From medical school to investment bank, my interdisciplinary job search road
Guo yulan
In 2003, he was admitted to peking university health science center Pharmaceutical College as a six-year postgraduate, and in 2007, he entered the postgraduate stage, majoring in pharmacy. In 2009, I graduated with a master's degree and joined the investment banking department of China International Capital Corporation. My main job is to help China enterprises to carry out capital market financing and mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad.
Many people think that pharmaceutical college graduates enter investment banks? Is it too cross-border? I think a suitable job is very important for everyone, not only materially, but also determines whether you are happy or not. As for me, I found my favorite working style and direction in college, and I also had a career choice.
My uncle was engaged in the business of American ginseng and other proprietary Chinese medicines in Canada in his early years, and my sister was engaged in the business of pharmaceutical preparations and accessories in a Japanese pharmaceutical company. Influenced by my family, I have a strong interest in the pharmaceutical industry. I remember when I volunteered for the college entrance examination, there were only two places in Hebei, and there was a great possibility that I could not pass the exam, but I still insisted on filling in. Peking University College of Pharmacy? 、? Six-year undergraduate and graduate programs? 、? Disobeying the adjustment? .
Luckily, I came here like this.
At school, I got good grades, GPA 3.7, and won the highest scholarship in the school? Peking University May 4th Scholarship? . Since I entered the school, I have joined the Student Union of the Medical Department, served as the chairman of the Student Union of the Medical Department and the vice chairman of the Student Union of Peking University.
At first, I thought like many people. Originally, I just wanted to continue to learn something and find a well-paid job in the future. I didn't expect to do it in the future? Research talents? . During the student union, my ideas gradually changed and established.
I worked in Beijing Medical University and the Student Union of Peking University for five years until my first year as a graduate student? Retired? . The work of the student union is project-oriented, and all departments hold various activities every semester, up and down, and they are very busy. At that time, I found that this kind of work, which focuses on project operation, does not repeat, and has a relaxed work pace, is what I like.
In the student union, I spent most of my time in charge of the external relations department? Pull sponsorship? This is a great inspiration for my future career choice. Students' union has many good activities, but it suffers from two problems: first, it has good ideas, but it can't do good activities, which is a problem of project planning and marketing management; The other is to have good ideas, but no money. This is a financing problem. For five years, I have been dealing with these two problems, and I have gradually found my favorite way of working.
In fact, students who don't know what kind of job they like can make an analysis with reference to the following logic.
Macroscopically, there are two kinds of enterprises. One is the production company, whose main function is to produce and sell tangible products, such as pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Roche, Johnson & Johnson) and fast-moving consumer goods companies (Procter & Gamble, Mars, Nestle); The other is a company that provides customized services according to customers' needs, such as securities brokerage services provided by investment banks and legal services provided by lawyers. The former works repeatedly, but the working hours are stable; The latter works according to the project, which requires higher professional knowledge, rarely repeats the work, but needs to learn quickly, the working hours are not fixed, and the income is higher than the former under the same circumstances.
I didn't understand this until the next semester of my senior year, and basically determined my job search direction: professional service company? Specifically, a management consulting company? Also benefit from these companies? Not limited to majors? .
In February 2008, I invested in the summer internship position of CICC, and soon got the internship offer. It was also that summer that the financial crisis broke out and Lehman's share price collapsed instantly, which I still remember vividly. At that time, I knew that my major was wrong and my ability was different, so I worked hard. For a month in a row, I got off work at 5 o'clock every morning and went to work at 9: 30. Thanks to the support of several predecessors and the help of internship partners, the company finally issued several full-time offer in the spring of 2009 after consideration and screening, and I was one of them.
During my college years, my internship experience also included the Corporate Affairs Department of Pfizer, the consulting service department of PricewaterhouseCoopers and roland berger International Management Consulting Company. At the stage of looking for a job after graduation, the other offer I got were roland berger and Kearney (the top 10 American management consulting company in the world).
About what? Change jobs? I think preparation depends on the method. From the end of 2006 to CICC summer internship, I have been preparing for nearly two years.
It is true that ignorance is bliss. At the beginning of 2007, when I had a clear direction, endless pain began. Before that, as the second person in the history of Beijing Medical University to be the president of the Student Union and get the highest scholarship, I had proud capital. But then, in the face of the unknown management field, I seemed to fall from the peak to the bottom, and everything had to start from scratch.
The company's recruitment requirements can be regarded as a direction of efforts. Take McKinsey as an example. I am deeply impressed by their four requirements for summer internship applicants (the writing seems to have changed now, but the essence is the same):
First, attending a top university with excellent grades (no change, always demanding high marks);
Second, there are management consulting companies or top 500 companies internship experience (now written? Show initial contact or interest in the career of management consultant? Actually, it means the same thing. After all, what is the best way to express interest? Did I? );
Third, excellent extracurricular activities experience (now written? Have the ability to lead? In essence, it is difficult for people who only sit in dormitories and classrooms to be competent for consulting and all professional services);
Excellent communication skills in Chinese and English (no change, bilingual ability is a requirement of all top companies).
This kind of company can provide young people with extensive exposure to international business knowledge. You can understand that it requires students to do their best in all aspects of college life, especially those who are not majoring in economic management.
To this end, we must first learn our own professional knowledge. How can a person who doesn't even understand his own major expect to analyze and solve problems across professional fields?
Second, to show good professional quality and feeling, it needs to be proved by internship experience.
Third, any investment bank and consulting company emphasizes leadership, which is determined by the nature of the work. You need to lead not only a team and customers, but also yourself and your work. This requires you to have the determination to overcome difficulties and the ability to resist pressure, and to have mature speaking and communication skills, right? Can listen to others' opinions, and make others accept your opinions and suggestions in a way acceptable to the other party, and finally achieve the goal together as planned? . There are many ways to exercise this ability. For students at school, the best way is to join a student association or an off-campus NGO, and then stick to the highest position you can from ordinary members.
The fourth is English, which is too important. More and more enterprises use English for interviews, and English has gradually become a business working language. Even if you don't apply for studying abroad, it is necessary to learn English well and take TOEFL and IELTS.
At that time, apart from grades and social activities, English and practice were blank. Later, more than a year later, the pressure of graduate students' scientific research came, so I had to make up for it from scratch, including reading textbooks for economic management majors in my spare time, copying lecture materials and attending classes on the first floor of Guanghua School of Management. I don't remember what I did now, except that I read a lot of books. In addition, in order not to let others question my professional knowledge, I also study and study the development of the pharmaceutical industry, and strive to turn myself from pure theory and academic knowledge to practical application. In the meantime, I also made up English and took the TOEFL.
Finally, talk about what many students care about? Looking for an internship? The problem is, in fact, internships are basically recommended by friends at the beginning. My first internship was at Pfizer. This is because during my stay in the Student Union, I participated in the tobacco control publicity activities jointly organized by the Student Union and Pfizer. After that, I entered this company as an intern under the recommendation of the school-run teacher and the student union teacher.
In 2007, I couldn't find my first internship in a consulting company. After waiting and frustrated for 65,438+00 months, my best friend in the Student Union, a brother of Tsinghua, strongly recommended me to his classmates who worked in roland berger. At that time, I deeply realized that a person's vision and the height he can reach are all decided by his close friends.
Job-seeking speech
I have recommended it countless times, and I recommend it again here: at the graduation ceremony of Stanford University in 2005, Steve, the founder of Apple? Steve Jobs's speech "Stayhungry, Stayfoolish", keep it in mind and you will feel the power of faith. There is also a movie "Three Fools" that I recommend you to watch. It tells a story of pursuing Excellence rather than success. A well-paid job and an admission notice from an Ivy League school may not mean anything. If you haven't found what you really like, keep looking!
;