Analytical Chemist Review

I am placed within a team in chemical development as an analytical chemist. I mostly work on one project and perform various analyses for different stages of the drug substance synthesis. I prepare samples in the lab, analyse them, process the data and report the results. My time is split roughly equally between the lab and the office. I also attend team meetings and informally present at some of these meetings. I have also completed a 10 week student project in a different department, using different techniques to the ones I use in my usual department.

I have developed my presentation skills as I have presented safety updates for my team at our monthly meetings. I have also presented informally at bi-weekly meetings on the work that I have been doing. I have been trained on multiple techniques which I had not used before my placement. For example, I am trained to run liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, NMR and inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). I have developed my communication skills by working in a team envionment.

On a regular basis, I run analyses independently after being trained on the techniques. After running analyses, I report results which are used to inform decisions on different routes and processes. I am responsible for making sure that my work is completed on time and to a high standard. I took over the responsibility for giving a safety update at our monthly team meetings. Furthermore, I participate in tasks that ensure the standards in the laboratory are maintained at a high level.

I was assigned a supervisor at the start of my placement who was always happy to help me with any issues that I had. My supervisor was available to talk to throughout the year and would schedule monthly catch ups to check on my progress during the placement and opportunities that I could take. I am placed in a team (which my supervisor is part of) so I can also ask other members of the team for support when needed.

The company had a great atmosphere and aims to be a 'great place to work'. They are open to any suggestions that could help to achieve this goal. Everyone was very friendly and there are events throughout the year, such as a charity netball tournament, which help to create a sense of community. The company has strong core values which are repeatedly referred to and put into practice. There are goals aligned to these values.

I really enjoyed my placement year. I learnt a lot about the industry and was trained in many new techniques which I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do at university. The year gave me clarity on what I would like to do after university. I enjoyed meeting new people and have made lots of new friends during my placement year. I would like to apply for a job in the company at the end of my placement.

Yes

Make sure to use all the resources sent to you before the interview. There is usually a values interview and a technical interview. For my values interview, I was sent a list of the 5 values and a structure to use when answering the questions. They want to have the answers in that structure so make sure to prepare examples in that format. Don't worry if you don't get everything right in the technical interview.