Analytical Scientist Apprentice Review

I work as an analytical scientist in a biopharmaceutical group. I provide analytical support for various work packages mostly in the form of charge profiling, electrophoresis, chromatography and spectroscopy. My analysis work supports various groups, for example molecule selection and process optimisation as well as characterisation packages. I play a key part in scientific meetings as well as aiding in decision making; I generate my own data and present this to various teams. I attend regular meetings within my team as well as the wider department in addition to regular meetings with other apprentices across the business.

Through my course I will be gaining a foundation degree with the chance to progress to a full Bachelors. I have been on many internal training courses to learn to use various techniques both in the lab and in my data processing and presentation. I have also had the chance to attend external training courses over my time here so far. I have had many opportunities to present to audiences of various sizes on a variety of topics which has enabled me to improve my presentation skills and my confidence.

I really enjoy the teams that I work within in my company. My immediate team is very friendly and approachable, as well as my further department - the whole group is very inclusive and I feel it made it very easy to settle in. GSK has a great culture that values learning and development and encourages people to challenge systems. The programme as well as the company have both exceeded my expectations and I really enjoy my position.

I feel very valued within my team and the company. I have received many formal tokens of appreciation and recognition since I started, as well as regular informal appreciation from my line manager as well as other teams. I am highly involved in a lot of projects and given my own responsibility for a lot of tasks which makes me feel valued and involved within the company and my team.

The course is well structured, the university course is very applicable to my day to day work. There were some slight issues when I initially started the scheme with things like enrolment however these were quickly addressed and are no longer issues. I get a lot of support from my team, I have biweekly one to ones with my manager as well as monthly meetings with a mentor, as well as being offered a mentor by the Early Talent Team. I was well trained on all of the equipment and processes that I need to do my job and I feel able to ask for help if I need it and always receive help and guidance.

I am well supported by the university, I am able to maintain very close contact with the course leaders through email and face to face meetings which is very useful. The university are incredibly supportive and encouraging, and this helps me to feel motivated to achieve the best results possible on the course. On the whole I really enjoy the university course and the structure of the programme.

I am very well supported by my manager as well as more experienced colleagues; I do not feel embarrassed to ask questions or seek clarification with issues. I get good feedback from my manager which also encourages me to ask more questions and to work to my full ability. The HR team are always very happy to help with problems and are easy to contact which is useful when I have problems or questions regarding the scheme rather than my work.

My salary meets my costs very well, I feel that it is a very fair salary for the job. I am able to cover all of my costs such as living, travel and eating in work and still have money to spend on non-essentials and social costs each month.

Within my department there a large amount of opportunities outside of week. There are regular team builds, social events and volunteering opportunities throughout the year which help to build the sense of community in the department. There are also many opportunities on site at work such as lectures and symposiums. There is an onsite gym and sports centre with different classes. There are also a lot of informal social activities within the department - there are frequently group walks, picnics and meals set up outside of work.

Yes

I have enjoyed my entire scheme and feel that I have developed in many ways, both academically, in my day to day work and in terms of soft skills. The company is very friendly and inclusive and the scheme is well set up managed.

In the application process, it's important to show enthusiasm and character in both the online phases and the assessment centres. During onboarding, although it is daunting, it is important to make the most of the opportunity to ask questions and get to know people. There are a huge number of opportunities over the course, and I would advise anybody starting to make the most of this as it plays an important role in personal development. I would also add that anybody applying needs to be prepared to work hard to get the most out of the scheme but it is equally important to enjoy what you are doing.