Q&A with Maddie Young: Former Abbott Intern, Now Full-Time Employee
Vault: What drew you to Abbott’s summer internship program? And what led you to choose to continue your career there?
Maddie Young: Abbott’s summer internship drew me in with its promise of meaningful work and a chance to discover new things. Through the program, I’d hoped to gain valuable industry experience and learn what it meant to apply what I’d learned in school. Needless to say, I did that and more. I worked on impactful projects and learned how life-changing products are made from the shopfloor operator to upper management decision-making. Once an intern, I now work with Abbott in their Professional Development Program, designed to help me grow into the leader I hope to be. I’ve continued my career at Abbott due to a great company culture (no matter which Abbott site I work at), the chance to work and interact with so many departments and divisions, and the endless opportunities to grow.
Vault:Â Do you work in the same department as where you interned? What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities?
Maddie: Currently, I work as a warehouse supervisor with Abbott’s Core Labs division in Irving, Texas, a very different function from where I interned in quality and engineering. I took on this role to learn a new side of the company and bring my experiences and perspectives to a different discipline. Being a supervisor, my days never look the same. When I’m not running around the warehouse figuring things out and helping the material handlers, I’m working with other departments to ensure that they have what they need to keep production going. One of the biggest changes from my internship work to my current role is my breadth of impact. As an intern, I worked as an individual contributor, solving problems on a process level. Now, I’m handling situations cross-functionally in addition to learning how to manage people. Having a team that relies on me adds a new dimension to the work that I do. Everything combined creates opportunity for novel problems that ensure my days are never dull.
Vault: What was the transition from intern to full-time employee like? Was there anything that you didn’t expect?
Maddie: The transition from intern to full-time employee was very smooth for me. I feel that my internships prepared me for what real industry work looked like, so I could enter the workforce with confidence. During my transition to full-time, I had the support of my team as I was learning a new role and department. What surprised me was the number of events Abbott held outside of work that allowed me to explore the new state I’d moved into, and how open people were to showing me around a new area on the weekends. It helped me to feel connected despite moving across the country for a new job.
Vault:Â How would you describe the company culture at Abbott?
Maddie:Â The culture at Abbott can be described in three words: growth, impact, and community.
A common theme across all Abbott sites that I’ve experienced is continuous improvement. Across departments and divisions, I’ve participated in numerous efforts to continually improve processes and products in various ways; however, the most notable focus of improvement has always been on the employees. While developing their sites, Abbott provides opportunities and support for individuals to project manage, gain exposure to other departments of interest, and develop in various ways. In doing so, they recognize employees who take initiative and provide avenues to continue growing.
I’ve found that at Abbott, it’s easy to be motivated to work at your best when you remind yourself of the patients you’re working for. Abbott's impact as a healthcare company that spans so many different parts of the market isn’t lost on its employees. As an intern, I was taught the importance of something as simple as increasing yield on a medical device by considering the downstream effects it could have on a patient. Site to site, all Abbott employees follow the same mindset: Built as if intended for my family.
No matter what Abbott site I work at or visit, I meet so many people not only willing, but happy to support each other in any way they can. I know that I can always reach out to those I’ve met in past roles or tours if I need to, and that culture of community is one of Abbott’s strengths. Additionally, many Abbott sites organize events and activities that offer an opportunity to get to know your colleagues and step away from the hectic workday.
All of these are reasons that Abbott culture can be summed up in its motto:Â Life to the fullest.
Vault: What’s the most exciting part of biotech for you?
Maddie:Â Biotech is exciting to me because of the opportunities it provides. With the amount of technology available, the rise of AI, and an increasing understanding of human biology, the life-changing breakthroughs possible are hard to step away from. Biotech is such a wide space with room for so much impact on patients and customers, and working at Abbott, I know that the work I do can impact and even save lives. From improving diagnostics and medical devices to nutritional products, I can come into work every day knowing that the work I do has meaning, and that drives me to be better than my best.
Vault:Â What was the most important thing you learned during your internship for your career?
Maddie: I learned so much during my internship, but the most important things were the importance of adapting and networking. In the workplace, you never know what will happen. While it’s important to go into your days and weeks with a game plan, things can and will go awry, and being able to adapt to the situation is a valuable skill. Establishing a network, both within and outside of your immediate colleagues, can help in these scenarios. Everyone you meet has different experiences, skillsets, and their own network. Understanding the impact of an established network was one of my greatest takeaways from my internship experience.
Vault: Do you have any advice that you’d like to share with future Abbott interns?
Maddie: I always tell incoming and current interns: make the most of your journey. Your summer, your journey, is what you make of it. Meet new people, take on cool side projects, or get involved in the community. Abbott has so many opportunities for interns and employees to learn new skills and interact with different groups both within and outside of work. For an Abbott intern, I always encourage joining Abbott Employee Networks and taking advantage of chances to get involved with projects or shadowing areas you’re interested in.