SiliconRepublic.com spoke with experts at Amgen to explore how early career guidance can set the foundations for a happy and productive career.
The last decade has brought significant change to the working world and it is fair to say that in many cases, advancements have worked to reduce and even eliminate organisational silos. That is to say, in 2026 there is no real reason for employees – remote, hybrid or in-person – to feel isolated in their work or limited in how they might progress professionally.
That is where planned mentorship often comes in. For many professionals, mentorship can be the factor that enables them to upskill quickly, learn the ropes on the job, develop a network, move beyond their own expectations and even take up the mantle of mentor, eventually. But for that to happen, guidance has to be a key element of an organisation, not a box-ticking exercise every now and then.
“Mentorship has multiple benefits,” explained Michelle Somers, the senior director of facilities and engineering at Amgen. “One of the first things for an organisation to do, to encourage mentorship as a core pillar, is to set up some structured mentorship.
“Once that is there, the structure is there. You know, the questions are there, the pathways are there and then people get really familiar with it. Then mentorship really becomes a natural thing.”
For Somers, in establishing a system that supports mentorship publicly, organisations not only showcase their goals to empower career progression, but also make it clear that career guidance is not an anomaly, but part of a company’s ethos.
“I had a colleague come to me recently who said, ‘I know you’ve mentored a colleague of ours, any chance I can avail of your services?’ That turned into just a couple of coffee conversations, where I was able to be a sounding board on her potential career path.
“The structured programme sets up an expectation that people are available for help and support and then it happens quite naturally and fluidly, especially like what we do here in Amgen.”
Plan in action
Lauren Moore, a manufacturing manager at Amgen, is one such person to benefit from having a mentor take an interest in her career. As Moore’s career progressed at the organisation, she was promoted to a leadership role, which she took in her stride, however, roughly two months in, she began to face some of the challenges that naturally come with a change in expectations.
She told SiliconRepublic.com: “I was facing some challenges with the additional level of responsibility. So, I sat down with my mentor at the time, who was a leader in the manufacturing area. For me that was incredibly impactful at that early stage in my career. And it really enabled me to build confidence, to build resilience and ultimately to succeed in that position.”
Moreover, she is of the opinion that, in developing a positive attitude and adopting a strong sense of company culture, she, alongside Amgen, can better deliver medicines and vital treatments to the patients who depend on the organisation’s services.
For Amgen’s senior director of quality control, Claire Shaw, to achieve the best results for employees and for the people using Amgen’s services, companies have to prioritise inclusivity, especially at the induction level.
She said: “I would consider it very collaborative. There’s a strong sense of teamwork and a strong sense of belonging. Organisations can support a happy work environment that ensures that we serve our patients through developing their staff, and ensures each colleague is valued and can contribute to our daily mission to serve patients.”
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