During my time at Novartis and Merck, I’ve had the pleasure of networking with many industry professionals. I talked to over 10 current fellows about fellowship applications/Midyear, and this is what they had to say:
Preparing Your Application
Advice on Updating Your CV
- Place relevant information at the top of your CV, in order of importance
- Aim for a max of 4-5 pages, this is a recommendation but not a must
- Consider having multiple versions, each tailored to a specific functional area
- For example, one for R&D-related fellowships and another for medical affairs-related fellowships
- Don’t overwhelm your CV with too many details, leave something for the conversation!
- Have pharmacy and NON-pharmacy individuals look over your CV & LOI
- Different perspectives will provide different feedback!
- Know your CV inside out and use the bullet points to prepare for interviews
- Your Letter of Intent (LOI) should be customized for each application and reflect how your skills match the job you are applying for.
- Identify your references early and ask them for letters of recommendation ASAP
- Think about your fellowship preferences: 1- versus 2-year fellowships and single-department versus rotational experiences
- Choose roles carefully, only apply to a lot of fellowships if you are truly interested in all of them, not simply to increase your chances
- Your fellowship will set you up for future success, so make sure it is something you are passionate about
- 2-yr fellowships may give you more time to secure a post-fellowship position
Preparing for Your Interviews
- Schedule a max of ~10 interviews, otherwise Midyear is too overwhelming (most fellows I talked to applied to 5-7)
- Schedule breaks (30min-1hr) between interviews so you can have snacks/water & do quick relaxation techniques
- Don’t schedule your top choices for first or last (you may be too nervous or too tired!)
- Research the companies and roles you are applying for: you must be able to explain that you fit well in this environment
- Do mock interviews with friends or preceptors, and attend workshops
- Use the STAR method to practice answering questions
- Situation, Task, Action, Results
- Have situational examples/stories in mind
- Think of situations about leadership, teamwork, difficult coworkers, innovation, failure
- Review any notes or reflections you may have written about experiences at work/school/orgs
- Set up 1-1 coffee chats with current fellows to get their insights
- They were in your shoes not too long ago!
- Ask them about their day-to-day experiences
- Discuss their company culture to see if it aligns with your values
Prepare Your “Tell me about yourself” (~ 1min)
- The interviewer wants to determine if your personal characteristics match what they are looking for
- Think about the following questions when crafting your answer:
- Who are you and where did you come from in terms of your professional background?
- What is your ultimate goal?
- What key experiences have you had that prepared you for a fellowship? What makes you unique?
- Why are you seeking this specific position?
- This should give additional insight into who you are as a person that may not be found in your CV or LOI
Tips on Getting Through Midyear
- Remember that the interviewing team already wants you after reviewing your application, you just have to prove them right!
- Have a calendar with your meetings/interviews; be organized!
- Be concise in answering questions
- Focus on showcasing your skills and what you would bring to the table in a conversational manner
- If you get stuck, come up with a situation that can be molded into the question
- When talking about APPEs, convey the purpose of the rotation & what insights you gained about potential future roles
- You are also interviewing the company to see if it is a good fit for you
- Focus on how you FEEL with the different teams while you interact with them
- I thought the following two tips were especially unique:
- Create a table with the vision/mission/values of each company and examples/stories of how you reflect those values
- Print thank you cards to give your interviewers after the encounters
After Midyear
- Realize that your wait time may not be the same as your friends’, every company/position has a different timeline!
- Send thank you emails to your interviewers for taking the time to meet you
- Companies will let you know if they want you to attend on-site interviews
To quote my manager, “the best candidates are those who are prepared“. Remember that getting or not getting a fellowship will not make or break your career. I have met numerous professionals in industry who did not complete fellowships, but rather found other unique paths into a pharmaceutical company!