How attending an internationally focused university advanced my career

Since graduating from ASU in 2013 with a bachelor’s in pharmacy, Abdallah Ajarmeh has had a successful international career in the medical sector. He works at AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical business used by millions of patients worldwide.  

After finishing his degree, Abdallah started working for the Jordan branch of AstraZeneca as a medical representative, before moving to a sales supervisor role. He then decided to move to Canada in 2021, where he now works as a medical representative in the virtual team.  

Abdallah believes studying at ASU helped him secure these competitive roles at AstraZeneca. “ASU, being a recognised and reputable university, gave me the confidence to compete with candidates in other countries. I found out that my level of knowledge and the skills I acquired during my study time at ASU contributed in giving me a competitive edge during my interviews,” he said. 

During his studies, Abdallah gained exposure to the pharmaceutical companies in Jordan. ASU boasts a diverse range of partnerships with companies from different pharmaceutical industries, and Abdallah was able to learn about the Jordanian market, as well as the industries and opportunities for pharmacists both inside and outside of Jordan.  

Abdallah used the school’s advice and connections to complete an internship where he was exposed to different pharmaceutical related industries. “This internship helped guide me to start my career in pharmaceutical sales,” he said. 

ASU played a ‘major role’ in helping Abdallah develop new perspectives and knowledge, as well as valuable soft skills such as communication, research, critical thinking and problem solving. Having supported him throughout his international career so far, these are skills Abdallah still frequently puts into practice today. 

Samer Samman, an ASU alumnus with a bachelor’s in industrial engineering, has more than 24 years of experience in the fields of excellence and innovation, quality management, and local economic development, working with companies around the world.  

Throughout his career, Samer has worked on several jobs outside Jordan, particularly in the Gulf Region, working with international companies as well as government bodies. “While working, I found that ASU is popular and well-known among these entities, and they all respect the graduates of ASU,” he said. “In fact, I found many colleagues from ASU who have been appointed in executive positions in these entities.” 

Today, Samer is the executive assistant to the president and CEO for corporate governance and investors relations at Royal Jordanian Airlines.  

One of ASU’s aims is to prepare its students for the graduate job market, and this is reflected in its high-quality degrees which are designed to meet the needs of the market. “The degrees are all highly valued in the jobs market, and are kept up-to-date with market demand,” explains Samer.  

He added: “I benefited a lot from the expertise of my professors and lecturers since most of them were not only academic, but they had a vast experience in working with the private sector, which enhanced my practical experience and enriched my knowledge, and at the same time helped me get my first job.” 

While at ASU, Samer developed many skills in his industrial engineering degree, such as learning how to conduct scientific research. “ASU provided the needed equipment and tools for the engineering laboratories. Some of this equipment is not available in other universities,” he said. 

ASU prides itself on its exceptional facilities, with laboratories, state-of-the art equipment, buildings and facilities that set it apart from other universities in the area. ASU’s website encourages you to see these facilities for yourself. “We urge you to visit our nice campus to see why many bright and talented students have made ASU their top choice,” the website’s welcome page reads. 

However, it was the graduation project that really kickstarted Samer’s career. The graduation project is a compulsory module in which students use design, project management and decision-making skills to work towards a goal. Samer’s project focused on the establishment the Jordanian Quality Award, which later became the King Abdullah II Excellence Award.  

“I had my university training at the Award, then worked with the Award directly after graduation, and continued to work for 20 more years in this domain,” he said.