During Grace’s externship she listened to lots of presentations from many different departments, including Global Regulator Affairs, Marketing, IT, and Global Data Operations. She also got to tour manufacturing buildings. On one day of the externship she participated in a mock interview and resume review with hiring staff and Human Resources. This was Grace’s favorite part of her experience because it was in depth and the hiring staff was direct and offered helpful interviewing tips. She has done mock interviews in school in the past, but this time it was with real employers who know what to look for in job candidates.

Grace’s externship at Merck has further pushed her to pursue a science-based career. She notes that it opened her eyes to lots of career options that she did not know existed.

Grace was surprised at how much employees move from department to department to try new things and gain more experience in different areas. Until this externship experience, she had never considered pharmaceutical companies as something she might be interested in, but with Merck’s size and how long they have existed, there are clearly lots of career options in such a large company. The most rewarding aspect of Grace’s externship was that she felt like she had something to apply her academics to and see herself doing in the future.

For those who are considering an externship experience, Grace’s advice is to just go for it! She also notes that it is very important to take notes, ask questions, and connect with as many people as you can.

Written by Alexa Alessandrini ’24