Life as an Intern Manager

What prompted you to pursue the opportunity of mentoring an intern?

When I was in college, I was fortunate to have had a wonderful mentor who provided me with the necessary guidance and support to help me pursue a career in healthcare marketing. By volunteering as an Intern Manager, I was able to provide that same opportunity to the next generation. It’s also very rewarding to expose future marketers to the real-world impact of our work. I think it makes the field of healthcare marketing all the more meaningful to them.

What were your key responsibilities as an Intern Manager in addition to your core role?

Beyond supporting my intern with her daily responsibilities, I was tasked with helping to develop her understanding of the wider healthcare marketing space. To achieve this, I focused on exposing her to the work of our other capabilities and encouraged her to build connections within our Consulting, Medical, and Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence teams.

What did you find most rewarding about mentoring an intern?

Being able to make a connection with my intern and help her explore a career path that she may not have considered before this internship was very rewarding. We have remained in contact with each other, and I was so pleased to hear that she accepted a job offer within the healthcare marketing space for when she graduates. This demonstrates just how impactful her internship experience was—it not only shaped her interest in this industry, but also equipped her with the skills and experience that employers look for when hiring recent graduates.

What was a key highlight of your time as an Intern Manager?

My intern’s completion of her intern project and her presentation to the broader Strategy team were a true highlight. Her project consisted of coming up with a research topic relevant to the clients she was assisting on, conducting both secondary and primary research with a healthcare professional audience, and turning that research into meaningful insights for our internal team and clients. Watching her present to the team and witnessing her progression over the course of the 10-week program was an amazing feeling.

Do you have any advice for future interns?

It’s important to view your internship as an opportunity to learn more about the industry, the different roles available to you, and to leverage the network around you. I would encourage all future interns at Avalere Health to connect with different colleagues across the organization, beyond those in your immediate team and your mentor. Absorb their insights and utilize their knowledge and expertise to help you make informed decisions about your own career.

What is Avalere Health’s formula to ensure you’re supported?

Avalere Health places a huge emphasis on creating a supportive environment where there is a real drive for employees to develop and succeed in their career journeys. This mentality lends itself to the seamless cross-functional collaboration across our teams and capabilities. I have also always been fortunate to have had managers that I could have open and meaningful conversations with, who value my opinions, respect my contributions, and support my career goals.

How do you manage a healthy work-life balance?

I believe this is determined by setting healthy boundaries for yourself with both professional and personal commitments. It’s important to set clear expectations with your colleagues of when you are available to work and when you aren’t. In my experience, to set those boundaries effectively, you need to integrate yourself and your knowledge into the team so that when you do take time off, you can wholly disconnect from work, feeling confident that your team will be able to manage without you.

What do you enjoy doing outside of working hours?

I really enjoy getting out of the house and being active outdoors. Anything from hiking and camping to exploring local breweries and trying out popular food spots, are all great opportunities for me to disconnect and enjoy my time away from work.