Analytical project apprentice Review

I work in chemical development where we develop the active pharmaceutical ingredient. On a day to day basis, I run analysis on chemistry samples to measure assay and impurity levels, residual solvents and reaction monitoring. I am also part of the Separation Science community where we managed the cinematographic systems in the department and I am a SuperUser for the chromatographic data system we use. Both of these also require me to train new starters in both theory and practical use.

I have never explored analytical chemistry before I started my role and only covered it briefly at A level. In my first year, I have developed my theoretical knowledge and my ability to apply this to troubleshoot methods. I have also developed my inter-personal skills as my role involves interacting with the chemists and statisticians.

At first, I found the program quite daunting as I had just come from my A levels to working alongside scientists who have PhD's. However, everyone was very welcoming and provided me with tailored training and the right support. I really enjoy my role as I get to see the whole development process of the drug, which I find very rewarding.

Apprentices are still new to AstraZeneca and are still being developed. However, I can already see the progress they've made in the last few years. Training has been developed specifically for apprentices and theory sessions have also been provided. My manager had a clear training plan in place and has an end goal at where he would like me to be by the end of the apprenticeship and my yearly objectives are designed to cover these.

My employer has been an excellent support. At the start, when I was feeling very overwhelmed, everyone in the team made sure to introduce themselves and would be happy to help if I needed support. Myself and my manager have monthly 1:1 meetings where we can discuss any issues I have or any areas which I'd like to develop. I also have a supervisor who I have a 1:1 with every 2 weeks to discuss their plans and any issues. Everyone in the department is also happy to lend a hand and provide tailored training if the area is new to me.

My training provider has been good at times at providing support. They run regular webinars to help with the work we are completing and provide relevant support documents. They have also spread out the deadlines to ensure our workload doesn't get too much. However, they can sometimes be slow at replying to emails which can be stressful near to deadlines.

The theoretical knowledge I have gained from my qualification has been applied in work when I am troubleshooting. It allows me to think why an issue could be occurring and how to reduce the issue. However, as my role is very specific I find that not all of them information is useful to me as there isn't much analytical chemistry on the course. However, AstraZeneca now has a new training provider which has a more varied curriculum.

I am a member of the onsite gym. As part of this, I take part in the exercise classes which allows me to meet new people which I wouldn't necessarily work with. I am also a part of the departmental world food club which is a monthly basis. This has allowed me to get to know people I work with outside of work in a more relaxed environment.

Yes

There's so many different types of jobs and they are happy to allow you to do secondments in different areas to allow you to develop skills in different areas as it may be more suited to you. They also look after employees and their well being and support you with personal problems.

Gain work experience and hobbies to give you more to write and talk about. This also shows you are a committed person if you have regular hobbies. Get you CV checked by 2 people to check for spelling errors and to ensure it looks/sounds professional. Learn about the company before applying to show you are actually interested in working for them.