AbbVie: Saving Us From What We Cannot See

Whenever we see headlines in the news about global epidemics, we freak out. And rightly so. Those things are scary. More so the epidemics, but the headlines don't help. AbbVie is a company on the front lines of eliminating those things for good. AbbVie is a biopharmaceutical company that researches and develops solutions for some of this planet's nastiest micro-bugs. They also work towards creating new approaches to treatment and prevention.

AbbVie, which is publicly traded, is a massive company. Worldwide, they have around 30,000 employees. They span 4 continents but do work on six, with patients in 175 different countries.

What this means for you, is that you will get to experience many different facets of their process and might have the opportunity to work somewhere you never imagined you would. You will get the rare chance to make a difference all across the world.

The AbbVie Value System

Values That Save Lives

Their identity is shaped by the work that they do, both in the lab and in communities throughout the world.

Given the resources that AbbVie now has access to, it would be easy for them to just throw money at problems and hope that they disappear. But that's not how they operate. They hold themselves responsible for being the answer to a lot of the problems around the world.

The fact that they have the power and responsibility to change lives is something that everyone who works here takes very seriously. That type of responsibility can rest heavily on some peoples' shoulders, but it's what AbbVie people look for. You pursue that type of work because you want to make a difference.

AbbVie Savvy

The Great People Making a Real Difference

1 in 8 workers at AbbVie has a Doctoral degree. That's sort of nuts when the average throughout the rest of the country is something like 1 in 25 people. This is a place for highly educated workers who are encouraged and almost expected to take ideas and run with them. That is a part of the collaborative and innovative process at AbbVie. You don't make it to a great company like AbbVie without a great idea or two.

AbbVie people are science-minded people that are fascinated by results and information. If you love learning every single day, then you could be the type of person that AbbVie is looking for. AbbVie employees are always thinking of ways how things connect to each other and then building those bridges.

The Culture at AbbVie

Integrity is Key

AbbVie takes company culture very seriously. It is a culture of service, which fits perfectly with the work they do every day. They embrace the many diverse backgrounds that they encounter and use them to create fantastic working cultures.

I would imagine that it wouldn't be too hard to cultivate a caring culture when the company is a company that literally cares for people. And based on things that several past and current employees have said, the company does a great job of maintaining a positive culture, even as societal norms change.

A word that pops up a lot with AbbVie is Integrity. AbbVie stresses that everyone associated with the company acts at all times with the utmost Integrity. Due to the nature of the business, it could be easy for some to cut corners, look for short-cuts. And it may not even be with ill-intent. It could be that someone is looking to cut corners to hurry up in to save lives. But at AbbVie, it's about doing the right thing the right way. That has created a culture of workers that strive for perfection.

The AbbVie Workspaces

Making a Difference on the World Stage

AbbVie has offices all over the planet. The physical work environments will vary based on the specific jobs, but the one constant throughout all AbbVie workplaces is a sense of commitment to the overall goal of a healthier world.

This isn't your outdated stereotypical underfunded university bio-lab. These are unique, dynamic and modern workspaces. This is a top of the line research environment. A place where serious work is being done to find serious solutions to serious problems.

Putting Employee Well Being Ahead of the Rest

Recognizing Hard Work and Dedication

Because AbbVie values its talent so highly, the job comes flush with all sorts of benefits. It's what they call Total Rewards, and it sounds fantastic. Not only are all the basics covered, but they also focus on the holistic elements. They focus on ways they can make your entire life better. It's the same way they treat the people that they, well, treat.

Some of their more typical benefits are:

And some of the less common benefits they offer are:

All of this is great, it really is. But the truth is that some people don't get to go to work every day knowing that the work they are doing will help someone in need. AbbVie employees have that, and that isn't a benefit that comes around too often.

Another benefit is having the opportunity to really shake up the industry. The focus that AbbVie puts on R&D; allows for breakthroughs. Where taking risks in other companies could be punished, with AbbVie it's more often than not rewarded.

Interviewing with AbbVie

If You're Here, You're Worth It

The interview process with AbbVie is overall a positive one. Interviewers want to take the time to get to know you, so come prepared to talk about your passion and experience. They don't interview individuals that they don't think would be a good fit from the get-go. If you are interviewing, they think you could make a difference. Doesn't that feel good?