Positive Experience at Oriflame
Exploring Research at a Cosmetics Company
Following my curiosity on how much my friends and colleagues at KI enjoy their industry internships promoted by Career Service, today I bring you the Positive Experience from Evangelia Tserga during her month at Oriflame 😉
“I believe that this internship gives the opportunity to all of us, either PhD students, or Postdocs, to explore something new, how to work in a different environment than University”
Ana: How was your experience in general during this internship?
Evangelia: The experience in the company was really intriguing and challenging. Skin research was something new for me since my background and my PhD is in neuroscience and in auditory field. Even though this period is difficult due to the corona situation, I had the chance to meet new people, spending time at work with them, learn how a cosmetic company works and be proactive and effective. A significant thing that I was experienced is how a proper data documentation should be and how important is to have a good organization and planning at a daily base. My manager there told me that working at this company and performing the different projects is not only thinking about science but also how to please people’s needs and learn how to ‘‘sell’’ a product.
Ana: What did you learn that you did not expect?
Evangelia: I think I learned how to be more productive and effective in short amount of time. This is how things work in industry, that from day one you have to produce by yourself.
Ana: How did your career benefit from this internship?
Evangelia: I believe my career was benefited from this internship in two levels: firstly, practically and experimentally since I got used to some techniques that I wasn’t so experienced before and secondly, socially and professionally by building some new network outside Academia.
Ana: Did this experience help you in thinking of a future outside Academia?
Evangelia: It definitely helped me a lot to think a career outside Academia and take under considerations the benefits that a work in industry offers. Generally, I believe that this internship gives the opportunity to all of us, either PhD students, or Postdocs, to explore something new, how to work in a different environment than University. Of course, there are similarities but also a lot of differences between Academia and Industry. People in Academia need the time to think what they really want for their future and it is great that Karolinska gives this chance through the internships.
Ana: Would you like to stay for more than one month at this company?
Evangelia: I would like to stay more at this company since one month period is too short and since I liked the environment there.
by Ana Osório Oliveira with Evangelia Tserga
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