Once I graduated with my master’s degree in biotechnology and medical biology, many questions and doubts started to arise. I was entering the adult world; would I be able to find a job I really liked? What if nobody wanted me and my knowledge to be part of their company? Did I make the right choice trying to move away from academic research? All of these questions were answered once I had the opportunity to become an intern at KVALITO.
I was totally naive about the consulting world, and the start was brutal. The first days with my client, a Novartis company, were tough. I began to work with my team at AAA (Advanced Accelerator Applications) and started to attend all their meetings without grasping anything of what they were saying. I was too scared to ask or do something wrong, so I was quietly nodding at their words wondering whether I made the right choice joining the team.
Days and weeks passed, and finally, I got my access. I started understanding more about the processes and systems we were using, and I was assigned some tasks that made me feel like I was following the right path.
I started working in the data analytics team and learnt from scratch how to build dashboards on PowerBi, how to create flows on Miro and how to use one of the company’s key systems that is D365. The first time I felt really valuable was when the client assigned me a very important project regarding the use of D365. It was a User Acceptance Testing where I performed end-to-end testing from purchase order creation to inbound delivery and sales order release.
Getting familiar with the system and being part of the testing was very motivating for me. I am now starting another project involving D365, where I aim to increase my expertise with this application.
The latest news is that I will continue my journey with AAA and KVALITO as a junior consultant, and I could not be happier. I am sure I will be involved in many other exciting projects and cannot wait to be part of them.
This experience taught me not to be afraid to start new experiences and to continue to learn and grow as much as possible, especially when out of school.
I not only started to use applications and tools I had never imagined before, but I felt like a valuable team member; I felt like a resource for my company. I created many connections that I know will last for a long time.
I also had the opportunity to visit my client onsite and meet in person some of my colleagues enjoying amazing food and wine altogether. This was one of the best moments of my internship because it allowed me to break some of the barriers often created by a screen.
I could not be more grateful for this experience. I don’t know what my career path will look like in the following years, but thanks to KVALITO, I am less scared and more confident that I am going in the right direction.
Author: Rosanna Santella
Do Something You Love Every Day. Join KVALITO.
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.
