Thinking of applying to the graduate programme at BMS? This engineer’s insights could help you make up your mind.
It’s that time of year when graduates and soon-to-be graduates are considering their next step, and pharma giant BMS is currently seeking new talent for its graduate programme, accepting applications until 25 October.
Siliconrepublic.com spoke to a current graduate at the company, Eleanor Thornton, to get some insider knowledge about the programme. She told us about some of the things that stood out to her as soon as she walked in the door and the skills that she has picked up so far.
Skill development
Thornton is a graduate engineer at BMS. Despite being there for only a month, she has already been given opportunities to build on the skills she brought from college. She’s currently working in downstream manufacturing, her first rotation of three.
Although it’s an obviously technical field, she emphasised the softer skills that BMS has allowed her to develop and progress so far, including interpersonal skills like “communication, adaptability, and also eagerness to work and curiosity”.
A warm welcome
Starting a new job can be intimidating and this can be particularly true for your very first one. Thornton explained feeling this way, but said the team at BMS helped to make her feel welcome.
“Before I started, it was kind of daunting coming in. But I was really lucky in that my manager and my whole team had a team get-together before I had even started, so that made me feel really prepared.”
Getting embedded in the company’s culture has also helped, allowing her to “get involved with people you wouldn’t ordinarily be involved with on a day-to-day basis”.
“Even though I’m only a month in, I’m doing an abseil with BMS for charity,” she added.
Words of wisdom
For any graduates considering their next step, Thornton gave some final words of wisdom.
“There’s a lot of different opportunities for your career and especially with the graduate programme.
“You can have your own say in what departments you get to go into, and they’re definitely open to you choosing your own path and where you want to go. That’s something I really wanted from a company.”
Watch the video above to find out more about the BMS graduate programme.
