Global Marketing

What to expect in the assessment centre

27 February 2013 | By: Tatjana

Congratulations to those who have made it to the next round in the recruitment process! To be one of the few chosen ones for the telephone interview among almost 7000 applicants is already a big achievement! Within the next couple of days you will receive an answer if you have made it to the assessment centre. Fingers crossed!

The assessment centre. There is a fascination about the recruitment centre that makes applicants curious about it, already before they have even started writing their motivational letter. I remember very well fearing and at the same time wondering about what will happen in those two days. Only the fact that it lasts for two days terrified me to the extent that I locked myself up in the library in order to learn Novo Nordisk’s financial statement by heart. In retrospect, this was pretty ridiculous. But I did not want to leave room for taking chances. I am not saying you should not prepare the details, do whatever makes you feel confident. However, in order to shed light into the dark, I will give you in the following an overview of what to expect in those notorious two days (based on last years recruitment centre).

The first day starts off in our headquarter in Bagsvaerd, close to Copenhagen. You will meet around 120 other applicants from all over the world. Everyone is incredibly nice and thus new acquaintances are easily made. What follows is an impressive introduction to the company. At the latest at this point you will realize how exciting it must be to work for Novo Nordisk and how valued graduates are within the company.
After the introduction and some mingling with the other applicants, you will go to the conference centre, where the assessment for the following two days takes place.

What follows are numerous different activities to assess your:
1. personal fit to Novo Nordisk
2. people skills
3. presentation skills
4. team player skills
5. your motivation for Novo Nordisk and the program you applied to
6. analytical and critical thinking

Group exercises: You will be doing couple of group exercises in which you have to solve non real life problems within your group, either under time pressure or solution oriented, or both. I remember the group exercises as very challenging but at the same time as a lot of fun. Personally, this was my favourite part of the assessment centre.

Interview: You will have interviews with the recruiters. The interviews are very program specific and accordingly focus areas might differ. You can expect however that no matter to which program you applied your personality is focal point.

Presentation: You might be asked to prepare a presentation on a specific topic which will be presented to one or more of the recruiters.

Case Study: Last year we received a case based on a real life challenge of a pharmaceutical company. In a group of applicants from the same program you have to come up with tangible solutions to the case which will be presented to all other groups and recruiters.

Throughout the assessment centre current graduates will be present to answer all your questions and to get to know you better. At the end of the first day you can look forward to a very nice dinner in one of Copenhagen’s fantastic restaurants. Don’t stay up too long though, the second day is by no means more relaxed than the first.

All in all, the assessment centre is extremely intense but at the same time a lot of fun. You get to know many like minded, interesting people. But what is more, you also get to know yourself better which makes the graduate assessment centre a truly rewarding experience.

For tips on how to succeed in the recruitment centre, please read these posts by Elin and Antti.

I hope to have clarified some concerns about the assessment centre. And I very much look forward to meet you there!

Best,

Tatjana

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My top 3 tips for the phone interview & assessment center

20 February 2013 | By: Elin Larsson

Category: Business IT Business Processes Corporate Finance European Business Management European Finance Global Marketing | (3) comments

Dear all applicants,

I would like to share my best tips and tricks for the phone interview and the recruitment center to ensure that you have a successful recruiting process. My main three tips are:

Be yourself

Be yourself – this sounds very cliché and might be something that everyone thinks they are doing. However, it is very common to act according to some set norm, for instance in relation to how to respond to questions or how to act among the other candidates in the recruiting process. What I noticed during my time in the phone interview and in the assessment center was that the assessers only wanted to get to know me as a person and nothing fancier than that. So please be yourself and do not try to be more or less. It will only work in your disadvantage. I think it is important to note that everyone is unique and we all have something special to bring to the table. So please show it and think about concrete examples were you show your uniqueness.

Know yourself

Assess yourself before going into the phone interview and the assessment center. This is also something you probably have heard before, but many people think they know themselves however when the question about your weaknesses come, you do not know how to answer it with clear and concrete examples. You need to know your pitfalls and your strengths. You need to know what you would do to overcome your pitfalls and how this can be applied in a work setting. Think about the things that make you stressed and why it makes you stressed. Also, consider how you would solve the situation. Think about what type of people you prefer to work with and people that you prefer not to work with. Thereafter, dig deeper into why you like/dislike to work with these type of people. By going through this thought process you will get insights into your personality, work traits and core qualities as well as your pitfalls.

Identify the meaning of this job to you

For me it was really important finding a job that I can relate to on a more personal level and where I feel that I am working towards something useful. My motivation started with my grandfather, who has type 2 diabetes, this is something I have seen him struggling with for many years. Thus, I had a strong urge to help him and people like him to simplify their diabetes treatment. Another strong motivation for me was the connection to the developing countries, Africa especially. I knew that Novo Nordisk is making a difference for these people by giving them access to treatment. For me, these two aspects make the everyday work day challenging, interesting and truly motivating. I advise you to find your true motivation as to why you would like to start your career in Novo Nordisk. It can be one motivation or many, but make sure that you have them clear in your mind and show them through examples.

These were my top three tips for successfully going through the recruiting process. I hope you find it useful and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

All the best,

Elin

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Phone interview and the Graduate Recruitment Centre – key tips for success

18 February 2013 | By: Antti Santasalo

Category: Business IT Business Processes Corporate Finance European Business Management European Finance Global Marketing | (30) comments

Dear reader,

Thank you for your application! This year we received an all-time record of applications, with close to 7.000 eager candidates. As we are committed to read every single application, we are already busy getting more acquainted with you.

Many of you are curiously pondering the next steps of the application process. Therefore, keep your eyes and ears open, useful tips will follow as I will introduce you to the next steps in the process!

Phone interview (-end of February)

After the application screening, we will invite a selected number of candidates for a phone interview, lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. We are targeting to complete all telephone interviews with selected candidates before the end of February.

Personally I found these five points the most important when preparing for a telephone interview:

Ensure proper facilities. Make sure to have a calm place for your interview, a place where you won’t be disturbed and where you feel comfortable at. Also, it’s very important that you have a good telephone connection, so communicating with the interviewer can be done smoothly and you can focus on what’s important.

Make time. Book an extra 20 minutes of your time for the interview in case of any delay. Some of us (such as myself) are a bit more elaborate over the phone, and therefore the interview might turn out to be a little bit longer than expected.

Be prepared to explain why. Read your CV and your cover letter, and go through your key points. Be prepared to answer questions regarding your CV and elaborate further on your own motivation towards the industry, the company and the programme. Think of different examples you could share in order to expand on your past challenges, success stories and learning points.

A little desk research never hurts. Your knowledge of Novo Nordisk’s business is certainly not the key focus at this stage, but getting an idea for yourself might prove very useful. Knowing the very basics of Novo Nordisk would be likely to crystallize your own direction as well.

Relax. I cannot emphasize this enough: there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of about the telephone interview. As long as you make sure not to dive into it without some preparation, you will do great. Have a good breath of fresh air and put on your best smile, it sounds crazy but even over the telephone it sets the right mood.

Graduate Recruitment Centre (Copenhagen, Denmark 19 – 20 March)

After the completion of the phone interviews, 150 candidates will receive an invitation to the Graduate Recruitment Centre in Copenhagen. The purpose of the GRC is to evaluate applicants’ skills and capabilities on an individual and group level, using different exercises, interviews and a business case.

Five key tips for preparing for the GRC:

Present yourself as the person you are. Yes, it sounds like the ultimate cliché, but being yourself is probably the most important thing for you to be successful. As you will be evaluated by recruiting professionals, you do best by being genuine and sincere. Any other tactic will not take you far.

Reflect your motivation. Go back to your CV and your motivation letter and reflect upon yourself as an applicant. Why do I want this job? Why do I find this industry so fascinating? Why do I want to become a part of Novo Nordisk as a graduate? How do I want to develop as a young professional? What do I want from the programme?

Where would I fit best? Take a moment to consider your professional ambitions behind becoming a graduate. Be completely honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and try to picture yourself working within the pharmaceutical industry as a graduate. What do I wish to experience? Where would I wish to go? What do I wish to achieve? At this point, reading a little more about the business and Novo Nordisk would be likely to help clarifying your initial vision.

Have a good rest. Take it easy on the day before, maybe get some exercise and then invest in a full night’s sleep. The GRC is an exciting and intensive two-day event, and therefore the energy will be needed.

Relax and enjoy every bit of it. The GRC is always a unique and fun experience for the participants. Most of all, it’s a social event by nature, and a fantastic opportunity to get together with great people from all over the world. So remember a big smile, it will take you places! =)

Questions are warmly welcome. Good luck and keep on shining!

Antti

Check out a video from the Graduate Recruitment Centre 2012:

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Key takeaways from the RA Graduate program

7 February 2013 | By: Tamara

Category: Business Processes Corporate Finance Global Marketing Product Supply R&D Global Development R&D Regulatory Affairs Uncategorized | (0) comments

I have finished the RA Graduate program, but doing the blog has forced me to step back and really re-evaluate the last two years and I have realized that there were a few key things that I learnt from the graduate program:

You have no idea what you are capable of.

When I was chosen for the graduate program, I felt that whatever happened I would only be challlenged work wise, since I knew what it was like to be in a new place and make new friends and adapt to a different country. That was proven wrong in my 2nd rotation

I was alone, in Brighton, in winter, while my workplace was undergoing a restructure. I knew no one and the people at work were more concerned about their jobs (and rightfully so!) than starting up the new graduate. Also minor detail but I didn’t have a TV or working internet in my apt. But, through this experience I found a drive within myself that I would not have figured out otherwise, and I proactively volunteered to shadow all the clinical trial monitors in the department, even though it was not the most interesting thing to do every day, I looked at it as a learning experience. I learnt a lot about the different trials and products since I was accompanying any monitor willing to have me along :). I also signed up for social clubs in Brighton and eventually met a few fun people. My proactive shadowing became very useful in the last 2 months of the rotation when 2 of the monitors resigned, and since I was now ‘experienced’ I was asked to cover their trials. So I ended up getting real monitoring experience, but if I had not been proactive I may not have been granted that chance!

Finding a job you love, figuring out what you like and don’t like…

Choosing a graduate program is a key indicator that you are not entirely sure what you would like to focus on in a career! However after 3 different rotations you learn a lot about what you like. This time to figure out what you really enjoy in a job is priceless, and maybe the greatest benefit of a program like this!

In my case, I realized that I would not enjoy a career as a clinical trial monitor. I also realized that while I enjoy regulatory affairs, I like more the coordination and LEANing of processes than navigating through guidelines. This was forged in my 2^nd rotation in India where I was a project manager and set up a new process that is being used by all our regulatory submissions going forward. This rotation made me realiZE my ideal job after the graduate program. I am a Project Coordinator within Labeling Development and Launch, which is a department in Regulatory Operations. It is project based, and I have to coordinate with graphic designers, marketing, regulatory affairs and production, as well as affiliates, and many more. It is still new to me since I started at the beginning of the year, but every day brings some new challenges and something interesting to learn!

A network..people you can also have fun with J

The network you build while in the program is one of its biggest advantages. You have your year of graduates, as well as the year before and after you, and then the colleagues from the different departments just as a start. However while this network is a great work asset, it also helps you find a social group when you move to Denmark. Most of the graduates have a lot of business dinners and team events within their program and also tend to spend a lot of time together outside of work.

Within the RA graduate program, we have had many dinners and a few team building events and have experienced multiple seminars and conferences. I guess we are lucky we all liked each other, cause we did end up spending a lot of time together! :)

I posted just a few pictures of our fun times in the graduate program. It has been an incredible journey and I have learnt and experienced more than I could have imagined when i was writing my application.

If you haven’t applied as yet, the deadline is soon! Remember to highlight why you are interested in RA in your cover letter and what separates you from the other applicants, keep it interesting and let us see what you are passionate about!

Good luck with the applications!!!

Tamara

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What is the World Diabetes Day and how is it celebrated in South Africa, China, United Arab Emirates and Brazil?

4 February 2013 | By: Thomas

Over the course of each year several of the ~34.000 Novo Nordisk employees around the world takes part in activities to create awareness about diabetes and support the people living with the disease. One of the major activities takes place on the 14. November each year, namely the World Diabetes Day.

Each year on this date, Novo Nordisk partners with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in support of the United Nations Resolution on Diabetes. On this day employees, partners, people with diabetes and the general public are united to change diabetes. The date, 14. November, was chosen as it is the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921. Since the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Resolution on diabetes in December 2006, World Diabetes Day has become an official United Nations World Health Day.

This special day is usually celebrated with various activities in countries all over the world. To give you an impression, here follows testimonials from me and my fellow Corporate Finance graduates around the world.

Name: Adam Bo Petersen

Country: Johannesburg, South Africa

Current rotation: Finance, South Africa Affiliate, Business Area Africa Gulf and India (BAAGI)

Past rotations: Corporate Controlling and Strategic Finance (HQ DK), Insights and Forecasting (HQ DK)

How did you/your area celebrate world diabetes day: The affiliate celebrated the world diabetes day by having all employees dressed up in the same Novo Nordisk t-shirt. We had a great presentation by an internal speaker with interesting perspectives and videos from the world diabetes foundation. The national cycle team sponsored by Novo Nordisk South Africa also visited the office and after the visit we enjoyed a nice South African lunch together.

Name: Jeannine Hethey

Country: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Current rotation: Finance, Legal and IT, BAAGI Dubai Office

Past rotations: Management Support, Business Assurance (HQ DK), Business Assurance India (GSC Bangalore, India)

How did you/your area celebrate world diabetes day:

They organized different awareness events – including:

- A Diabetes Day at a school where we (most of my colleagues from the office and I) also went to participate on the 14 Nov. This included some games about Diabetes and healthy lifestyle for the students as well as some educational session for the parents and a group picture after a short walk with all the students.

- A diabetes awareness quiz running all week – with a presentation of in-depth answers by the end

- A step-counting competition running for about two weeks

- A session with a local diabetes doctor

Name: Jan Iser

Country: Tianjin, China

Current rotation: Finance & Business Strategy,

Past rotations: Product Supply Financial Planning (HQ DK), Corporate Tax (HQ DK)

How did you/your area celebrate world diabetes day: We had a “Diabetes walk” around both production plants. Parents received a game “Healthy beast and Moody monster” for their kids, that should help them distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food. We could also take a diabetes themed photo at some stalls and sign up for “Take Action” (Novo Nordisk internal initiatives allowing employees to volunteer in activities such as diabetes awareness campaigns, fundraisings, diabetes youth camps, collections, walkathons, local community activities and much more), where we have a partnership with an orphanage.

Name: Thomas Flemming Thorsen

Country: Sao Paulo, Brazil

Current rotation: BALAT Finance, Business Area Latin America Regional Office

Past rotations: Risk Office (HQ DK), Finance Projects (HQ DK)

How did you/your area celebrate world diabetes day: On the 14^thof November, the entire office was decorated with awareness posters and balloons, and all employees were wearing the same t-shirt to help create awareness. During the week, there were several activities taking place around the office. I participated in a voluntary activity together with my girlfriend, helping out a local Diabetes organization handing out brochures and guiding people to professional nurses where they could get their bloodsucar tested and receive guidance on what to be aware of.

If you are interested and want to know more, you can read more about the World Diabetes Day here: Link

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The 10 things you need to get right when preparing your application

29 January 2013 | By: Lilla

Category: Business Processes European Business Management Global Marketing | (28) comments

Dear all,

I have received numerous emails / PMs regarding the application and as much as I would like to get back to everyone in time I thought it might be easier if I write a blog post. There might be many points that you know already; in any case I tried to list what I think are the most important things to pay attention to when filing your application:

Prepare a clean cut CV

Don´t forget that we have to screen many applications, so the easier you make the job for the people reading your CV, the better your chances are. How?

List different sections (education, professional experience etc.) separately with clear headers
Show dates prominently next to activity (don´t make it a hassle to find out whether you have graduated one months or five years ago)
Follow chronologic order (preferably from today backwards in time for each section respectively)
Make important details stand out (font, underline, italics)
List your tasks in internships and specialization during your studies in bullet points

Keep it concise

As we have to screen many applications, CVs of several pages (meaning more than two or max. three pages) might be hard to read thoroughly. As for the cover letter, I would suggest one page as the limit.

Pay attention to detail

Remember that this is the first impression you make, so show your dedication by taking some extra time on reviewing your application.

Avoid typos: Typos suggest that you have not read through your application and you probably don´t care too much. If necessary ask your mom to read it for youJ
Don´t try to make documents become one single PDF file by scanning them in together. There are many PDF editor websites where you can integrate your files.
Separate CV from cover letter. They are different documents so don´t put them consecutively on the same page.
Bonus: Get the company name and the GP track name right and upload it to the right place. Also, uploading the right file is a plus ;)

Keep it classy

It is your decision whether you want to have a photo on your CV or not but if you do, make sure to do it the right way. It might seem exaggerated that I point this out, however a not appropriate photo could give the wrong impression about anyone despite the best of intentions.

A CV photo should be:

With an appropriate dress on (no hoodies or bikinis)
Aimed at the face and shoulders (not full body)
With a clear background (could be inside or outside but no bathroom tiles in the back)
Decent quality

Name document clearly when uploading

Example try to have file names like “Cover_letter_John_Smith.pdf” instead of “Sharkymike_v342_randomcompany_january_whateverblabla.pdf”

Put effort into your cover letter

When writing your cover letter I strongly encourage you to take your time and:

Read about the company and the industry and maybe just think about it for a couple of days
Write about personal motivation and skills, but most importantly show where you could add value to the company. What you put down should answer two questions: Why would you like this job? and How could you contribute?
If you have too many sentences starting with “I did …”, “I am…”, “I would…” you might want to reconsider the point above

Don´t pressure yourself

Trying to include everything and handing in your application in two hours won´t do you any good. Try focus on what is relevant, e.g. highlight having taken a course in pharmaceutical marketing while leaving out having won third place at a poetry reciting competition in elementary school.

Leave some time to reflect

Writing the cover letter and reading it a couple of days later, then changing something and reading it again will help you get the end result right. Which seems good today, might look completely different in a couple of days, so make sure you give yourself the possibility to revise your letter.

Do an extra check-up

Do I have my personal details right? Did I read over all the documents? Are they all typo-less, informative and neat? Are they the right ones? Did I upload everything including transcripts and reference letters? Is it all clearly structured for the person screening it?

Upload & Relax

At this point there is nothing left to change, so lay back and enjoy a job well-done. Don´t torment yourself over the details during the days to follow as it is pointless. In severe cases maybe eat some chocolate to decrease the stress factorJ

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Don´t know which graduate programme track to apply to?

17 January 2013 | By: Lilla

Category: European Business Management Global Marketing | (6) comments

When I applied to the graduate programme I wasn`t entirely sure about which track I should choose. During my university studies I started liking marketing as this is the area where everything comes together from what consumers aspire for and how the economy is developing to what the abilities of the company are, however I have always been in between a commercial and a more analytical interest and I was not sure whether Global Marketing was the right choice for me, therefore I also applied to European Business Management.

At some previous job interviews I have been questioned sort of suspiciously about my background as in many cases they doubted that I would fit for marketing as I have “too much interest in macroeconomics and finance for a marketer”. I have been struggling to find a program where I could find both my interests. Now I know it is not impossible, so if you recognize yourself in this situation don´t give up.

After having signed my contract with Novo, I received the details of my first rotation in the beginning of July. When I first read that I would be in Market Access and Commercial Excellence to be honest with you I wasn´t really sure what that would mean. So as any person nowadays seeking the truth, I googled it (in a crappy hostel in Thailand with really bad internet connection) and came across a job offer from my department with the description of the tasks. This was the point when I got really quite excited as I realized that my job would be very much focused on analytics and marketing strategy.

Coming to Insights and Forecasting (my department), I found out that the department consisted of two different units, namely Customer Insights and Strategic Analytics. I have been involved with both teams and had the opportunity to work on market research projects and consult different brand teams based on our findings but also to work on analytics projects across the portfolio in line with our long-term forecasts and collaborating with other departments to e.g. facilitate investment decisions.

In my case I think they managed to find a very good place in the company and I am glad I insisted on my original interests, but of course it is hard to see in advance from the outside what one programme might offer over another one. In my opinion, try to limit your applications to a reasonable number and hand in (different!) cover letters for the tracks you would be interested in and then let your reviewers see which track you would be better suited for.

If there is any learning from my story, I would say that you should always be honest about what you would really like to work in as if you try to fit into expectations instead you might end up not being chosen or even worse doing something you don´t really enjoy. At the same time I would like to point out that the marketing organization in the company is really extensive so I believe there is much space to find your specific area of interest from brand management and launch planning to value communication, event management or strategic analytics like myself, therefore if you are interested in the field in general I would encourage you to take your chances.

As a closing note, sorry for the late blog post, I will make myself more active and available from now onJ Also, don’t hesitate to comment on the post so I can answer any questions that you might have!

Take care,

Lilla

Tags: application, Career path, Global Marketing, Graduate programme, interview, job, job search

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Graduate Touch Base Meeting in Madrid!

7 December 2012 | By: Sona

Category: Business Processes European Business Management Global Marketing | (0) comments

Team 2011 graduates from the Business Process, Global Marketing and European Business tracks met in Madrid, Spain for the mid-rotation Touch Base Meeting. This happens once during our second rotations abroad where we were invited my our programme manager, Ove Munch Ovesen.

The meeting was a huge success with a lot of energy and a lot of new learnings! It was a unique opportunity for all of us to share our affiliate experiences with each other and to discover the Novo Nordisk world down in Spain. It was a packed week with meetings, seminars, field rides, presentations, sightseeing and life time experiences. Some of the highlights were, meeting the General Manager for Spain & Portugal, Directors of Finance and Market Access and learning about the successful launches from the marketing team. It was very fascinating to understand the health care system in the region and what amazes me is that each affiliate has a very different external environment they operate in and the challenges they face each day are unique but the Novo Nordisk spirit is the same across!

Another major highlight of the meeting was the opportunity to go on a field ride with a sales rep and this gave us good insights into the market dynamics in Spain. It not only taught us more about our business and our products but also the fact that relationships are the core of this function and we need to nurture them and I think this is just not true for Sales but for every function.

In Spain we did not only learn about the Spanish affiliate but several other affiliates around the world as we were all coming from our current aboard rotations – Japan, Russia, Vietnam, Switzerland, UK, US, Germany, Turkey and France. It was great to hear how things happen in the different corners, what are the challenges and the opportunities and where and how we make a difference!

Coming to Spain was also a cultural experience for us and as many of us were in Spain for the first time, we immersed ourselves in the food, tradition, music and dance. We were able to do some sightseeing as well – Museo El Prado, Museo Reina Sofia and Plaza Mayor. Last but not the least I leave you with some pictures from our time in Madrid! Enjoy :)
All the best with everything!

: Plaza Mayor

: Museo El Prado

: The famous "PAEYA"

: Dinner at El Corral de la Morería, the "Cathedral of flamenco art" in Spain

: Team 2011 at the Spanish affiliate

Tags: development, graduates, Madrid, Novo Nordisk, training

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Life Changing Career Vol.1

5 December 2012 | By: Tatjana

Category: Business Processes Global Marketing | (4) comments

Dear blog readers,

Many of you who are considering to apply for one of the graduate programs might wonder what it is really like to be a graduate at Novo Nordisk and what a “life-changing career” is all about. With this first blog post I want to take the opportunity to present to you my first three months as a graduate and how this short period of time at Novo Nordisk has already changed my life.

When I received in July the description of my first rotation “Marketing & Sales Excellence, Digital Marketing”, I thought to myself ironically “Great! Of all the graduates, they chose the biggest technical idiot to work in the Digital Marketing department”. At that point in time I was still fiercely fighting the digital development and held onto my Nokia 5110, proud to be retro and able to play snake on my phone while others were supposedly saving the world through their smartphones. How was I supposed to work in the department responsible for the digital content, web sites, and digital marketing strategy of a company like Novo Nordisk? Never mind, I like to be challenged, challenge accepted!

It turned out that I would work on the most innovative and biggest IT project ever put forward in Global Marketing. The iSelling project, which is the global implementation of a common platform on the iPAD to be used by the sales force. Very simply put, this means that the brand teams around the world will use one common technical solution to develop and distribute their brand apps and sales reps will use the iPAD in their sales calls to detail these apps to the health care professionals.

After the first challenge of understanding how an app is build up and what html, CQ5 and components are all about, I quickly came to understand the incredible scope and value of this project. Being involved in the organizational change management and responsible for the system and sales force training, I am in close contact with our global and regional brand managers, IT leads and sales managers. This gives me a broad understanding of our business processes, not only the internal ones but also those happening across borders. Further, working closely with external vendors on the system and sales force training, I am developing my stakeholder management skills on a daily basis.

I feel truly privileged to be part of the iSelling project in my first rotation. It gives me unparallel exposure to the company, development and learning opportunities, and the possibility to work on an exciting project with inspiring and bright colleagues. When I talk with friends and fellow graduates about system functions, edetailing and app configurations, I notice how much I have learnt in only this short period of time in Novo Nordisk. Time that has already now changed my life which I realize while looking at my new smartphone and the iPAD I am writing this post on. And I can’t wait to have more of these unexpected life-changing experiences in the upcoming 19 months! Follow me on this exciting journey and share with me what a “life-changing career” means to you!

Looking forward to hear from you,

Tatjana

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My first 3 months as a Business Processes Graduate

5 December 2012 | By: Elin Larsson

Category: Business Processes Global Marketing | (1) comments

Dear all potential applicants,

Now I have been in the graduate program for three months and I am thrilled to have this chance to communicate with all of you in relation to the program. I know how much this blog forum helped me in my application process and I hope to be able to give that back to you. So please use this forum to ask questions and send me emails if you have private questions. Seeing as this is my first blog post, I will take this opportunity to give an introduction to my first three exciting months in the graduate program.

I have been very lucky to be placed in a unique department in Global Marketing working with Devices. The Devices department has both an operational and a more strategic side, currently I am in the strategic part of the department. The Devices department is unique because it relates to a tangible product that enables direct-to-patient marketing, which of course is different from being in a department focusing on insulin. Furthermore, the department combines a project oriented, patient centered and business development approach to work that makes this department highly interesting and a good fit with my competences. I came from a part time job within Business Development in a large Danish energy firm and this first rotation has enabled me to make use of my existing knowledge pool, ways of working and tools. Thereby, I feel that this first rotation has provided a clear fit with my personal and professional profile.

These three months have been filled with responsibilities and many learning opportunities. The main project that I have been working on has been relating to a future device, where I was assigned the project manager on behalf of marketing. This project gave me many opportunities to connect with stakeholders from all over the organisation and be able to understand the entire process of producing a device in Novo Nordisk to selling it in the market. My main learning from this project was the importance of sound stakeholder management and keeping the team motivated and on track.

Throughout the rest of my time in Devices, I will work more on the operational side of the department with a focus on producing sales cycle material, promotion material and online campaigns. This is something that is entirely new to me and I am really thrilled to take on this opportunity. I think it is great that you can get the chance to see so many different sides of the company in one rotation. This rotation has really helped me to understand the company, the patients’ needs and especially the complexity that is involved in working within such a global entity. For me this complexity makes an average day at work extremely exciting.

This was a little bit about my first rotation and please feel free to ask anything that you are curious to know. I am happy to help! You can also follow me on twitter (NovoNordiskGrad), where I am tweeting on behalf of the graduate program with news relating to recruiting events or other graduate events.

All the best

Elin

(Rated by 8 people. Average 4.4 of 5)

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