Is being curious a profession? Life science academy offered the right career push

When I was in my last year of university, I felt like a kid again. Well, I was 24 years old and studying an engineering program, so I understand that it sounds a bit strange. But the thoughts that were revolving in my head at the time were not entirely different from the ones I had as a child when an adult asked the trickiest question of all: What do you want to be when you grow up? Unlike then, I had of course taken courses in mathematics, biotechnology and project management – but what would the next destination be?

"With our academy program, you get to continue to learn about the industry while working on assignments with our custo..." I didn't need to read more than that before I started working on a resume. The possibility of combining Life Science applied courses and working on exciting assignments with customers in pharmaceutical or medtech companies felt like the perfect fit for me. Semcon’s Life Science Academy was described as a springboard in my career, but what I didn't think about at the time was what a great network it gave me from day one. Colleagues from Gothenburg, Uppsala and Stockholm who were at the same stage of their careers and who were struggling a bit with the same thoughts about finding the right place, found each other.

Three and a half years later, I've been working with quality, development, and sales, as well as being on executive boards, doing marketing and training. And, recruitment too! It was several years ago that I completed the academy program, but the learning continues. Much thanks to the fact that Semcon is a large company with many contacts and colleagues who work with completely different things than I do. In my team, I have also had the privilege of collaborating and working with senior colleagues who are happy to teach me everything they know. That’s probably the best school there is!

What are you working with now?

Today I have different roles depending on the situation. I am a consultant and, in that role, I support individuals, teams and organisations to become better at working in temporary jobs, usually projects. How we do it varies , I frequently get to educate, for example, project managers who want to develop within their profession and become better at working according to a project methodology. I'm also a team manager and I'm building a group of stars while simultaneously working with sales and customer relations. There is also a lot of marketing and strategy work, which is very fun and evolving.

The question of what I want to be when I grow up doesn't stress me out as much anymore. Maybe I'm grown now! But I think it's more about the fact that the answer is fluid. There are new opportunities, I get new perspectives and the world changes. I know that at Semcon we can handle those turns, both in regards to our employees and what the market demands of us. I have closed a few doors along the way. Things that I know I didn't enjoy that much or that I wasn't very good at. But there will always be a lot of things that I haven't tried yet, and I hope that in the coming years I will continue to be brave and say yes to opportunities along the way. Having the mindset that "I've never tried that before, so I'm sure I can do it!". If someone asks me now what I want to be when I grow up, I know the answer: Curious!

About Emma

Title: Team manager and project management consultant
Education: Master of Science in Molecular Biotechnology, Uppsala university
Have been working at Semcon since: 2020
When I have the most fun at work: when we get that flow while working with colleagues or customers!

About Semcon Stories
A series of articles for everyone wondering what it’s like to work at Semcon. With Semcon Stories our employees get to highlight certain exciting aspects of their jobs.