The experience of a lifetime - Associate Matchstick Employee Review

5.0
Aug 9, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The experience I have gotten this summer at Matchstick is like no other. Growing their team is a top priority and they go above and beyond to set and meet high expectations. My time in the Early Career Experience (ECE) program started with the ECE Accelerator, a two week case-based program where we learned by doing: client discovery, brainstorming, frameworks for organizing information, facilitating meetings and workshops, and creating compelling presentations through storytelling. We delivered numerous presentations, ran meetings, and got feedback from the team…all in two weeks! I got to apply the skills I learned in the Accelerator right away as I worked on projects to advance our user research capabilities and build our recruiting and campus outreach strategies. Additional learning and development took place through our Speaker Series and our Clinical Curriculum. Matchstick invites top pharmaceutical and medical device executives to share what they do, how they progressed to where they are and to offer career advice. It was amazing to have close and personal access to top executives in an informal setting. The Clinical Curriculum was developed and is taught in-house by our Clinical Analysts. It lives on the Matchstick internal wiki and focuses on pharmacokinetics, disease states, patient life, and medications. Through our CAs, we learned about drugs and diseases and the implications on device development. The expectation is that with all this development and learning, you are going to actively contribute at a high level at the company. I was prepared to make a client facing presentation on my first project, work with the team cohesively to meet deadlines and expectations, contribute to a publication, and run brainstorms and workshops for the company.

Cons

I have to go back to school. Matchstick’s devotion to its team means an equally as serious commitment from the people on it. This is not a 9-5 job, there will be late nights and early mornings full of brainstorms, meetings, and client projects. The training curriculum is as rigorous as any class, and requires serious prep and study time. However, what you give to Matchstick, Matchstick will give back tenfold. If you make a serious commitment, you will find abundant opportunities and experiences as well.

Explore other reviews about Matchstick

5.0
May 6, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This is a small company that will pay special attention to your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and professional. I felt that I was able to hone my clinical knowledge from my PharmD background, but was able to learn new concepts from the dynamic team made up of engineers and business majors, among others. Matchstick helped me grow as a professional and develop complex, innovative ideas that I would not have been able to do in other traditional work settings. I was able to get a handle on what I could contribute to projects and when to seek the insight of others. Once you find your fit in the company and find that you mesh with the team, ample opportunity quickly follows.

Cons

Matchstick is a perfect fit for team players. An employee must be open to feedback and able to work on a team in a dynamic and challenging setting.

5.0
Jan 9, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I started working with Matchstick as a rotational student. During my first few weeks, I was brought up speed (there’s an internal wiki with detailed “textbooks” on key topics) and integrated into the team. Fit with the team is key. I was placed on a project related to my background (pharmacy) and interests (medication safety and adherence). The project also challenged me to learn outside my traditional scope. The Matchstick leadership is there when you need them – you get enough structure to guide you in the right direction, but also enough autonomy to be creative and lead parts of a project “your way.” After intensive prep, I presented my work directly to senior leadership of our client. As I became more comfortable with medical devices and combination products, I was given further opportunities to learn about other projects going on. What makes Matchstick most unique is their culture. The team is a small but agile group that truly believes in inclusion and developing younger professionals. I was encouraged to ask questions and received direct feedback frequently. Approaching that feedback with an open mind helped me grow quickly and gave me opportunities and exposure that has directly influenced my post-graduate career path and set me apart from my peers.

Cons

Matchstick works on challenging problems that are sometimes vague and require innovative ideas and unconventional approaches. At first, it can be difficult to adjust to the creative mindset that the team demonstrates. The right people will catch on quickly, especially if they are open to feedback.

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