“Through my experience at AbbVie, I learned not to sacrifice my passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. I really put that at the forefront of where I want to work after graduation,” Janet Lee says.
This month, we commend Janet Lee for graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Beginning as an engineer, she switched her major to Advertising and deems it the “best decision of her life” due to the high level of creativity and collaboration that comes with it. Janet will continue her career as an Associate Account Executive at Amazon Advertising post-graduation and is grateful not only because her experience at AbbVie has helped her achieve this, but also because AbbVie taught her what to prioritize in her job search.
Janet has been working at the AIC since 2019 and through her experience, AbbVie has really set the bar high for what true company culture should look like. “Everyone I have met at AbbVie has been more than just a coworker. I tell my project managers all the time that they feel like a second family to me. They just really care about my growth and have shaped what I expect out of a career,” Janet said.
AbbVie has felt like a second home for Janet, but this statement digs deeper than just a couple coffee chats or supportive advice from her managers. As an Asian American woman in the workplace, Janet has come to realize how important it is to find a company that values you not only as a professional, but also as a human being: “Valuing the culture at a workplace has been something that AbbVie has taught me to prioritize. With recent events, my boss Becky has sent me articles that she has read about the violence and hate crimes against members of the Asian community. She also sent me a resource group that I can join…Learning that there are people out there that you can join in the workplace that care about the same things that I care about is really eye opening. I am really fortunate to have been surrounded by people who care about my well-being especially with the events occurring in society lately,” Janet explained.
This month we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it is crucial to keep our eyes and ears open to perspectives like Janet’s in order to change and evolve as a society. As AbbVie CEO Richard A. Gonzalez said, “At AbbVie, we stand with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and remain dedicated to combatting injustice and hatred of any kind.”
Learn more about Janet’s journey by watching her video interview and click here to read about more talented AIC students and alumni. For more information on the AbbVie Innovation Center email Jerome.ng@abbvie.com.