Jay Dhaliwal - Intern Profile

I joined Otsuka pharmaceuticals on the 26th of June 2023, and I am currently working in OPUK for 12 months as part of my placement programme at university. I am working within the Finance team to gain experience and knowledge within the industry I hope to pursue. In the Finance team, I am working on various projects so I can support the company with gathering and visualising data for several measures we take to ensure our UK, IE AND CEE markets are on track to meeting expected budgets and forecasts. Having been here for 6 months now, I have been exposed to the world of finance which has sparked my curiosity to learn all there is about financial risk management, cash and liquidity management and broader treasury operations and controls.

I am currently studying Economics at the University of Southampton and upon finishing my internship with Otsuka, I will return to my studies for my final year of university. I have always had a keen interest in Mathematics and wanted to explore a different side of Finance including the business aspect of it. I thought this would be a good fit for me seeing as I already had a Mathematical foundation, and this has only excelled my interest further to explore my career options through this year of experience.

One of my favourite parts of this job has been getting to know all the numerous facets of the pharmaceutical industry within the organisation. The role's flexibility has allowed me to work across all the Finance departments and concentrate on the areas that piqued my curiosity and interest. Furthermore, the company's friendly and cooperative culture exemplified by its five fundamental principles has allowed me to quickly adapt within the company and work alongside all the different teams which is highlighted by one of the core values, this being collaboration. The notion that collaborating and supporting one another will yield the best results is one that is frequently reaffirmed inside the organisation.

During my work experience, I have also been involved with other interns within both OPUK and OPEL. Through training sessions and volunteer work, we have improved our professional relationships and learned how each person brings a unique set of skills to the table. We have also had the opportunity to get to know one another in depth. I want to make the most of the months I have left of my placement and keep exploring all there is to learn about the world of finance.