When starting at new work, you think about what lies ahead. Inevitably, you also think about what’s behind you. What did I do and what did I learn?
It is often difficult to perceive one’s own learning process. Only when you look back do you realize what things mattered. Every workplace gives you something that can be utilised in the future. At the very least, you learn how not to want to do certain things or what mistakes you want to avoid repeating.
The university provided guidance on research-based knowledge and emphasised the importance of information acquisition skills. I learned that independent work that combines freedom and responsibility suits me well.
At the pharmacy, the work was very people-oriented. Working as a pharmacist taught me a lot about meeting people and the importance of listening. In any customer collaboration, it is a good starting point to understand how the other person thinks and why. This can then be used as a starting point towards common goals.
The transition to the pharmaceutical industry, and pharmacovigilance in particular, opened a whole new world for me. It was enlightening to understand that pharmaceutical companies and authorities are constantly monitoring the safety profiles and patient safety of medicines. Working at pharmacovigilance has taught me to adapt to constantly changing situations and quickly jump into new kinds of tasks. Very seldom has a working day been what I imagined it to be.
In every workplace, the most valuable lessons have come from colleagues. It has been great to work with skilled and motivated colleagues who have shared their expertise, encouraged me to move forward and given me responsibility. Sometimes a few words of positive feedback can save the whole day. Looking back, busy working days get mixed up, but colleagues who made work fun are not forgotten.
