CAREER FAQS

You want a job where you can make a positive impact on human health. You want to solve complex problems that affect quality of life at all ages, around the world. Or you’re driven by a love of science or engineering and you want to work with colleagues who share and promote that passion.

If so, join us.

Whether you’re just starting your career or you’re an experienced professional, you’ll discover opportunities at Abbott that connect you to a world of possibilities along with benefits to support you and your family. Our values—pioneering, achieving, caring and enduring—will always guide the decisions we make and the actions we take as we strive to help more people in more places reach their fullest potential through health.

Our Global Citizenship initiatives show how  Abbott is making a measurable, positive impact on improving health for more people in more places around the world. And if you want to get inspired, meet Abbott people who are making bold moves in the world of health.

Our corporate headquarters is located in Lake County, Illinois, at Abbott Park, a suburb 40 miles north of Chicago. Abbott also has many locations throughout the United States and the world. In the U.S., we have a significant presence in California (Alameda, Milpitas, Redwood City, Santa Ana, Santa Clara  and Temecula), Texas (Dallas) Ohio (Columbus), New Jersey (Princeton), and Puerto Rico. We are in more than 60 other countries around the world, including China, Singapore, India, Italy, Canada, Germany, and Ireland.

In one word? Thriving. We’re always looking forward, pushing to create the next breakthrough technologies and tackle the biggest issues facing human health. All of this is supported by our values: pioneering, achieving, caring and enduring.

Abbott is a global workplace that values and supports diversity, collaboration and innovation. We offer benefits that give our employees the tools they need to live their best lives both professionally and personally. If you choose a career with us, you’ll find yourself continually challenged and engaged, surrounded by people with a common goal: helping others lives their healthiest lives.

We’re active in our professional communities whether through university events, national and regional conferences or other networking engagements. Take a look at our Conferences and Events page. 

Yes, after providing your email address and password to sign in, you can update your contact information. This is your address and phone number only. You can also update work history, education, and other related fields when applying to another job.

Please visit our job search website. Find a job that interests you and click “Apply Now.” Then, click “Forgot Password” and provide your email address. Click “Submit” and instructions will be emailed to you on how to reset your password. If the email entered is not recognized, then click “Create Account” and input your email and password to create an account.

You can either upload your resume to have the data populated into the corresponding “Work and Education History” fields on your submission, or you can input the text directly into the fields accordingly. You can use your previous attached resume/CV for additional job submissions or you can upload a new file. Ensure you are using the latest version of Firefox or Chrome.

We’ll consider you a candidate for any positions for which you directly apply. In addition, if there are other positions we feel you might be an appropriate candidate for, we’ll contact you directly to gauge your interest in that position.

Full-time assignment availability changes daily. To search current assignments, visit our job search website.

Please submit your resume for an employment opportunity by applying online.

Yes, you can apply for as many positions as you are interested in, as long as you meet the basic qualifications.

When you apply for a position, you’ll receive an e-mail confirmation acknowledging our receipt of your application. Recruiters review candidates to identify those whose experiences and qualifications most closely match the position specifications. We appreciate your patience as we carefully review each candidate's background and credentials against the experience and qualifications sought for the opportunity.

If you’re identified as a candidate, you’ll be contacted by a recruiter who will outline next steps. If you’re not identified as a fit for the position you applied for, you still may be contacted about other opportunities that align with your profile and/or interests. Your profile will remain on record for up to one year after you create or edit it, and you can update your profile at any time.

Currently, we don’t have the capability to personally respond to every resume/application we receive. However, if your qualifications and experience align with the position you applied for or other open positions, a recruiter may contact you to discuss the next steps.

Full-time employees at Abbott are offered competitive benefits that help support a balanced and fulfilling personal life. While specific benefits and programs may vary by geographic location, we offer comprehensive benefits to all employees around the world and constantly strive to help our people succeed at work and at home.

Our interviews differ depending on the job opportunity. Refer to the interview processes listed on the individual opportunities pages.

After reviewing your search results, click on the position of interest. At the bottom of the page, click the button that says "send to a friend" and fill out your email address as well as a brief message, if you choose. Your friend will then receive an e-mail acknowledgment. However, he or she must submit an online application to officially be considered for that opportunity.

All current Abbott employees are encouraged to use the internal job board for consideration, which is accessed through myHR.

The employee referral program lets employees refer candidates to us. We welcome these referrals because it helps us to focus our hiring activities on high quality candidates. After all, our people know best what it takes to be successful here.

As a referral, you’ll receive an email stating the job(s) for which you were referred. If you apply using the directions stated on the email, you’ll successfully register your application as an employee referral candidate.

Please note that due to the high volume of applicants, we encourage you to visit our job search website in order to verify your status for each position applied. You will be informed via e-mail or phone as to the next steps, if any, for your job search.

No. The person who referred you for the position to which you were hired is the person who will get credit. If you were hired for a position with no referral attached, the first person who referred you will get credit. Please note that this is valid within a year of your resume submission; we recommend that you update your resume and contact information whenever it changes to ensure that we have your up-to-date information.

Yes. We have an active database of candidates, and our recruiters are constantly searching for matches for open positions. In the event that you meet the qualifications for a position, one of our recruiters will reach out to you to inform you of the next steps in the process. Otherwise, we strongly encourage you to sign up for job alerts so you can actively apply for other positions here. As a reminder, you must submit an electronic application for every position in which you are interested.

As an employee referral, your resume is housed in the same proprietary database as all other applicants. You are welcome to apply to any opportunity that is on job search website and you’ll receive the same consideration as any other applicant.

Eligible candidates are not currently employed at Abbott and have not worked for Abbott in the past 18 months in any role, including interns, retirees, contractors, temporary workers, co-op students and consultants. Candidates currently working with Abbott employment agencies are not eligible to be an employee referral.

If a referred candidate is currently a student at one of our targeted schools or has made initial contact with Abbott through campus recruiting efforts, the Abbott employee who referred the candidate would not be eligible to receive a bonus. For more information on the Internship Program, Development Programs and university recruiting, please visit the Internship Program and Development Programs sections.

Intern selection is competitive and based on a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point scale. We look for leadership, extracurricular activities, relevant course work and personal characteristics such as integrity, innovation, initiative, teamwork and adaptability. Students must have completed at least one year of college and must be enrolled in school for the fall season following the potential internship.

Internship assignments vary by year and by discipline. No matter what the assignment, we guarantee it will be real work and an excellent professional growth opportunity.

We’re active in our professional communities whether through university events, national/regional conferences or other networking engagements. A calendar of our campus recruiting events can be found on the Conferences and Events page.

If we’re not scheduled to recruit at your school, you can still apply for an employment opportunity by applying online.

Yes, submitting your resume online allows other recruiters to have access to it also.

Our internship program provides college students with 12 weeks of supervised, practical work experience in areas directly related to your education and career goals. You’ll experience daily challenges in a creative, dynamic environment. We recognize you are passionate about what you do, and that you want to make a difference in the world around you. We strive to provide you with a collaborative, inspiring internship experience.

We select talented undergraduate and graduate students with the intention of hiring them as full-time employees—evaluating candidates based on grade point average, leadership abilities, communication skills and relevant coursework—the same criteria used for entry-level employee selection. At the end of the internship, full-time employment is not guaranteed, but interns may apply to open positions.

Interns are eligible for the following Abbott benefits:

• Pay for each company-recognized holiday during time of employment
• Product purchase at a discount
• Time accrued toward the annuity retirement plan if later hired
• Participation in cash profit sharing (if employed at Abbott on November 15)
• As a temporary employee, interns are not eligible for medical, dental, hospitalization or accident insurance. Job-related injuries, however, are covered under Workers' Compensation for paid interns.

The Development Programs are a two- to three-year rotational program, allowing participants to gain knowledge about the company as a whole as well as their discipline, all the while gaining leadership, technical and interpersonal skills. Please visit our Development Programs page for more information.

We offer rotational development programs in the following areas:

• Finance (FPDP) - Business Unit/Division level/Corporate level: financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, reporting and controls
• IT (ITPDP) - BSA, Development, Support, Quality, Business Intelligence, Software Engineer, Operations, Network Security
• Regulatory Affairs (RA) - Division or Corporate RA (focus strictly on RA)
• Engineering (EPDP) - Plant Engineering, Product R&D Engineering, Division or Corporate Engineering
• EHS (EHSPDP) - Plant EHS Support, R&D Laboratory Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Engineering
• Manufacturing (MPDP) - Supply Chain Planning/Materials Management, Operations Supervision, Project Management, Purchasing
• Quality (QPDP) - Plant Quality, Division or Corporate Quality Assurance, Division or Corporate Regulatory Affairs (varied experiences)

There’s no guarantee of a full-time position upon completion of a Development Program. Upon completion, Development Program participants may apply to open positions.

Development Program participants are considered regular, full-time employees. Full-time employees at Abbott are offered competitive benefits. While specific benefits and programs may vary by geographic location, Abbott offers comprehensive benefits to all employees around the world and constantly strives to enhance work-life balance.