I was drawn to AESARA Europe because of their unique role in helping US biotech and pharma companies enter the European market.

It’s mind-boggling to me that a company that operates remotely can deliver solutions to clients at such high quality. This is testament to AESARA’s interest in its employees (interns included). I felt welcomed at AESARA by folks on my immediate team and even those who live and work in the USA.

Though AESARA routinely works remotely, we met in person at the very beginning of my internship. I found this incredibly useful. Time was made to teach key principles, explain complex industry processes and answer questions on any concept. Suddenly, a field that was opaque became transparent and there was infrastructure to ensure that every week I was exposed to new knowledge in a scholar session, while my supervisors met regularly with me as well. The guidance was just phenomenal.

No two projects were the same. I went from data quality checks, to researching, to making presentations, to discussing strategies with clients. My ideas felt valid and my input was valued. I got constructive criticism and learnt transferable skills. Your work at AESARA will give you fulfilment because your ideas will see the light of day and you’ll receive recognition and praise. Furthermore, my supervisors showed their own willingness to learn from me and that boosted my self-esteem. No other internship has made me feel so useful.

One of the small things I appreciated was the genuineness and humanity of AESARA’s people. They saw me not only in a professional capacity but also as a living, breathing being who had a life outside of the internship. There was constant checking in on how my PhD was going, what I might be doing over the weekend – there is even a company-wide slack channel for sharing adventures! In this way, I was allowed to be productive but also an holistic person.

All in all, I would highly recommend AESARA to anyone! There is a place for you if you enjoy problem-solving, want to develop your people skills or are just creative. You will be in the hands of very competent mentors. I could not ask for a better internship. I was only expected to spend three months with AESARA but at the time of writing I’m entering my sixth month with the company.