Once upon a time, an unfamiliar man wrote to me on LinkedIn saying that he has offer for me. Never in a million years would I have thought that this would open the door to a completely new world for me.
In April 2022, I started my journey as a Life Science Consultant. As I was still in university, I did not have work experience to give me confidence in my new role. I needed to learn everything, and the internship gave me an opportunity to do so.
The internship was done remotely, i.e., from home, since the company does not have an office in Serbia (where I live). The duration of the internship was 6 months, with the end goal being to get all the necessary knowledge during that time to become a Junior Consultant after completing the internship. Since after my undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering, I pursued a master’s degree in Mechatronics; this internship was a perfect combination of life sciences and technology.
At the very beginning, I filled in the gaps in my knowledge by taking various courses. Then I applied my acquired knowledge to writing articles for the company’s website. Afterwards came more concrete tasks and application of what has been learned so far in practice. I was an assistant and researcher on some projects with other companies.
In addition, I took part in various webinars, i.e., online seminars on the topic of artificial intelligence, machine learning, precision medicine and natural sciences; and at a live event. The conference was dedicated to women, with the theme “Women forging the future of Life Sciences with AI (Artificial Intelligence)” and was held at the Microsoft building in Zurich. The speakers were one of the most successful women in this industry, who presented their experiences on the topic of combining technology and natural sciences, but also on the topic of what it’s like to be a woman in a predominantly male world. At the end of the speech, we had the opportunity to discuss with them face-to-face and exchange our business cards with the other participants.
Going to such an event was a completely new experience for me and a real opportunity to stay a few days longer and work from the office in Basel. For the first time, I felt what it’s like to work from the office and have colleagues with whom I can talk live, and not through a camera. Everyone was very friendly and willing to help and take the time to explain.
After a few months of working on my trainings and establishing the base of my knowledge, it was time to put it into practice. I started my first project working as a Business Analyst in AAA, Novartis.
Once again, new role, new tasks and new people. Although it sounded scary at first, I was up for the challenge. This role made me gain even more knowledge on processes in supply chain, production, logistics and management; but more importantly, gain confidence in myself. While working on different projects, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with new people from different parts of the world. I also had the opportunity to gain new technical skills and work on my soft skills.
Once upon a time, an unfamiliar man wrote to me on LinkedIn. He opened the door to a new world. A world full of new opportunities, and possibilities, a world that constantly makes me step out of my comfort zone and work on my skills, gain more knowledge and improve myself, a world where I met great people and made wonderful friends.
I am now here one year, moved to the Junior Life Science Consultant role and I encourage other companies to give a chance to young people without experience as it would mean a lot to them like it did to me. Thank you, KVALITO!
Author: Đurđa Zdravković
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Are you looking for an exciting and challenging position as a consultant, or are you an ambitious student/graduate looking for an internship? Please send your complete application to recruiting@kvalito.ch.
