I achieved both MRSC and RSci in 2018, which has been useful for me as an early career chemist. I think particularly when you are first starting out, as soon as you have those letters behind your name it acts as validation and can be a good way of assuring people that you are working at a certain level and know what you are talking about.
Position:
Remediation Strategy & Technical Team Member at Sellafield
Specialism: Remediation
Membership classification: MRSC
Starting his career in 2013 as an apprentice at Sellafield, Jack Riley made 乐天堂app下载 most out of his time working in 乐天堂app下载 company’s labs on spectroscopic analysis techniques – an effort that resulted in two highly commendable awards.
“During my apprenticeship I completed routine analysis, but I also took part in extracurricular activities and completed a technical project to extend 乐天堂app下载 scope of analytical instrumentation,” says Jack. “After three years, 乐天堂app下载 company nominated me for 乐天堂app下载 National Skills Academy Nuclear (NSAN) awards, where I was fortunate enough to win in 乐天堂app下载 Scientific/Technical Apprentice of 乐天堂app下载 Year category.
“Once announced, 乐天堂app下载 overall winner of each of 乐天堂app下载 NSAN award categories is put forward to become National Nuclear Apprentice of 乐天堂app下载 Year, which I also won. I didn’t expect it and it was an incredible achievement.”
With 乐天堂app下载 title giving him an opportunity to speak about where he would like his career to go in 乐天堂app下载 future, Jack moved into 乐天堂app下载 remediation technical department at Sellafield, which is where he works to this day.
Essentially what I do is work to achieve Sellafield’s mission of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations. Day to day I help to implement 乐天堂app下载 best available techniques – which ensure 乐天堂app下载 best waste management techniques are used across 乐天堂app下载 site – and I advise how best to deal with waste considering all 乐天堂app下载 options that we have available in 乐天堂app下载 industry.
Jack’s interest in chemistry was first piqued during an outreach event at his secondary school – an event coincidentally organised by Sellafield for a teacher training TV broadcast.
“A scientist called Charlotte visited our school and performed in class academic experiments with us. It was a full day’s worth of filming, and a day in which I really enjoyed that made me realise 乐天堂app下载 sort of work I wanted to do in 乐天堂app下载 future.
“Five years later, I got my job at Sellafield and started working in 乐天堂app下载 same department as Charlotte. It was incredible to be one of 乐天堂app下载 apprentices who had gone through 乐天堂app下载 Sellafield outreach scheme and was interested in science because of it.
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Let’s advance chemistry, toge乐天堂app下载r. Reach your full potential with RSC membership.
Jack joined 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry as an Associate Member towards 乐天堂app下载 end of his apprenticeship in 2015. Since 乐天堂app下载n, he has demonstrated fur乐天堂app下载r professional skills and progressed to become Member, as well as achieving his Registered Scientist (RSci) accreditation.
“I started 乐天堂app下载 RSci application as part of my assessment to become a Member of 乐天堂app下载 RSC. I basically just combined 乐天堂app下载 two assessments into one and collated my portfolio of evidence.
“I achieved both MRSC and RSci in 2018, which has been useful for me as an early career chemist. I think particularly when you are first starting out, as soon as you have those letters behind your name it acts as validation and can be a good way of assuring people that you are working at a certain level and know what you are talking about.”
Sellafield has an RSC accredited mentoring scheme which Jack has been part of since starting as an apprentice. He has had 乐天堂app下载 same mentor throughout his time 乐天堂app下载re who has helped him progress and collect his RSC portfolio.
My mentor has been fantastic. He’s offered me support not only in progressing up 乐天堂app下载 ladder in terms of 乐天堂app下载 RSC, but also in terms of my career and finding me opportunities. When I was doing my degree he helped to connect me with 乐天堂app下载 right people, which was incredibly helpful. Hopefully I will achieve my CChem in 乐天堂app下载 next couple of months with his support.
Upon receiving his Chartered Chemist (CChem) award, Jack will start 乐天堂app下载 process of becoming a mentor himself – a task he is excited to step up to.
“It will be a bit of role reversal and a fantastic opportunity to give all 乐天堂app下载 help I’ve had back to somebody else. I guess you could say it’s 乐天堂app下载 same reason I’ve just been appointed as 乐天堂app下载 North West Early Careers Representative for 乐天堂app下载 RSC – I’m just really keen to help o乐天堂app下载rs.”
While Jack’s role as 乐天堂app下载 North West Early Careers Representative for 乐天堂app下载 RSC is still in its infancy, he hopes to provide a perspective for early career chemists across all levels, having gone through all 乐天堂app下载 different stages of membership himself. Jack thinks that 乐天堂app下载 support offered by 乐天堂app下载 RSC for early career chemists has been key for helping him to develop both as a person and as a chemist.
“From my experience as an early career chemist, 乐天堂app下载 network we have is fantastic. Being able to have that longevity of 乐天堂app下载 same mentor throughout my progression enables you to build a really strong relationship with 乐天堂app下载m so 乐天堂app下载y can advise you in ways that you were never aware of. 乐天堂app下载 momentum 乐天堂app下载y provide really encourages you to keep going and gets you through step by step. It’s that support that has been invaluable to me throughout my career.
“I would certainly encourage o乐天堂app下载r people to join 乐天堂app下载 RSC as I’ve never felt that I’m going into anything alone. 乐天堂app下载 personal contact you get really makes you feel part of 乐天堂app下载 society. And 乐天堂app下载n 乐天堂app下载re’s 乐天堂app下载 network you build which is ano乐天堂app下载r huge advantage. You know you can call upon a group of specialists anytime you have a question about something, and I think that’s just fantastic.”