What can you accomplish in the course of an internship at Johnson & Johnson? What challenges will you take on—and in what ways will you be challenged to grow? Two recent interns share advice, insights and more.
Advancing STEM inclusivity: Lisa Lynch
Lisa Lynch recently became an operations team lead at DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, where she’s participating in one of the best-in-class leadership development programs we’ve just piloted in Ireland.
But let’s rewind a bit and take a step back, because just the other day Lisa was probably a lot like you: a student suddenly dipping her toes into the confusing waters of professional possibility.
What made the difference for Lisa?
‘I think a lot of my career growth comes back to the new product introduction graduate experience I had with Johnson & Johnson’, she recounted, ‘because it gave me a lot of really hands-on experience. For example, I got to work on an accelerated product launch, which meant working with everyone across the whole ecosystem, from design to validation of the product and process. This included working with teams in R&D, manufacturing and more’.
‘Hands on’ might be an understatement.
On a day-to-day basis during her three placements, Lisa supported data consolidation across projects, later developing a playbook for investigations into potential new products and carrying out trials in advance of new product introductions. Before her last internship was up, she was even captaining her own projects.
From there, Lisa made another kind of transition as well: Though still a mentee, she’s also become a powerful mentor in her own right. Her involvement in our WiSTEM2D initiative—empowering women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing and design—is a case in point.
‘One of the reasons that I’m so committed to WiSTEM2D, and to future talent development in general,’ Lisa explained, ‘is that we’re trying to level the playing field for women in STEM fields. Honestly, I wouldn’t be working at this company if it wasn’t an inclusive environment for everyone. And it’s one thing to just talk about these things—a lot of companies do—but at Johnson & Johnson, it isn’t words. It’s actions. And to get to be a part of that, to get to see change happening, has been really, really powerful’.
With that in mind, Lisa had this advice for future interns who might wish to follow in her footsteps: ‘Everyone who you meet at Johnson & Johnson is accessible to you and available to you. It doesn’t matter if they’re a VP or a senior manager. They’ll make time for you. So don’t be intimidated, because believe me, all you have to do is ask’.
Driving real-world impact: Rebecca Pipes
Rebecca Pipes recently returned as a graduate, having completed an internship with the vision care team at Johnson & Johnson.
What are her key takeaways?
‘For one, a placement is so much more than a statement to put on your CV,’ she observed. ‘With Johnson & Johnson, I received hands-on mentoring, developed my network and gained this invaluable professional experience’.
And as a corollary to all of that, Rebecca also built some enduring relationships. In fact, teamwork was a central part of her experience.
‘I felt like I was an integral part of the team from the very beginning, and not only in terms of the responsibilities that I was given, but also the flexibility of the role’, Rebecca said. ‘I was trusted to contribute, which is a big thing, and a huge part of what made the experience so memorable and rewarding’.
In Rebecca’s case, those contributions were anything but minor, too.
‘I remember identifying new ways that the business could operate that would be more effective and make a real-world impact, both financially and from a sustainability perspective’, she recounted.
Which is a pretty big deal, if you think about it.
‘I guess you could say that was my crowning achievement’, Rebecca said, smiling.
Where will your internship take you?
Eager to grow professionally and personally, gain hands-on experience and make a positive impact in the lives of people around the world? You’ve come to the right place. We want to meet you!
Click here to explore internship opportunities available for undergraduate and graduate students in Europe, the Middle East or Africa (pro tip: you can further refine your search by function, location and more—just toggle the collapsible lists beneath the search bar).
Finally, take a minute to join our global talent community, too. It’s an easy way to stay in touch, learn more about life at our company and even get updates about jobs that might interest you in the future.
