Chemical and pharmaceutical technologist (CPT)

A day as a chemical / pharmaceutical technologic apprentice

I usually start the day with the level 1 meeting in the department where I am. Everyday is different from each other, this is why you must be flexible.

Most of the time I go along with the employees from my department and help them with our activities, e. g. assisting in a cell culture cultivation or filling out forms, assembling instruments or other equipment. Besides the activities and processes, a lot of things are explained to me. During the lunch break I even go to lunch with employees from other teams or departments. Other activities of mine include measuring the optical density of cell cultures, or pipetting solutions and bacteria. The relationship with my vocational trainer is really good. I can ask them anytime if I have any questions or need help with something. My instructors support me where they can, at school and at work. As I mentioned before, I work in different departments. For this reason, I also get to know a lot of new employees. Since the beginning of my apprenticeship, I have experienced several personal highlights: I could package the COVID-19 vaccine to make them ready for shipment and I could work on the filling line in production. In my opinion, being a chemical and pharmaceutical technologist requires curiosity and good observation skills. Furthermore, you should be flexible and have an interest in the chemical and technical field. At the end of the day, I check my e-mail again to make sure I haven't missed anything important while I was away.

What I admire about my teammates is their solution-oriented way of working. If something doesn't go according to plan, they don’t stress over it. It is seen as an opportunity to optimize and together we look for a solution. This is one of the reasons why I see myself as part of the J&J family and feel comfortable. It was the right decision for me to do an apprenticeship here. J&J is different from other companies because of the all the opportunities that you have.