MSD invites BNA Scholars back for commercial sector career skills day

1st Nov 2024

On Monday 28th October 2024, MSD – one of the BNA Scholars Programme's Supporter Organisations – hosted the BNA Scholars in central London for the second time, delivering an day's training in practical career skills for the commercial sector.

Hot off the heels of their fantastic 2023 BNA Scholars event, MSD worked hard to develop a follow-up event that would continue the work of supporting BNA Scholars old and new to get ahead in their neuroscience career journeys, especially in the commercial sector. Associate Specialist Az Lucas-Read led the project, and programmed a day of workshops and presentations direct from departments around the business.

Staff representing the breadth of MSD's work from Neuroscience Discovery Research, Policy, Communications and their Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) all discussed how these aspects each contribute to the life of a healthy commercial sector organisation. Of special interest were MSD's EBRGs: voluntary, employee-led networks composed of groups of particular experience, aiming to foster a diverse, inclusive work environment by providing community-specific relative autonomy and feeding insights upwards to drive company-wide success.

After a networking lunch with the day's presenters, BNA Scholars dusted off their LinkedIn profiles and took part in workshops on CV writing and wielding social media and personal branding as tools in the contemporary job market. The day then closed with an intensive insider-information session on making effective applications to vacancies at pharmaceutical companies.

This full but relaxed day provided critical insight into the usually very opaque world of the commercial neuroscience sector, giving Scholars additional knowledge, skills, and contacts to make it in the sector if they choose such a career path. The British Neuroscience Association is very grateful to MSD for the time and planning that went into this event.

The British Neuroscience Association is always looking for individuals and organisations with a strong EDI commitment who can work with us to continue building a supportive neuroscience community through the BNA Scholars Programme. If this could be you, please contact Charlotte Shepherd (Development Director) on charlotte.shepherd@bna.org.uk briefly describing organisation's activities and research interests, as well as why you want to support the Programme and what you think your organisation could contribute. Please also ensure that you attach your organisation's equality, diversity and inclusion policy, or similar.

You can find out more about the BNA Scholars Programme here, and more about being a Supporter here.