A representative from Pfizer Inc. - the No. 1 pharmaceutical company in the world, according to Forbes magazine - came to UB last Thursday as part of their national search for candidates to fill their summer internship program.
According to Iesha O'Deneal, Pfizer's senior associate advisor of global staffing and diversity, Pfizer employs 20 to 40 college students each summer. When an internal study was conducted to determine from which universities the company would select interns, UB was among the top five on their list.
O'Deneal said the company is interested in UB students because of the quality of education available through the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Pharmacy, although she noted that internship opportunities are not limited to science or pharmacy majors.
"UB has an exceptionally good chemistry program, as well as their pharmacy department," said O'Deneal.
Ray Kim, a senior computer information systems major, said Pfizer is at the top of his list of places he would like to intern this summer.
"(Pfizer) is the top pharmaceutical company in the world," Kim said. "This (internship) would look great on resumes, plus they offer future employment after the internship."
O'Deneal said Pfizer is well known for hiring its former interns as full-time employees. She used herself as an example of a former Pfizer intern who landed a job at the company.
O'Deneal said her favorite aspect of being an intern was being able to work at different Pfizer facilities every few months. She said the versatility was good because she was "not locked into just one particular department or field."
Nadhiushka Vega, a senior international business major who previously worked at Johnson and Johnson, said the company's worldwide status makes the opportunity to work for Pfizer very attractive.
"Working for Pfizer would be perfect for summer employment as well as future employment," Vega said. "They tend to hire many full-time employees that have already went through the summer internship program because they know of the experience they have."
Although the chances of being accepted into the internship program are very strong - last year, more than 50 percent of the applicants were accepted - O'Deneal said students who have conducted research have a better chance of securing the internship.
"If you have research experience in the lab, it will go a long way in the application process," O'Deneal said.
