Technician Scientist Apprentice Review

I am an apprentice in analytical chemistry with focus on NMR spectroscopy. I have a line manager who manages the pastoral aspects of my apprenticeship and a mentor who is in charge of my technical development. My role involves a lot of hands on lab work for projects and helping others with NMR work. I feel that my interactions with my peers are very positive. When I first started I was tasked with changing a very expensive probe in one of the spectrometers within my first month! Further to that, I have presented work that I have completed in numerous multinational meetings and even got to travel to Sweden at the start of my second year with work. There is a solid mixture of lab work and office work as when you have finished the lab work you have to process the data and write it up so that people can follow what you have done. There is a lot of training associated with lab based apprenticeships at the beginning but this eases over time and there becomes a better balance of lab and office work.

I've learnt a lot of new skills! Being an apprentice has meant that my time management skills have had to be developed to a high level as you are completing a degree whilst also working full time. To be able to achieve a good work life balance is part of the challenge but I felt supported in developing this skill and work are very understanding when it comes to completing university work and deadlines. I had no real knowledge of NMR before I started and now I can run experiments, change probes in spectrometers, approve spectra for use and I can complete all necessary experiments and lab work associated with NMR and have done for a number of projects. Further to this, I have developed my skills in the lab through various training sessions. It's not all about the lab though, I've also taken part in various software training courses and even a multivariate analysis course where I looked at how stats can help data portrayal in NMR spectroscopy.

I love it! I think I definitely made the right choice for me and I can't imagine that university would have been for me as it doesn't allow you to really apply your knowledge to real life problems like my apprenticeship does. Part of the great thing about pharma apprenticeships is also that our mentors tend to have PhDs and are leading researchers in their field. Being able to learn from them everyday is exciting and getting that 1-1 hands on teaching experience isn't something that can normally be experiences in a uni setting.

I think it's fairly well organised. The study is structured in a way that it begins fairly simply and ties into A Level/BTEC knowledge and then increases in difficulty and complexity the further you delve. Within my company, my programme is very tailored to me which is good because your mentor is there to push you to be your best but can and will back off a little bit if you go through something in your personal life that affects work. It's good to have the structure but also the flexibility. I feel that my programme is well organised.

As also stated previously, a lot! After going through something in my personal life work was very flexible and allowed me to take some time and liberties in getting better. Not only is that a reflection of the support I receive from my line manager and mentor, it's also a reflection of the whole company that they were able to do that for me. Further to that, AZ has private medical insurance for its employees which has lots of added benefits including a 24/7 remote doctor platform, an employee wellbeing hotline and further benefits. I have taken full advantage of these things and it's part of why I, as an employee, feel very supported. I am also part of a team within my department promoting mental wellness of which there are many teams of this nature across the company. It's important that everyone feels supported at AZ :)

I feel like uni is a lot less hands on than my employer in offering support. They do offer times where the module leads are available for phone calls and one to one conversations which is very helpful. Also, specific module leads are always available for questions over email and I have found this is helpful in the past.

I think for every scientist it is important that you have background knowledge of the science that you are doing. The qualification provides this and, particularly analytical modules, helps with understanding concepts surrounding my job role and the roles of those around me. So, I'd say that it definitely helps my understanding and as a result probably my performance in my role.

Yes! There are various sports teams, there's a choir, quizzes, socials at local pubs and restaurants and also a networking group for new starters and younger members of the working population called AZInspire. Personally, I partake in socials with the other apprentices and will occasionally attend an AZInspire lunch and learn talk which focusses on educating people about different aspects of the business.

Yes

110%. I think AZ is a brilliant company to work for and they really invest in their people. As an apprentice we get to earn while we learn but we're not kept in the background and they truly invest in us as people. The benefits we get with our employment are like the icing on the cake and just make it even more amazing :)

Be yourself and do your research! AZ is big on their values (which you can find on the website) and will tend to hire based on your capability to learn and practise those values. Whilst grades are fairly important, they're not looking for the next Einstein or Curie and a lot of it boils down to whether you'll be a good fit to the team. Try and discuss as many of your experiences as possible. If you're stuck when applying or prepping for interview ask parents or any careers advisors. Go to an apprenticeship fair! They tend to be held in Jan/Feb so keep an eye out for fairs in your area.