Analytical Scientist Review
at AstraZeneca
Placement (10 Months+)
Science
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: June 2024
Overall Rating
4.6 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
4.5/5
-
Skills Development
4.5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.5/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
-
Overall Experience
4/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
Responsible for carrying out analysis on drug substance at early stages of development. This is generally done by LC, SFC, GC and NMR. Day-to-day work includes about 50% lab work e.g. sample prep, instrument set-up, making solutions, 25% meetings e.g. work planning meetings, strategy meetings and 25% desk-work, including full scientific write-up of work.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
I was able to work autonomously and take responsibility for my own work and schedule, however support was always given and the responsibility is ultimately shared with my supervisor, as they are responsible for you during the year.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
Hard skills developed include: sample prep, LC, SFC, GC, NMR, MS, UV, CAD, analysis of new modalities, instrument set-up and resolving hardware issues, experimental design
Soft skills: teamwork, communication, presentation skills ,time-management, problem solving, critical thinking
Soft skills: teamwork, communication, presentation skills ,time-management, problem solving, critical thinking
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
4/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
Fully supported. The training was in-depth and comprehensive and you are supervised on new techniques until you feel confident in doing them by yourself. Everyone is very happy to help with any problems you have.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
4/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
Very good place to work. Many opportunities for networking and presenting your work. Also a very good culture around diversity and inclusivity.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
5/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I truly do not thing I could have had a better experience anywhere else. Would highly recommend to anyone.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at AstraZeneca
4/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca
Actually getting the placement is quite competitive so be prepared to go in showing your best self! Be confident in your technical areas and make sure you have examples of softer skills like teamwork and communication to show off. When you first come to work it may feel a bit overwhelming because it is such a big company, but within a few days you will fully settle in and be grateful for the opportunity. Go in with an open mind and say yes to as much as you can while you're here!
