Analytical Chemist Review

I have really enjoyed my placement at AstraZeneca. It has been a really insightful experience to work within a top pharmaceutical company. The work load is never more than you can handle and if you ever struggle, there is a very helpful team supporting you. You get a good overview of the inner workings of a global company, while still being able to contribute and support the chemistry.

The work conducted is all based on current projects and portfolios therefore allowing you to contribute to real chemistry problems. Being able to support projects gives a sense of value to the work you do. There are many meetings and discussions where you can input your opinions in order to progress the project. Everyone is very patient and understanding if you ever need help or don't know something - just ask!

At the start of the placement my supervisor was very attentive and checked everything I did, helping me improve certain aspects and explaining if something wasn't quite right. As the placement progressed, you become much more independent. My supervisor was always around if I needed any help, and other colleagues also helped if needed. I had regular meetings with my supervisor in order to check my progress and work load.

As an analytical chemist, this often varies day to day depending on the project work being conducted. Most days are fairly busy, helping to support the synthetic chemists with the compounds made. Any time where it was quieter, I could complete some university project work or read new research papers.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility as I was assigned to a project that needed completing for a publication. Most of the work I completed myself, however if I needed help then there were multiple people I could contact. I also contributed to several presentations within the analytical department.

This placement has given me the experience required and knowledge needed to complete my masters year. It has allowed me to see what working in industry would be like which has encouraged me to go onto study a PhD. I intend to return to the pharmaceutical industry as I have enjoyed being part of key research. Further to this, the experience has also given me many transferable skills such as presenting, working as part of a team, time management and critical thinking.

I was part of the Hodgkin site in Cambridge which had a friendly and cosy atmosphere. It was a fairly small site, but this meant that you knew everyone and felt part of the team. Everyone was approachable and sociable and were available to offer guidance if and when required.

The year was well structured. Initially the first few months orientate around building up your knowledge and getting familiar with the equipment and work flows. Once I'd got to grips with the chemistry, I started to work on my own project which formed the basis of my masters report. I worked independently for a significant amount of time, however my supervisor was always there if needed.

Throughout the year the students were offered many chances to gain personal development. This included activities set by a student based organisation within AstraZeneca (AZinspire). They offered lunch time session which allowed you to gain insight into different departments and types of work you wouldn't otherwise hear about. There were symposiums set up to help progress your career goals and advance your knowledge in other areas. AstraZeneca also allowed us to complete an RSci award while on the placement year, which is a great award for a company to offer their students.

Working for a company such as AstraZeneca offers you a great experience which many companies look at fondly. Personally, I chose to leave the company after my placement year to complete a PhD. However, there are many opportunities also present which include the graduate scheme and potential job opportunities should they arise.

Being situated at the Hodgkin site, there were a few students that worked alongside me. We could meet for lunch and share lifts to and from the site. I also lived with 3 other placement students which allowed me to have the social experience of the placement year too. It was great to live with people who understood the work load of the year, while also keeping you uplifted.

Living in Cambridge can be quite expensive. We managed to find a relatively cheap house, however I would say its worth paying slightly more to be comfortable where you live. There are places to go out which are fairly cheap. Local pubs can be more expensive but they tend to be nice places to go. There are lots of places to go eat out or have takeaways which again vary on price.

The nightlife wasn't as big a scene as a university nightlife, however there were a few options on places to go if a night out was needed. Pubs/bars are plentiful around Cambridge and tended to be our go to. We didn't get much chance to go on nights out, however the option was there.

Due to completing my masters alongside working at AstraZeneca, I didn't really get chance to explore other activities around Cambridge. Being near the university, there are opportunities to join in on activities. I think it depends on the amount of free time you have which again depends on the work load set by your university.