Senior Technician Review
at Charles River
Degree Apprenticeship
Science
Saffron Walden
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
4 /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!
3/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
My role is within the Purification team. This involves purification of compounds synthesized by medicinal chemists using achiral and chiral chromatographic methods, utilizing mass spectrometry and UV detection. Daily tasks involve system maintenance and troubleshooting, solvent make-up/top up, data analysis and sample prep. My main interactions are with my team members and chemists.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
The role can be challenging at time which can hinder enjoyment. Most of the training is on the job, however you do get access to resources such as ChromAcademy which can help with learning more. I feel supported by my colleagues and my line manager. I have bi-weekly catch-ups with my line manager which allows me to express any concerns I may have and work on further development.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Charles River allows employees to attend a myriad of training courses and seminars which has been hugely beneficial for my skillset. I have learned lots of new skills including complex chromatogram analyses and method development. I have also been given the opprotunity to become a Mental Health Firs Aider which has been a great asset in improving my interpersonal skills. My role involves a lot of multi-tasking which has greatly improved my time management and organizational skills.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Overall, the processes governing my role are well established, but with plenty of room for improvement. Training was a little bit scattered during the COVID-19 restrictions, however it has picked up again. There is a team hierarchy, everyone is very friendly and approachable and I feel comfortable asking for help from senior members of the team.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
My line manager is very supportive when it comes my career development as an analytical technician. We have bi-weekly 1:1s where we go over my development plan and make actions to try and reach the next step of my career ladder. My line manager has also been very supportive of my studies and often checks in with me to see how it's going.
The HR team at Charles River are also really helpful and friendly.
Generally, my team consists of people with varying levels of experience. The senior more experienced people are easy to approach and I will often ask them for guidance with problems.
The HR team at Charles River are also really helpful and friendly.
Generally, my team consists of people with varying levels of experience. The senior more experienced people are easy to approach and I will often ask them for guidance with problems.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I receive adequate levels of support from my training provider. I have been given a lot of information on how to access support both for my course and for myself personally. They arrange very helpful Teams calls where they give advice on how to write a good assignment and give plenty of reassurance. I am thoroughly enjoying my course.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
My apprenticeship helps give me more context to the work I do as a purification technician in early drug discovery. I feel it has also imparted better time management skills as I need to balance my study with my work. Although I am only part-way through my course, I feel I know more about my industry.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
During COVID restrictions all company events and activities were halted and we are hoping to resume these activities when it is safe to do so. I was particularly fond of Board Games night which occured on a Wednesday evening (with free snacks!) We are also allocated a volunteer day where we can spend a work-day doing a volunteering initiative for a local charity.
I work at the Chesterford Research Park site - a gorgeous nature reserve with plenty of walking trails. In the summer months during lunchtime, I enjoy laying on the grass next to the pond, in the shade and with a book or a podcast.
There is also an on-site restaurant with a gym and they have classes before and after work hours.
When I'm not working, I really enjoy playing video games, going to the gym, reading and spending time with my friends and family. I am currently on a health and fitness journey and I spend a lot of time learning about nutrition and exercise.
I work at the Chesterford Research Park site - a gorgeous nature reserve with plenty of walking trails. In the summer months during lunchtime, I enjoy laying on the grass next to the pond, in the shade and with a book or a podcast.
There is also an on-site restaurant with a gym and they have classes before and after work hours.
When I'm not working, I really enjoy playing video games, going to the gym, reading and spending time with my friends and family. I am currently on a health and fitness journey and I spend a lot of time learning about nutrition and exercise.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Charles River to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Charles River is at the forefront of early drug discovery and development. It's a company that is committed to researching the rarest diseases and finding therapies for some of the most hard to treat ailments. It's a fantastic place to work if you want to learn a lot about the drug discovery process and you can get the chance to work in many different disciplines.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Charles River?
It depends on where you're coming from and what experience you have, and the role you are applying for.
My personal experience was very straightforward. I lived in Ireland at the time and I applied for the role of Laboratory Technician online. Soon after, I had 2 telephone interviews, and eventually I was flown over and had an onsite interview with the group leader. They were very quick with their decision making process which was very much appreciated.
There were no assessments to take for my job role - although in the interview I was asked to look at a chromatogram.
The onboarding process was OK, it was a good introduction to the company, their culture and I received a nice goodie bag containing a notebook, pen, and an insulated water bottle!
My personal experience was very straightforward. I lived in Ireland at the time and I applied for the role of Laboratory Technician online. Soon after, I had 2 telephone interviews, and eventually I was flown over and had an onsite interview with the group leader. They were very quick with their decision making process which was very much appreciated.
There were no assessments to take for my job role - although in the interview I was asked to look at a chromatogram.
The onboarding process was OK, it was a good introduction to the company, their culture and I received a nice goodie bag containing a notebook, pen, and an insulated water bottle!
