Bioinformatics Scientist Apprientice Review

As a level 7 (MSc) bioinformatics apprentice I spend around 20% of my time doing university work. That involves going to university for a week once in a while but also time to complete my assignments and studying. The 80% of my time I spend doing my day to day job where I develop code, perform data analysis and do a lot of research.

As I have a degree in Data Science I had a chance to built on top of the skills I have gained at university, which involves coding, statistical analysis and modelling. I have also gained a lot of biological knowledge and learned how to perform data science specific tasks in biology,

I really enjoy my program, every day it gives me so many opportunities to learn and gain new skills. Everyone is extremely supportive, friendly and their goal is to help you succeed. I have done full time university and now I found out that doing it part time and working at the same time where I can apply my knowledge suits me so much better.

I would say that the programme has a good structure. We go to university for a week to attend the lectures and practical sessions for a given module, and then we have three weeks where we have to balance work and completing the assignment. That might sound like a lot but people at the company are so understanding and helpful that they can give you as much time as you need to be able to balance everything.

I get a lot of support from my employer. They always ask me if I need anything like extra time or help or resources. Everyone is just so willing to help so that you can succeed and learn as much as possible. They are just there to support your learning process.

The training provider provides a lot of support. During practical sessions there are usually multiple PhD students as well as faculty members for you to ask questions or ask for help with the tasks. While doing the assignment the help is also available and they are all very keen to help.

I think that it helps me a lot. I don't have a biological background so being able to learn more about it helps me to understand what I am doing at my day to day job. For example just understanding with what kind of data I am working with is a huge improvement as then I can be more creative about what to do with it and how to analyse it.

There are plenty of extra-curricular activities that I can attend. Apprentices have their own socials that are happening almost every week after work, sometimes we have a coffee catch ups, there is also a netball team that everyone can join. Apart from that there are a lot of networking events such as journal clubs or Friday talks, end of the month socials and so much more.

Yes

I think AstraZeneca is a great company with amazing people working towards meaningful goals. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and everyone is so supportive and just wants you to succeed. They are treating their employees really well, making sure that you have a work-life balance, and making you feel very included and supported.

Just be open to all the opportunities. AstraZeneca offers so much, gives you a chance to learn, network and grow as a professional and as an individual.