Jessica - From the Lab Into the Office

From the lab into the office – at the interface between science and business

.......................................................................................................................................................

I'm Jessica, and I am a master's student studying life sciences at Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster, Germany. It has always been clear to me that I wanted to work in the life sciences industry. However, while working towards my master's degree, I realized that I'm also interested in business management topics in addition to the natural sciences. With the help of an internship, I wanted to find out before my master's thesis if a job in an office environment, and with a business focus, is really something for me.  

While looking for an internship at the interface between science and business, I came across Evonik. At first, I was worried about how the application process would work and whether I would even get an internship due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. But in fact, a position in project and innovation management was advertised and this combined everything that I was looking for.I applied directly and finally received an acceptance.   

Since January, I have been participating in a 6-month internship at Creavis, Evonik's strategic innovation unit. As part of the Business & Launch Management group, I have been able to support project managers in the commercialization of their innovation projects. When I began, I was particularly excited about the diversity of the innovation projects and my associated tasks. I continue to be involved in a lot of projects right from the start (‘always picked up form where I was’ does not make sense) where I am able to contribute my knowledge in biological topics, and at the same time, gain a comprehensive insight into business topics.  

I also noticed the open, creative, and diverse culture at Evonik right away. Despite the high proportion of working from home, I always have a contact person. There are also a lot of interaction with colleagues from different areas and with very diverse academic backgrounds. 

I have already learned a lot for the future, especially in the areas of time and self-management, communication, and adaptability. Above all, I am able to realize that I actually seemy life sciences career taking place more in an office environment instead of in the lab. I can only recommend an internship at Evonik to everyone, regardless of their academic background. I continue to learn so much, and I am now sure that I have found the right path for my professional future. Many thanks to Evonik for that!  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  

Best regards, 

Jessica

...............................................................................................................................................................................

On the students@Evonik blog, students, who work at Evonik, share their experiences about life and work in the company.

TAGS

#Creavis #Praktikum #Students@Evonik