Ian from Information Services
I graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a BSc (Hons) in Computing and Management Sciences. On completion of my degree I decided to pursue a career in computing/IT and after careful consideration I applied to AstraZeneca. Although not the obvious choice for my chosen career route I was attracted by the competitive graduate package and upon investigation the graduate scheme described seemed to offer unlimited scope for career progression and personal development. Having applied to AstraZeneca, I was short-listed to attend a two-day graduate assessment centre, which included both one-to-one interviews and group exercises. I was offered a position as an IS Specialist working in Drug Development Information Systems at the Alderley Park site in Cheshire. The term drug development describes the clinical trials process for testing a candidate drug for safety and efficacy in order to obtain regulatory approval. Development I.S is the department responsible for developing, delivering and maintaining the IT systems and applications, which support and streamline the research process during the drug development phase. As an I.S Specialist I have been involved with systems development and testing, infrastructure design and development and systems support. My day-to-day activities include identifying user requirements, solving problems and interfacing with the business. I feel that one of the main advantages of my role is the high degree of variety. I work in a team environment and since joining AstraZeneca I have been involved in a variety of projects including the implementation of a new clinical data management system, the development of a volunteer recruitment website and the implementation of an electronic data capture system. I have recently taken on a new role as a Project Manager to co-ordinate and manage the implementation of an upgrade to an electronic data capture computer system. Although there are a number of possible career paths within Information Systems I have found that it is important to gain a good technical understanding early on, as grounding for future roles. The projects I have been involved in so far have allowed me to develop my technical skills and I have gained experience in both programming languages and infrastructure design and development. At AstraZeneca driving your own career development is important. Senior management are very supportive of this and they aim to encourage graduates to gain the necessary skills and capabilities. As part of my development I have attended a variety of courses and workshops, including technical training to support my job role, an Outward Bound self development and personal effectiveness course, and an Influencing Styles workshop. I feel that one of the major benefits of a career with AstraZeneca is that the development opportunities, both within my chosen function & cross functionally, are unlimited. |
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