My job explained: Analyst

Find out why Faye South gets a platinum credit card from her company to cover her expenses as she travels around the country.

What stage are you up to in your career?

I graduated three and a half years ago with a BSc and a MSc in chemistry. After graduating I worked in organic chemistry research for one year and then decided to move into analytical chemistry. I first went to work for a water testing laboratory before moving to my present post as an analyst at BOC gases.

Was there anything or anyone in particular that inspired you to study chemistry?

For as long as I remember I have always preferred the sciences to other subjects such as English, history etc and the degree course that Newcastle University was offering had a good balance of maths, physics, biology and chemistry.

How long did it take to train and what did the training involve?

I started my training by taking A-levels in all three sciences which then led to a BSc (Hons) in medicinal chemistry at Newcastle University. This was made up of a taught section (60%) and a research section (40%).

After my BSc I was unsure of the type of career path that I wanted to take (teaching, research, industry) so I opted to do a MSc (a type of course you do after your first degree) in Designing Chemical Solutions. Fortunately I was offered a bursary from the university and this covered the costs of the course and basic living expenses. My Masters degree involved a good mix of chemistry related subjects as well as a problem solving module (very useful for academic research), a report writing/ presentation skills module (very useful in my present position) and a lab based research project.

Can you describe a typical working day?

My job is not at all routine, so one day I could be in the office completing reports and the next day I could be at a customer site solving problems. I regular visit medical cylinder filling sites to complete audits checking the quality of the product that is being sent out of the door to customers (in terms of the gas inside of the cylinders and the condition of the cylinders themselves). Also part of my job is to collect liquid gas samples (oxygen, nitrogen,) and carry out analysis back in the lab to ensure they meet the specifications. As well as all that, I am undergoing training so that I can investigate the causes of ignitions that can occur on our cylinder filling sites.

What's the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is that my time is split equally between working in the office, in the lab and at the sites. This makes my job very varied and so there are always new skills to learn. I am also allowed to work flexible hours which is great during the summer as most days I can be relaxing in my back garden by 3:30pm. My job requires me to travel all over the UK so I have been issued with a BOC cooperate platinum credit card to cover all my expenses such as hotel rooms, lunches (often bought at motorway services!), evening meals and sometimes even the odd glass of wine!.

Have there been any challenges in getting to where you are now?

Even though working chemistry, and especially working in the industrial sector, is still traditionally seen as a man’s role, I personally have not come across any obstacles in getting to the position that I am now in. There are nine of us in the department of which I am the only women and jobs are shared out equally depending on an individuals skills or time that they have. When I visit other BOC sites and customer sites the work force is predominantly male, however this has never been a problem and I get treat the same as anyone else would.

What qualities and skills do you think are important for your role?

My job role requires me to have good communication, time management and organisational skills. It is also essential to have initiative and have a methodical mind for problem solving both in the laboratory and at other BOC and customer sites. It is important to know your weaknesses, so you know when to ask for help or for additional training. To do the job role you must also be happy to work on your own, often away from the office and laboratory. Finally as the role requires me to travel (often alone) all over the UK it is important that you are a fairly confident driver and map reader!

What advice would you give to someone following in your footsteps?

Gain plenty of experience working in laboratory environments in both sample prep labs and instrument labs, this will help you get a good job as well as confirm for yourself that you’re going into the right area.

What is your favourite chemistry related invention?

Chemistry can be related to almost anything we do on a daily basis such as drinking clean fresh water, washing the dishes and driving to work. Without chemistry we would not have different colours to use in the textile industry or the technology for plasma televisions. Most importantly without chemistry we would not have the drugs that many people have stored in their medicine cabinets such as paracetamol, aspirin and cough syrup.

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