Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ

My role sits at the core of the drug development pipeline: clinical studies provide valuable trial data that can be submitted to regulatory bodies in order to receive approval for new medicines. In Pfizer's oncology division, this is a huge operation. My job requires me to frequently engage stakeholders across 32 countries, both within and outside the company. My team has global oversight of study conduct and I was given the responsibility of managing the relationship with a vendor providing critical supplies for the study.

My analytical skills were enhanced by building more than 20 automated Excel trackers to simplify real-time metric analysis from multiple large and dynamic data sources. I also improved my understanding of the intricacies of clinical trials and the role they play in the drug development pipeline. Most importantly, my professional soft skills came on leaps and bounds: I have become a more pragmatic and strategic thinker, communicating effectively with large and cross-functional teams. I have become better at navigating workplace dynamics and maximising efficiency even when working with colleagues in other countries.

Yes, I was allocated to three pivotal phase III breast cancer studies and was tasked with overseeing the entire supply ordering and portal access requesting processes for one of the principal vendors. I was given the freedom to improve our workflows when I found inefficiencies. I was also allowed to present these at a team meeting, thereby taking ownership of my ideas and their implementation. I streamlined our supporting documentation – adding diagrams and reducing the word count by two thirds – to provide concise guidance for colleagues across 32 countries. I also displayed leadership by coordinating vendors and adjusting shipment timelines based on real‑time data.

Despite working in a different time zone, my manager was always available to meet online and address my questions. She set time aside for weekly 1:1 catch-ups and has constantly supported my development. Firstly, she ensured that my workload was appropriately measured and that my tasks offered a wide breadth of exposure to the nuances of clinical study management, including collaboration with different functional lines. Secondly, she was committed to my growth and dedicated time to writing a reference to support my application to Pfizer's graduate scheme.

Pfizer is a brilliant company. The culture is open and I felt empowered to by the best version of myself, even as a junior colleague. The colleague resource groups organise frequent events, evincing Pfizer's core value of "Joy". Working at Pfizer's Sandwich R&D site is inspiring; it's a constant reminder of the profoundly important work we do and the impact it has on people and patients' lives. Furthermore, the Early Careers team did a great job of fostering a sense of community amongst the UK-based undergraduates and apprentices.

I enjoyed it immensely. It has been the highlight of my educational and professional career so far. The skills and opportunities from this placement will act as a phenomenal springboard for the rest of my career, and the friends and connections I've made will surely last for many decades. My time at Pfizer has been fulfilling, enjoyable, and insightful. Above all, it has been fun - to learn, to improve, and to contribute to such valuable work.

Yes

The Early Careers team take time to review each application individually (with humans not AI!), so be sure to learn about the company and showcase your motivation. Be very specific and make references to the job description; demonstrate a clear understanding of the job description. Consider your skillset and frame it in the context of what the role entails. Consider learning about Pfizer from less obvious sources: everyone visits the website homepage, but not everyone can extract facts from the company's annual report. Finally, completing the virtual work experience programme available on Forage gives the recruiters valid evidence that you are committed to a career at Pfizer over other companies.