prospective students on signing up for summer internships?
- It is good to begin your internship search early in advance (preferably a few months before) and be open to exploring different roles or industries as it may just determine your future career path.
- Be prepared for your interview by practicing and researching on your company of interest.
- Internships are good opportunities to build your professional connections in your career field. Always seek to connect with people as it may benefit your future.
Last but not least, be eager to learn new things!
-
Post a comment
