SiliconRepublic.com spoke with experts at Amgen to explore how early career guidance can lay the foundations for a happy and productive career.
The last ten years have brought a lot of change to the working world and it is fair to say that in many cases the development has worked to reduce and even eliminate organizational silos. That is, by 2026 there is no real reason for workers, remote, hybrid or in-person, to feel isolated in their work or limited in how they can progress professionally.
This is where structured training often comes in. For many career goers, mentoring can be a factor that allows them to advance quickly, learn the ropes on the job, build a network, do more than they expected and even become a mentor, eventually. But for that to happen, the direction must be a an important part of the organizationnot just a box-ticking activity.
“Education has many benefits,” explains Michelle Somers, senior director of facilities and engineering at Amgen. He said, “One of the first things the organization must do, to promote mentoring as a core pillar, is to establish systematic training.
“If it’s there, the frame is there. it really becomes natural.”
At Somers, in founding counseling support program publicly, organizations not only show their intentions to enable career progression, but also make it clear that job orientation is not an anomaly, but part of the company’s values.
He sighed, “There was a colleague who came to me recently and said, ‘I know you have taught a colleague, any chance I can use your help?’ That turned into just a few coffee conversations, where I was able to be a sounding board on his potential career path.
“A structured program sets the expectation that people are available for help and support and it happens naturally and quickly, especially as we do here at Amgen.”
Plan by performance
Lauren Moore, a manufacturing manager at Amgen, is one of those people who can benefit from having a mentor who takes an interest in her work. As Moore’s career progressed in the organization, he was promoted to a leadership role, took his stride, however, about two months in, he began to face some of the challenges associated with a change in expectations.
He told SiliconRepublic.com, “I was facing some challenges with the added level of responsibility. So, I sat down with my mentor at the time, who was a leader in the manufacturing space. For me, that had a huge impact on that early stage of my career. And it allowed me to build confidence, build resilience and ultimately succeed in that position.”
In addition, he believes that, by developing a positive attitude and having a strong sense of the company’s culture, he, along with Amgen, can better deliver medicines and important treatments to patients who rely on the organization’s services.
In order for Amgen’s senior director of quality control, Claire Shaw, to achieve the best results, for employees and people who use Amgen’s services, companies must prioritize inclusion, especially induction rate.
He said, “I would consider it very collaborative. There is a strong sense of collaboration and a strong sense of belonging. Organizations can support a happy work environment that ensures that we are helping our patients by developing their staff, and ensures that each partner is respected and can contribute to our daily mission to help patients.”
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