Helena Zhang, Sanofi Intern

Helena Zhang is in the class of 2020 and the current secretary of the Rutgers chapter of IPhO. This summer, she interned at Sanofi as the Global Regulatory Affairs Intern.

How did you succeed in the interview?

I did my research on the company and position beforehand. I also read over my resume and made sure I could talk about and expand on any of the experiences I had listed. I came up with some potential questions to ask at the end of the interview to show that I was interested and well prepared.

Tell me more about what you did in your position and what teams/projects you were involved in? I’ve had the privilege of interning at Sanofi for two summers now. The first summer I worked on compiling establishment information to input into the 356h form. This project provided me with exposure to the structure and format of regulatory documents. This past summer I was focused on updating their regulatory submission database. Because Sanofi has sites all over the world, I got to communicate with affiliates in many different countries. It was interesting to see how large the scale of Sanofi’s operations are and the challenges that come with synchronizing efforts between so many people across so many countries.

What was the highlight of your internship?

The most rewarding part of my internship thus far has been mentoring another intern. As it was my second year there, I was tasked with teaching and leading a new intern in our summer project. Imparting the knowledge I had gained to my peer was a rewarding experience and although there is definitely a lot more for me to master, it was refreshing to see how much I had learned since I began this internship.

What keys to success did you learn throughout the internship? I think email etiquette is an often overlooked determinant of success. Especially if you are collaborating with others on a global scale, for some English may not be their first language and different words could have different interpretations. Since email is your main method of communication, every word has to be chosen carefully and politely or else people may not respond well.

What advice can you give to other pharmacy students interested in the industry?

I think at this stage most pharmacy students are looking to get an internship and for that I would suggest utilizing your resources to their fullest potential. If your school offers a career fair, go check it out! If your mom’s friend works at a pharmaceutical company, ask if they are looking for interns! The opportunities are out there, you just have to find them.