We caught up with Steph from Philips to hear about her experiences at the firm, the most important lessons she has learnt since being there, and her top tips for anyone wanting to follow in her footsteps. Read on to find out more...
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background
I have just started my second year on the graduate scheme at Philips working in business development for the International partner management team. I started at Philips a few months after I graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in International Management and Spanish. I really loved my course and chose to focus on corporate social responsibility and venture capital in my final year. I also had the opportunity to work abroad as a part of my Spanish studies, I chose to split my year abroad into 3 months volunteering in Guatemala and 9 months working in a start-up company in Barcelona. I absolutely loved working with people from so many cultures and learnt a huge amount about the world but also myself whilst being pushed outside of my comfort zone.
What inspired you to apply for this role with Philips?
When I was applying for a graduate job I knew I wanted to work for a company that was having a strong positive impact on the world. I studied corporate social responsibility in my final year and felt passionate about the fact I would spend most of the rest of my adult life working and I wanted that time to be used making a difference. When I found out about Philips’ mission to improve 2.5 billion lives per year by 2030 I was excited to apply for a job in a corporate company that was so obviously dedicated to improving the health of so many people around the world. Additionally, I was inspired by the potential opportunities which could arise for me working in a company operating in over 100 countries and focusing so heavily on innovation.
What is your role and how long have you been at Philips?
I am in my second rotation of the graduate scheme working in the international team for partner management, my role as a business development manager involves a lot of project management to launch new processes to our local market teams. I love working in an international team with colleagues from all over the world and learning from them and their experiences. In my first rotation, I worked in the UK consumer goods team in Trade Shopper Marketing, meaning I have been able to gain experience in both the consumer goods and health system businesses within Philips.
What has been the single most important thing you learnt so far in your role?
For me, the most important thing I have learnt since joining Philips is the necessity to be agile at work. I joined Philips in September 2020 after finishing my degree at home under a lockdown for Covid a weird experience none of us could prepare for. It was a strange experience but it taught me to be adaptable to working in any condition and to learn new skills fast and independently as I was introduced to my job remotely. Being agile, willing to embrace change and learn quickly has really helped me make the most of my time in the graduate scheme.
What would a ‘normal’ day look like for someone in your role?
A typical day for me starts at 8am to have a call with my team in the Netherlands to catch up on any projects we are collaboratively working on. I then try to use my mornings as focus time to reply to emails and get on with any independent work. My independent work varies from preparing presentations to analysing data trends and reporting. The afternoons are normally fairly busy with meetings with our local market leaders from all over the world. I go into the office 3 days a week so I can have some collaborative meetings with my manager and the other two days I work from home. When I’m in the office I usually end up grabbing lunch with the other graduates.
What do you find most interesting about the industry you’re in?
I think the most interesting thing about the health technology industry is how quickly the use of new technology is innovating the way we as consumers view our health and how we receive health care. Working at Philips you get to see some amazing case studies where our new innovation is changing and saving people's lives quite literally!
What is the company culture like at Philips?
As an employee at Philips I feel listened to, appreciated and that I am contributing to a bigger picture. Everyone is really friendly and fun with regular socials to get to know each other better. There is also a great community of young professionals at Philips so there is always someone around who will be experiencing what it’s like to be in a graduate role. Philips’ culture is based around 5 key behaviours all employees show: Customers First, Patient Safety and Quality and Integrity Always, Team Up to Win, Take Ownership to Deliver Fast and Eager to Improve and Inspire.
How important is diversity to you and what is Philips doing in this space at the moment?
Diversity is hugely important to me, I believe it is the key to positive progress and is essential to building a happy energised workplace. During my time at Philips I have been able to experience just a few of the things they are doing to encourage diversity, for example, I took part in ‘bias in the workplace training’, attended a pride event run by the LGBTQ+ community in the office and also been to ‘tea and talk’ events with our mental health champions.
Finally, any tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a role at Philips?
My top tip when looking to apply for Philips is to do some research into the company before applying. Philips has a strong history in electrical goods and quite often people assume Philips is just a lighting and TV company when actually now they focus on health technology. Another piece of advice for when you apply is to really try to show some examples of where you have faced challenges and overcome them, it shows you can problem solve and have a willingness to think outside of the box. Good luck !
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