Working for Abbott Laboratories: Employment, Careers, and Jobs

Working for Abbott Laboratories: Employment, Careers, and Jobs

If you are looking to start a career with Abbott Laboratories, this post will help you to learn about the company and what is involved in working for it.

You will learn of the various job opportunities and career prospects for both interns and individuals seeking full-time employment, as well as the benefits you can get from working at Abbott.

Read on:

Abbott Laboratories: Company Overview

Abbott Laboratory was founded over 130 years ago in Chicago by physician Dr. Wallace C. Abbott and has now grown into one of the world’s biggest diversified healthcare companies.

Abbott Lab is reputed for discovering, developing, manufacturing, and selling of a variety of innovative healthcare products.

The company operates in three healthcare sectors namely nutrition, established pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical devices, producing breakthrough products that enable people to lead healthier lives.

Nutritional Products:

Abbott Lab produces a wide range of science-based nutritional products for all ages, including babies and children; and people with chronic diseases who require special nutritional supplement to stay alive.

The company’s nutritional products lead in various market categories, including being number one worldwide in adult nutrition, and number one in the U.S. in pediatric nutrition.

Abbott’s nutritional products include the popular infant formula, the Similac range, as well as other pediatric and adults products, including the Ensure range, Glucerna, ProSure, the Pediasure range, and EleCare.

The company’s products used in enteral feeding in medical institutions include Osmolite, Jevity, Oxepa, Freego, the EAS range of nutritional products.

Established Pharmaceutical Products:

Abbott Laboratories also makes a wide range of high quality medicines, trusted by millions of people across the world for solution to their health needs.

The company’s leading pharmaceutical products include Creon, used as pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy; Duspatal and Dicetel, used for treating irritable bowel syndrome; Klacid, a macrolide antibiotic; and Duphaston, for treating progesterone deficiency.

Diagnostics Products:

Abbott Laboratories is also renowned for creating some of the world’s most accurate diagnostics products to gather information about a patient’s health status, thereby enabling medical professionals to effective suggest preventive measures, diagnosis, and treatment to a wide range of health issues.

The company’s diagnostics products have been rated number one in blood and plasma screening and in point-of-care testing, as well as number two in molecular testing in the United States.

The company’s major products in this category include the Alinity family of instruments, ABBOTT PRISM, and ARCHITECT, and other immunoassay and clinical chemistry systems, with assays used in the screening and/or diagnosing of cancer, metabolics, cardiac, drugs of abuse, general chemistries, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, and infectious diseases like hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Medical Devices Products:

Abbott Laboratories medical device products, which form its Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment, are rated highly in the U.S. market: number one in devices for left ventricular assist and in devices for remote heart failure monitoring; number two in devices for cardiac rhythm management, number three in devices for blood glucose monitoring.

The company’s products in this segment are targeted to help people undergoing treatment for heart disease to get back to active life, as well as to help people treating diabetes and chronic pain to effectively manage it.

Why Work for Abbott?

If you are interested in a career in the healthcare sector or you are passionate about being part of the invention, development, and delivering of essential healthcare solutions that help in preventing diseases, diagnosing and treating them, then Abbott Laboratories might just be the right company to work for.

At Abbott Lab, you will be exposed to a wide range of healthcare challenges, some of which are presenting affecting the global community, and you can have the opportunity to be part of the team to provide the needed solutions, enabling you to make a fulfilling career.

Working at Abbott Laboratories provides:

• A dynamic environment that provides opportunity for comprehensive learning that promotes your career growth
• Competitive compensation that recognizes and rewards your contributions, thereby aligning your work with business success
• Working environment that encourages diversity and values
• A job that makes meaning and that gives you the opportunity to make a great impact on the lives of people the world over.

Work opportunity also for veterans:

Abbott Laboratories also provides work opportunities for veterans to transform their military experience and skills into a fulfilling career in the healthcare field.

Abbott Lab has won accolades:

Abbott Laboratories has continued to be ranked among the best companies to work for by both local and international organizations. The company has made the Future magazine list of World’s Most Admired Companies each year since 1984

Abbott Laboratories Careers and Jobs

At Abbott, you have various career and job fields you can explore due to the fact that the company’s business covers various functions and capabilities. You can explore careers in fields such as technology, research, finance, engineering, administration, human resources, sales, and marketing.

Planning your Career:

When you are employed at Abbott Lab, the company helps you plan your career with its Growth Planning and Performance Excellence program, an annual process where you will be able to discuss your career goals with a manager.

The process is to help employees discover their abilities and interests, and to determine which path to take on their career.

Employee Training and Networks Program:

As an employee at Abbott Laboratories, you can be sure of being exposed to adequate training programs, including e-learning and classroom courses, to help you develop needed skills and competence to be effective on your job and boost your career.

The company also provides a network program for employees that offer them a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and experience. The program allows employees to focus on informal networking, mentoring, and career development.

Jobs at Abbott Laboratories:

Abbott Lab offers various jobs in diverse categories to suitably qualified candidates, these include:

Sales, Operations, Customer & Technical Support, Research & Development, Information Technology, Marketing, Finance, Quality, Medical and Clinical Affairs, Business Support, Regulatory Affairs, Procurement, Legal, Human Resources, Market Access, Communications, Corporate Services, and General Management.

Job Types:

Jobs at Abbott are also in various types: Regular; Temporary/Seasonal; Intern/Student; and Contract Work.

Regular: The regular jobs are the permanent employment job positions where the employee is a full staff of the company and is entitled to all benefits accruing to being a staff.

Temporary: The temporary or seasonal jobs are jobs that last for a period of time such as six months or a year. The job may be extended after the expiration of the term; however, there is no guaranty that it may.

Can a temporary employee become a regular one?

There is no assurance that that a temporary employee may be elevated to regular staff if they worked hard enough. The two job types are different with different entry requirements and benefits.

If you would like to work as a regular employee, you will have to apply to a regularly job position and scale through the interview process.

The type of job you are applying to is usually sated in the job advertisement.

Intern: These are job positions that give students taking relevant programs in colleges the opportunity to gain practical experience of their school work.

Contract Work: As the name suggests, these are workers who are on contract. They are not full staff of the company; their work and benefits are guided by the contract terms.

Abbott Training and Development Programs

Abbott Laboratories is in partnership with a number of leading Universities in the United States to provide quality training and career development programs to its employees.

These Universities include: DePaul University, Arizona State University, Indiana University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Michigan State University, Northern Illinois University, University of California, Berkeley, The Ohio State University, University of Illinois, University of Southern California, University of Notre Dame, Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.

The training programs offered are in various fields, including:

Finance:

College graduates with majors in finance and accounting are adequately prepared for the financial management role they are expected to play in the company by going through its Financial Professional Development Program (FPDP).

The training is to help employees to effectively combine business and technical knowledge to successfully carry out major assignments in reporting and control, budgeting and forecasting, and financial analysis.

To qualify to participate in this training, employees must have completed one or more internship programs; possess experience in leadership; must be a member of accounting and finance organizations; and must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting.

Information Technology:

Information technology is another field where employees are trained by the company’s IT Professional Development Program. The program, which runs for two years, develops participants through four to six-month assignment rotations.

By completing the program, candidates are expected to develop valuable skills in project management, business analytics, business systems analysis, etc.

To qualify to participate in the program, applicants are required to have technical business knowledge, analytical skills, Bachelor’s Degree in an IT-related discipline, and ability to solve problems creatively.

Manufacturing

The company provides an entry-level Manufacturing Professional Development Program (MPDP) for manufacturing inclined employees. The program, a two-year rotation is created to give participants real-world experience about manufacturing while also promoting professional and personal growth.

The program covers Operations Supervision, Materials Management/Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Project Management.

To participate in the program requires a Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in a field such as Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or Operations Management, or in other related discipline, in addition to relevant internship experience.

Quality Assurance

The company offers an entry-level two-year rotational Quality Professional Development Program (QPDP) where candidates will work in Division or Corporate Regulatory Affairs, Division or Corporate Quality Assurance, and Plant Quality Assurance.

Candidates are expected to hold Bachelor of Science or Master’s degree in any of the life science disciplines, including Quality Sciences, Chemistry, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Microbiology in addition to having had some relevant work experience or internship/co-op.

Engineering

There is also the entry-level Engineering Professional Development Program (EPDP), which is a two year rotation program covering Plant Engineering, Product Development, and Engineering Research and Development.

To qualify for this training program requires a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s in Chemical Engineering, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Electrical Engineering, in addition to working experience in a relevant engineering field.

Environmental Health

Abbott also offers an entry-level company Environmental Health and Safety Professional Development Program (EHS PDP). This is a rotation program of two years that fosters professional and personal growth.

This training covers areas such as Environmental Engineering, Lab Safety, Plant Support, and Industrial Hygiene. And to qualify for it, candidates are expected to hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any of the following disciplines: Industrial Engineering, Occupational Safety and Health, and Environmental Engineering; or in a safety related field.

Student Internship Program, Recruitment Process, and Benefits

Hundreds of students from the world’s top universities find internship positions at Abbott Laboratories every year.

Internship positions are available in various departments, including science, engineering, information technology, marketing, and finance.

To qualify as an intern, you are expected to shown evidence of academic excellence, technical excellence, communication skills, and strong leadership in your field.

You must be enrolled in a major in a relevant course of study and must be qualified to work in the U.S. with Abbott not responsible for your sponsorship.

You must also be willing to travel and to be posted anywhere in the United States.

Benefits Being an Intern at Abbott:

As an intern, you are given the opportunity to handle challenging and meaningful projects which directly impact the company’s business. This gives you a sense of accomplishment.

You are given the opportunity to reach senior leadership each day and learn from the best people in the industry and grow your career.

The Abbott internship program provides participants valuable opportunity for career development. Interns get targeted training and have the opportunity to be part of a global community and to develop their own networks that can become very helpful for their career for decades.

The program also offers interns invaluable leadership training and great benefits that enable them to excel in every aspect of their lives.

Interns have the opportunity to buy company products at a discount and receive pay for holidays recognized by company during time of employment.

Internship Recruitment Process:

Abbott employs its interns using the same standard hiring procedures for entry-level employees. To be selected into the company’s internship program, you will need to have a grade-point average of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 point scale.

You will also need to be able to demonstrate leadership skills, participation in extracurricular activities, and completion of relevant course work.

You will also need to possess certain personal characteristics, including adaptability, integrity, initiative, innovation, and teamwork.

How to Apply for Abbott Internship Program:

You can get recruited into the Abbott internship program at your campus as the company’s recruiting team usually visits university campuses across the country.

If your campus is not visited, you can apply and submit your resume online.

Does Internship Lead to Full-time Employment?

While there is no guarantee that you will be given a full-time employment after completing your internship program, Abbott commonly hire some interns as the program is structured to actually employ deserving interns after the program – but no automatic employment.

Abbott Corporate Culture and Values

Abbott Laboratories have a culture of striving to improve life across the world by helping people to be healthy enough to be able to achieve their life goals.

Being propelled by the culture of innovation, the company utilizes a combination of expertise, people, ideas, and diverse perspectives to continually create innovative products that improve the health and wellbeing of millions of people across the world.

The company also has a culture of growth and advancement in both the health solutions that it creates and the career of its employees, providing a great platform, mentoring, training, development programs, tuition reimbursement, etc. for its employees to explore opportunities, interests, and career paths.

Abbott also has a culture of attracting and hiring the best people from diverse backgrounds and experience to creating inclusive culture, with attractive compensation plan, benefits packages, and work options to help employees achieve success on their job and on the home front.

Job Application – How to Start a Career with Abbott Laboratories

You can begin the process of starting your career with Abbott Laboratories by applying for the job you are qualified for and submitting your resume online.

You can apply for multiple available positions if you meet their basic qualification requirements.

After you have submitted your application online, you will get an email from a recruiter indicating your application has been received.

The recruiter will then process your application and that of other applicants to confirm that your profile, that is, your qualification, experience, skills, etc. properly fit the position. This may take some time, so you need to be patient while waiting to hear back from the recruiter after you have sent in your application.

If your profile perfectly matches the person they are looking for, then the recruiter will contact you and tell you what to do next in the recruitment process.

However, if you do not meet the requirements of the position, the recruiter might still contact you with information about other options or interests that match your profile that you might want to explore.

After you create or edit your profile on the recruiter’s website, your record remains there for a year, which you can edit any time you need to. With your record available to the recruiter, they will be able to match your profile against new job positions when they are available.

Is Hiring at Abbott Competitive?

There is no direct answer to this question as hiring at Abbott varies across departments and divisions. It may not be as competitive as you think.

The important thing you have to consider is to ensure that your experience, competence, skills, etc. perfectly fit the requirements of the role.

Benefits and Compensation for Working with Abbott Laboratory

Abbotts provides various benefits to its employees and retirees which include health and wellness programs, medical coverage, innovative phased retirement program, commuter benefits, childcare solutions, incentive programs, insurance, vacation and holidays, work life programs, employee assistance program (EAP), mothers at work program, and tuition assistance.

Work/Life Balance and Flexibility at Abbott

Abbott has been widely recognized as a company that invests hugely in its people for them to be able to achieve work/life balance.

By offering benefits that promote work/life balance such as training and development programs, child care, and part-time benefits, Abbotts Laboratories have helped its employees, particularly women to maintain a good balance of their careers with other parts of their lives.

This makes Abbott an attractive employer for career moms across the United States.

Abbott also offers employees flexible work options where some employees have the opportunity to work flexible schedule like working part-time, participating in work sharing arrangement, and performing assigned tasks by telecommuting.

Added to the flexibility it offers its employees to perform their work, Abbott also provides a number of incentives to working parents to help them meet important needs for their families.

These include on-site expos that help parent find suitable summer camps for their children, school holiday programs, childcare centers, oil changes, on-site child care, and chefs who make meals for employees to take home, including dinner and birthday cakes.

Conclusion

For many employees, working for Abbott Laboratories provides great incentives and opportunities to develop a successful career. This post helps to improve your knowledge about the company so you can decide to seek employment there or not.

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