Corporate Affairs Intern

Describe your role and what it entails.

My role is within the Corporate Affairs function of Amgen UK and Ireland. This role is predominantly communications and PR. It has a large remit from planning and running internal engagement initiatives, e.g. disease awareness days collaborating with brand teams to working with an external agency to redesign and reword the corporate website. The breadth of this role means I have been exposed to a lot of different aspects of Amgen, from the commercial side to research and development.

What have been your highlights?

My top three highlights are:

1.    Planning a breast cancer awareness internal event collaborating with a brand team. I was left to brainstorm creative ways to engage our UK and Ireland workforce which resulted in a ‘pink day’ where a patient video was shared, the brand team presented, we had a pink dress code, we served strawberry milkshake and boob cupcakes in addition to educating our colleagues with medical copies of boobs in what the correct technique is to feel for lumps. This event was a resounding success with colleagues commenting on how much they had learned and would share with their friends and family – not only did we spread awareness of our brand internally, but importantly we made sure our workforce is looking out for the signs of breast cancer.

2.    The intern community. There are 12 interns in my cohort, and we meet weekly for an hour and monthly for an in-person bumper event where we invite guest speakers. This is a great opportunity to learn about other parts of the business from peers but also be exposed to some of the great people that work at Amgen and allow them to share their advice with us. I always learn so much from the community but also have fun together too.

3.    Being able to work closely with the Leadership Team in the UK to develop a corporate narrative. The Leadership Team identified they needed direction and a document that could be drawn from for various meetings to show Amgen’s journey so far and its future plans. It was great to hear all the content and collaborate with senior individuals to develop a desperately needed document. I learnt a lot from our leaders and gained some great connections.

What have been your challenges?

My only real challenges have been adjusting to working 5 days a week and taking the ownership to say no to things if my workload is already too full. I have had the opportunity to work on my confidence to own my skills, my calendar and question individuals when they ask me/my team for work, to really understand the value and whether it is something we really should be prioritising – this has been a very important skill.

What have you learnt from your experience in the role?

How interconnected the different roles and teams are in a pharmaceutical company and just how long it takes to get a medicine to market. On a role level I have learnt a lot about what it takes to shape a culture, the importance of listening to staff across the board and how central communication as a skill is to every aspect of a business and role.

What advice would you give to a student following in your footsteps?

Make the most of the opportunity! Amgen is the best place to learn from super talented individuals who are more than willing to support you and your development - let them! Build strong connections with your key stakeholders as this will make delivering work so much easier and will pay dividends in the future too (if you keep working on them). Make sure you engage with colleagues in a variety of roles when inviting guest speakers to talk at intern events as this will increase your exposure, grow your network and give you an important perspective on the way the company/team operates. And have fun – it’s a fantastic place to learn, grow and make a difference with a group of individuals driven by the same passion and this doesn’t mean it has to be boring!