Dear readers,
First of all I wish you all a happy new year 2013! As the new year runs at full speed, I imagine that many of you are starting to prepare your application for the Graduate Programme at Novo Nordisk, for which I would like to share with you some insights. Last year, when I was thinking about how to write my application, I found the blog posts of the Graduates very useful and thus, I hope that we can contribute with some more hints and inspiration for your applications this year.
I think it is good to start with some reflections about whether or not a Graduate Programme in general and then of course the programme offered at Novo Nordisk is the right thing for you. You should have this reflection in due time to be able to make the right decision when the deadline is approaching. I think a good way to deal with this consideration is to ask yourself about what motivates you and whether your values are in line with the company’s values as outlined in the Novo Nordisk Way, since these are very much ‘lived’ in the company. These can function as a guideline in getting a basic understanding of what is expected from you, but of course also about what the organization offers you once you have joined the company. Moreover it might be a good idea to think about why you are interested in the pharmaceutical industry. I myself did not have any prior experience related to life sciences so as you can see, this does not mean that you will not have a chance when applying. As stated before, it is more important to figure out where your personality and interests overlap with the business that Novo Nordisk is in and this can then also be a good starting point for your cover letter.
Even though it sounds like a general, a bit ‘cheesy’ advice – be yourself in the application and try to convey what motivates you and where your passion lies, because I can guarantee you that the recruiters will read it and are interested in this. You can then also try to make links between practical experiences, courses and/or extra-curricular activities you have done and the pharmaceutical industry so that it becomes clear where your talent and skills can be deployed and how you can contribute to the organization. Finally, on a more practical note, it is always a good advice to have your application cross-checked by someone else to avoid not only spelling mistakes but also logical flaws in your argumentation or sentences that could be misunderstood.
In case you have further questions, please just ask and also check out the other very useful blogs of Hanna, Helga, Fredrik and Sara for example.
I wish you all the best for the recruiting process and I look forward to see some of you in the Graduate Recruitment Centre!
Best regards,
Teresa
3 Comments to The application process is at full speed – but how to prepare best your application?
Hello Teresa,
My name is Cezar I graduated Accounting and Management based Informatic and now, I am master degree student in Accounting and Audit at University Alexandtru Ioan Cuza Iasi,Romania.
Unfortunately, I am just in my first semester of master degree, so I have to wait another year to apply for the graduate program of Novo Nordisk.
The reason why I am writing you is because I want to ask you about how should I start from now on to prepare myself for being a great applicant next year?
Thank you
Dear Teresa,
My name is Lila Brown and I am very interested in joining Novo Nordisk. Something is wrong with sending questions to the program managers so I thought I would try to ask you.
I have tried to understand the main differences between Business Processes and European Business Management programs in terms of “modules” within the programs, they seem to be quiet similar. How should one reason regarding which one to choose? Because both programs are international and choosing Business Processes also entails that one can end up in Europe. I studied science during my bachelors and management during my masters. Is it advisable only to choose one of the programs or is it common that graduates choose two programs?
Thank you for your help!
Best regards,
Lila
Dear Lila,
thanks for your interest and your question.
Your question is very relevant and most probably of interest for many other candidates as well. The main difference between the programmes is indeed it’s geographical scope and that in the European Business Management programme you will experience the organization on headquarter, regional and affiliate level, what is quite unique. Moreover, the European Business Management has more a commercial focus than the Business Processes track meaning that you could have a rotation in sales for example. In Business Processes on the other hand, you might have a rotation in Product Supply, what is very unlikely for an European Business Management graduate.
All in all, I would make my decision mainly based on the international scope since I think that this is the most prevalent difference between the two. Nevertheless, you can definitely apply for both programmes, that is totally fine :)
Best regards and good luck with your application,
Teresa