Daniel B.
About me
| Daniel B. | |
| Chemistry | |
| Chemistry | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 2009 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Lab Systems Analyst | |
| MerckSharpeDohme | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| 2011 | |
| £20500 | |
| £20500 |
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A day in the life of a Lab Systems Analyst in the United Kingdom
My career history
Northumbrian Water Scientific Services: Analytical Chemist - Newcastle upon Tyne, 07/2010 - 12/2011
MerckSharpeDohme: Lab Systems Analyst - Cramlington, 12/2011 - ongoing.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
If I continue to put the effort in learning about various aspects of the business and having a professional approach to things, I see no reason why I won't progress higher up the career ladder within pharmaceuticals and this is where I want to be.
My advice to students considering work
Always keep on eye on the job market and the chemical industry in general, no matter what sector you want to go into after graduation. Talk to the Careers Service if you have doubts on your skills for applications and interviews. Make contacts where possible - putting your name out there and getting noticed before a job has even come about is a great start! Networking helps a great deal! Show interest and enthusiasm!
What I do
Currently I work as a Lab Systems Analyst within MSD, working in and around two testing laboratories, one a Quality Control lab and the second a Stability Lab. These labs are in place to check that all the tablets manufactured on site are done so to GMP level, meeting the required regulations before being shipped to the patient. People based in these labs perform routine testing on the products manufactured here however, my role is to provide chemical testing on various processes:
1. Method validation - Test and prove that a new analytical method meets the neccessary requirements, generating correct results before bringing the method into regular use in the labs.
2. Testing on products that have been returned to site following a customer complaint. E.g. A few weeks ago a customer had complained to Customer Services that their drug prescribed for high blood pressure wasn't working as they had previously experienced having being on the drug for some time. I had to test the customer's tablets to see that the active ingredient in the tablet was being released at the required rate, ensuring that the tablet had been manufactured to the regulatory standards. The nature of my work leaves for a lot of variation as there isn't a set routine - for me, this is a good thing as you're not performing the same daily task and so get experience in different areas.
3. Ensuring all instrumentation in both labs is calibrated and maintained so that there are no delays in the overall analytical process. Keeping deviations and errors to a minimum is one of the most important things as any delay will effect the amount of time a drug takes to get to its patient and obviously this must be avoided at all costs.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Obviously for my current role, studying chemistry was quite significant. Personally, I don't feel the level of degree you graduate with is as important, unless you've just scraped a pass! The way you come across in interview is the most important thing. Demonstrating to the interviewer that you know what you're talking about and making them sure that you'll fit into their organisation is most important. Demonstrating good communication skills is vital and goes a long way to making a good impression. Transferable skills in general are important as you're often going to face challenges.
Degree skills:
The projects and team activities that occur during your degree definitely develop communication and transferably skills. For me personally, this was definitely noticeable and have proved important during the interview process.
What I like most
I enjoy the variation of the role I'm in. Gaining experience in different areas and not knowing what is round the corner is quite refreshing for me. It's all personal preference of couse! The environment I work in is laid back but very professional at the same time and I think this is vital if you're going to enjoy the work you do. In the pharmaceutical industry in particular, there is no time for sloppiness or approaching things too casually as the customer relies on our medication to get through life.
What I like least
Again, it always depends on your own workplace and the people you work with. On the whole, my colleagues here at MSD are all very helpful when you're a new starter, helping you get your feet off the ground as things can be very confusing at first.
What would I change? I'm happy with the way my career is progressing at this point in time. I want to continue learning new things and gaining experience in different areas of this company in particular, helping me progress up the career ladder and be in a significantly higher, managerial position, with greater responsibilites in the future.
Next steps...
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