Back in school, when it came to applying for university, I knew two things: I wanted to do Neuroscience, and I wanted work experience, as I figured work experience might go a long way when it came to getting a job. And so, I was very fortunate when I learnt that the University of Aberdeen offered exactly what I was looking for and in 2020, I began my MSci Neuroscience with Psychology degree, which included a 1-year industrial placement.
Although I was an A grade student, I had unrealistic expectations about securing a placement. I applied to several companies, and I felt despondent when rejections came in. However, before Christmas in 2022, I was called for an interview with a pharmaceutical company called Lilly. I got support from my school career advisor at the University and was delighted and surprised to be offered a placement.
In July 2023, I started my placement as a Quality Assurance (QA) Associate. While the role was not directly related to my degree, it opened my eyes to the real-life applications of a biomedical science degree. The main aspects of my job included patient communication and documentation revision. During this time, I was able to build a specialised skill set that would help me to differentiate myself.
The year flew by, and in June 2024 and I was getting ready to leave. I was sad to be leaving as we had an upcoming audit – something I was very eager to see and experience. When I expressed this to the team, my line manager in Lilly worked with my programme lead at the University, they discussed and provided a fantastic opportunity to extend my placement to September 2024 to partake in the audit. The audit was a fantastic way to end my placement as it allowed to me to pull together all the skills and knowledge I had learnt over my time at Lilly.
When I came back to Aberdeen for my final year of university, settling back to full-time study from being a working adult was a struggle, which I hadn’t expected. Having recently submitted my honours thesis on Social Determinants of Health in Paediatric TB, the thought of securing a job was playing on my mind. One day, I received a message from a member of the team whom I had stayed in contact with, saying that a role might be opening and that I should think about applying. I applied and interviewed for the position and a week later, received the fantastic news that I had gotten the job and would be returning to Lilly!
My journey taught me resilience and helped me gain a unique skillset. I am grateful to the company for remembering former students and the University who guided and supported me in every way to prepare me for my career.
As often said about placement: “you get back what you put into it”. My year of hard work and resilience is what is allowing me to start the next chapter of my journey.
