As an experienced professional in Research & Development, Femke de Theije shares helpful career advice for young professionals, such as how to find the right profession and the qualities it needs to innovate.

Femke is Head of Research & Development (R&D) for Siemens Healthineers.

Developing a handheld device that can help determine if someone is having a heart attack in just eight minutes, instead of the hour it takes for conventional tests, is something of a life’s work for Femke. She did not achieve it alone but with a cross-functional team of chemists, biochemists, physicists, electrical engineers, industrial engineers, process developers, and software developers. However, the start of her career was very different from her work in R&D today.

Working with a cross-functional team

Femke studied dentistry for two years until she discovered her heart wasn’t fully in it. She switched to chemistry and found a passion for surface chemistry, where she ended up doing her PhD.

“That’s fulfilling for me because, in the end, you really understand something. I like putting all those little pieces together to finish the puzzle,” Femke explains enthusiastically.

With over two decades of experience in R&D, Femke still enjoys solving these puzzles and has some useful career tips to share with those just starting.

What aspects of your job in R&D do you find most rewarding?

"What I see in R&D is what still provides a lot of fun, those 'yay' moments, that you have been searching for a solution for a very long time, and you couldn't find it, and then all of a sudden, with a funny combination of things that you've already thought about before, now you think, that's it. And that's really still one of the most fun things to do in my job," says Femke.

What is your advice for young professionals just starting in R&D?

"Follow your heart! If you choose something because it seems wise, or you think you can earn a lot of money, all those kinds of motivations will not give you a rewarding job in the end," shares Femke.

"You spend a lot of time at work, so you'd rather do something that you really, really like, and by following your heart, the chance that you find something like that is much larger."

R&D is often perceived as a kind of solitary work. Is that true?

"Not at all, no. I do believe that there are a few people in the world that do R&D in a solitary way. But in our environment, R&D is really something that you do together. You do not need only your own knowledge, you need the knowledge from everyone around you, otherwise you can never bring it to a solid solution and a really good end." Femke comments.

Did you have a mentor throughout your career?

"I had a few, and I would advise everyone to do that, because sometimes you come to a point in your career where you really start doing something really new. And then it's very good to have someone around that has done that before, but also is there for you and not for the company, because they can give you tips that you cannot get in your work environment," recalls Femke.

What's one emerging trend in R&D young professionals should be excited about?

"The first answer that comes to mind is, of course, AI. If you see what is possible there, and also there's a lot of discussion about the risk of AI, but if you use it wisely it can save you a lot of time doing things that are not too interesting. And then you can fix that in a few minutes and really work on the interesting stuff yourself," explains Femke.

What are top traits for a career in R&D?

Femke says that the most important thing to bring for a successful career in R&D is “being willing to collaborate!”.

“And don’t think you are the one that needs to provide all the answers or that you don't need anyone else,” adds Femke.

Femke shares that young professionals should also be patient enough to find solutions to problems, and that in R&D, you often don’t know where to begin, but eventually you find your way to solving the problems.

“We have a very diverse group of people here, and we all look at the world differently. The best ideas come while chatting during lunch and not while working alone behind your desk.”

Femke's passion for her work has helped her persevere despite her challenges throughout her career. Therefore, her most important advice is: “Follow your heart! If you don’t like what you do, you must very quickly start doing something else, because your work takes a lot of energy and so you should put that in something that you really like.”.

Inspired by Femke's successful career in innovation?

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