Notes and Reflections After My First Month at IQVIA

Introduction

I started onboarding at IQVIA on January 16, and it has now been about a month. Ten of those days were Lunar New Year, and another long weekend is on the way, so I cannot help joking that it might have been more profitable for the company if I had started in March. XDDD

It has not been a long month, but I have gained a great deal. The environment and the way of working are very different from what I used to imagine, so I wanted to share some first impressions for anyone interested in applying to IQVIA.

Friendly Colleagues from Around the World

IQVIA is a large international company, and my colleagues come from many places. In my SAS programmer team, I was the only person from Taiwan at the time. Meetings, email, and other communication therefore happen in English. Working with people from different countries is fascinating: I can see different interests, working styles, and cultural differences, and I genuinely enjoy that broader view.

There are still Taiwanese colleagues in other teams, so it is easy to find help when needed. Team members are also available for questions about the team or SAS. Time zones do mean people are not working at the same hours, but the company systems automatically convert meeting times and show each person’s location and time difference. I find that extremely convenient.

A Completely Different Work Pattern

A Fully Remote Way of Working

Because my team members are overseas, I work entirely from home. As long as I have my computer, I can work almost anywhere. I still avoid crowded places because the computer contains confidential material, but I can move between home, my online-course studio, and my escape-room studio instead of being tied to an office.

Remote work saves commuting time and money. I also spend less on meals because I am less likely to go out. For someone managing two businesses as well, this flexibility feels wonderfully compatible with life.

Working by Tracked Hours

Because of time zones, this cannot be a simple nine-to-five job. I do not clock in; my contract specifies forty hours a week, and I decide how to distribute those hours while still making meetings, classes, and project progress work. I often assess the coming week on Sunday, then keep company work for the afternoon and evening so it overlaps with my teammates’ schedules.

This also suits a person with side projects. I can handle a small errand and return later, as long as I do not miss meetings or deadlines. I eventually borrowed this idea for my own Notion table, using it to plan expected weekly time for each commitment and keep exercise and self-study from disappearing beneath entrepreneurship.

This approach has made me more efficient and helps me make room for both what I want to do and what I need to do. That may be the biggest influence IQVIA has had on me so far. XDDD

An Extreme Reliance on Self-Discipline

This feels like the biggest difference from my previous workplaces. I am not claiming every international company or Taiwanese company works this way; I am only making a simple contrast. In the past, I assumed I had to stay in the company all day, report everything to a supervisor, and be monitored for whether I was slacking. Here, I had little contact with my line manager during onboarding. Everyone is busy, and no one has time to lead or watch over me constantly.

I received a list of the training and courses I needed, then arranged my own time to take them. I was not used to being left so free. When I asked my friend D how anyone would know whether I was ready to be assigned to a project, the answer was: “You will see it once you are actually on a project.”

I like this state. As a complete beginner in this field, I have worked through nearly half of the assigned courses and added LinkedIn, Coursera, and local online courses to my own list. I am also researching how to prepare for a SAS certification. Freedom means I must learn, improve, and keep pace myself rather than wait for someone to bring me everything.

“Self-discipline is the devil.”

High freedom requires strong self-discipline. This is a place that relies on it enormously.

A Very Thorough Training System

Although many things need to be strengthened through self-study, the company provides abundant learning resources: online courses, printed material, LinkedIn courses, discussion classes, and live online teaching. There is a learning plan for each position, so I can follow it to build the relevant skill and knowledge trees. The courses often include homework and quizzes. Even as a cram-school teacher, I think the system is excellent.

Colleagues Look After One Another

This was perhaps the most unfamiliar part. In previous work, I was expected to solve everything myself and was not allowed to say “I don’t know.” Entering a completely new field was frightening: I did not know where to look, what to study, or whom to ask.

But teammates, my line manager, and Taiwanese colleagues in other teams all said some version of: “Ask if you do not know. Tell me whenever you have a question. I will answer.” People are busy and do not monitor my learning, yet someone is willing to help whenever I raise a question. I receive “Is everything okay?” from different people every few days. There is a weekly one-to-one with my line manager, a weekly lesson with a Taiwan buddy, a caring team member, and friend D, who has looked after me since graduate school. Distance has not removed that care. XD

My English Listening and Speaking Improved

After four years in law graduate school, my English had deteriorated badly. Before onboarding, listening and speaking were difficult, especially with unfamiliar accents, and writing emails was intimidating. Friends told me that I did not necessarily need a conversation course: one day, after enough exposure, I would discover that I understood.

Even in one month, I have felt that change. I was nervous about my line manager’s Scottish accent during the interview; later I encountered Indian accents and realised there is always another level of difficulty. Yet I can now understand most of both. When I met Indian visitors asking about an EasyCard in a convenience store, I naturally explained how to use and top it up—and realised I could understand most of their accent too. I am still planning grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening practice, but the immersion itself has already helped. Put yourself in the environment, and language improves. People really do grow under pressure.

It Is Hard to Truly Be Off Work

After describing so many attractive conditions, I should also mention something not everyone can accept. The boundary between working and finishing work at IQVIA is very blurred. Flexible time is the other side of not being able to insist on a nine-to-five schedule. Colleagues are in different time zones, and projects have fixed deadlines.

Meetings and training cannot always fall within normal Taiwan office hours. During Lunar New Year, for example, I still had classes and emails because other countries were not on holiday. When a project deadline is close, I cannot simply say, “It is my day off,” and walk away. Colleagues try to find times that work for everyone, and some training can be watched later, so it is not without consideration.

Many people may care deeply about a firm boundary between work and rest. I have long worked from getting up until sleep, changing tasks as a form of rest, so evening meetings or consultations do not trouble me. What others might see as the greatest disadvantage fits my own rhythm. If this situation would bother you, think carefully first.

Conclusion

After nearly a month of onboarding, I feel that IQVIA’s work pattern suits my life extremely well. Flexible hours, rich learning resources, caring colleagues and managers, and no commute make it an ideal setup for me. I am also learning more about the abilities and work of a SAS programmer, and I feel the problems this work addresses are ones I am good at, interested in, and have worked hard on.

Calling it a “destined” job does not feel exaggerated. Being able to work anywhere with a computer also lets me stay available for my other studios. I am still adjusting my instinct not to trouble others: if I have a question, I should ask, learn, and truly understand it. That is my first-month reflection. Real World Solutions really needs people—if you are interested, send in a résumé!