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Celebrating the stories of interns on National Intern Day

Paving the way: Former BMS interns who have transitioned into full-time employees

July 28, 2021     

It’s 1999, Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is playing on the radio. Nineteen-year-old Raymond Nagy adjusts his tie, combs his hair, and takes one last look at himself in the rear-view mirror. He steps out of the car, takes a deep breath, admires the impressive building before him, and quietly says to himself, “I am ready for my first day as an intern.”

Raymond Nagy (left) Associate Director, (EHS) Office Sites, Yiran Wang (center) Scientist in Biologic Downstream Development, Sarah Tayyab (right) Technical Project Manager, Global Development and Supply 

Raymond Nagy (left) Associate Director, (EHS) Office Sites, Yiran Wang (center) Scientist in Biologic Downstream Development, Sarah Tayyab (right) Technical Project Manager, Global Development and Supply 

Fast forward to 2021, and Nagy is on a Microsoft Teams call with Bristol Myers Squibb’s current class of interns and co-ops. He looks at the smiling faces on the call and tells the crowd, “Twenty-two years ago, I was an intern in the Environment and Health and Safety Department. I know what it’s like to be in your shoes.”   

His story is not an uncommon tale at Bristol Myers Squibb; a number of employees who began as interns are now full-time employees.   

On this year’s National Intern Day, Bristol Myers Squibb is celebrating employees who, like Nagy, got their start at the company with an internship.   

Each year on National Intern Day, companies spotlight the contributions and impact current and former interns have made within their organizations.  This year, current Bristol Myers Squibb Corporate Affairs interns Annie O’Regan, Aaliyah Patel and Brandon Simon sat down with three former interns Raymond Nagy, associate director, Environment Health and Safety (EHS) Office Sites; Sarah Tayyab, technical project manager in the Global Product Development and Supply (GPS) Emerging Leaders Program; and Yiran Wang, a scientist in biologics development, to learn about their transition from intern to a full-time employee.  

Nagy, Wang and Tayyab discussed the unique lessons they learned from interning at Bristol Myers Squibb and how their experience helped prepare them for their careers.   

According to Nagy, “The greatest lesson I learned from my internship is to network! I met so many people during my internship, which exposed me to various kinds of projects and teams. My network helped me get to where I am today, and I would not trade my job for the world.”  

Bristol Myers Squibb internship and co-op programs pave the way for a meaningful and rewarding career path. Interns and co-ops become immediately immersed in the mission of transforming patients’ lives through science from hands-on opportunities. Bristol Myers Squibb is invested in helping its interns flourish by providing them the necessary tools for success: mentoring relationships, career development classes and networking opportunities.   

Yiran Wang, who was a graduate intern in 2017 for the drug development organization, started working full-time in 2019 as a scientist at the company’s Biologics Center of Excellence in Devens, MA. Wang shared how interning with Bristol Myers Squibb prepared her for the workforce.  

“The biggest lesson I learned is to be confident about what I'm doing and to be active,” Wang said. “Reach out to others. And do not be afraid to raise questions.”   

Bristol Myers Squibb’s 2021 intern and co-op class is the largest ever, with 305 interns and co-ops joining this year’s program. The internship program has a 10-week duration and runs from June to August. The co-op programs run twice a year, from January to June, and from July to December. The company started investing into these programs decades ago to attract and retain talent across all facets of the business.

Co-workers are willing to teach you and share their background, experiences and career progression.
Yiran Wang, Scientist in Biologic Downstream Development

Tayyab started as a co-op in 2019 while pursuing her MBA and later became permanent by joining the GPS Emerging Leaders Program. 

“My favorite aspect of working at Bristol Myers Squibb has been the people and the culture. Everyone is just so giving,” she said. “Co-workers are willing to teach you and share their background, experiences and career progression.”   

Tayyab offered these words of encouragement to the current interns:

“Just don’t be risk averse. It’s okay to take risks, at the same time, calculated ones,” said Tayyab. “Don’t be afraid. Everyone has their own career path. At the end of the day, do what makes you happy.”  

The lessons of a Bristol Myers Squibb internship propel career development and foster future leaders. Bristol Myer Squibb hopes to further develop the intern/co-op class by expanding the program for next year, and the company will remain committed to identifying future organizational leaders in intern/co-op classes.  

Ann M. Powell, Chief Human Resources Officer, told the current 2021 co-op intern class: “An internship at our company is an incredible professional opportunity for each of you. We are so happy you’ve chosen to join us, and we are looking forward to watching each of you thrive in your internships and co-ops.”

This article was written by Corporate Affairs interns Annie O’Regan, Aaliyah Patel and Brandon Simon. 

Learn more about the career journeys of Bristol Myers Squibb employees who were once interns for the company by clicking the profiles.

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PROFILES OF FORMER INTERNS
 
Raymond Nagy

Associate Director, (EHS) Office Sites

Sarah Tayyab  

Technical Project Manager, Global Development and Supply     

Lindsey Day

Associate Director of US Immunology Communication

Bianca Payton

IT Rotational Development Associate

Yiran Wang

Scientist in Biologic Downstream Development

Joanne Kallas-Lewis

Cardiovascular Regional Business Director


About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. As global citizens, we work sustainably and responsibly to create a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.

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