I graduated from York University with a BSc
(hons) in Biology in 2006, and in April 2007,
I joined Covance, working in the histology
department as a trainee cellular pathology
scientist. I have enjoyed my first year in the
job, and would recommend the company, and
the department, as a potential employer to any
recent graduate with a similar background to
my own.
I was first attracted to Covance as I was
looking for a scientific job in the Yorkshire
area, where I could build upon the skills
which I learnt at university. After researching
the company, I was impressed by the ethos
of Covance – which has its foundations in
the desire to bring the miracles of medicine
to market sooner – and so decided to apply
for this job. In the year since I started, I have
found the aforementioned company ethos not
just to be a tagline or motto, but a way of life
at Covance, and a motivation for working
for the staff. People genuinely care about
what they do, and the impact that their work
has – not just on profit margins, but on the
wider world, and this caring is reflected in the
quality of the work produced.
Another thing that attracted me to apply
for this position was that it was not merely
a job on offer, but the first step on a career
pathway. Covance generally, and the
histology department specifically, is set up
to facilitate career progression, which is not
always dependent on people leaving to create
positions at the next level. Those who work
hard and do a good job are rewarded for their
efforts, which I believe makes Covance a
very attractive employer.
One aspect of the job which I like, which I
did not fully comprehend before starting at
the company, is the way in which training
is handled within the histology department.
Initially, new starters follow a set training
programme, which introduces them to the
basic histological techniques, and their
applications in contract research. After this
introduction, there follows a rolling training
scheme of more specialised techniques, in
which there is some scope for the trainee
to input into the direction that their training
takes. This rolling scheme means that even
after a year in the job, there are still new things
for me to learn, which I like as it means that
my job is constantly changing and evolving,
which stops it from becoming monotonous.
As I have become trained in, and competent
in, a greater range of histological techniques, I
have also found that the level of responsibility
to which I am exposed has increased. This
is reflected in the number and type of tasks
which I am set on a daily basis, and the
direction in which my training has gone.
However, the department is set up to introduce
responsibility gradually, and so whilst the
level of responsibility that I have taken on
over the last year has grown, it is likely to
further increase as I spend longer in the job.
This gradual progression allows me to gain
in experience in the different techniques prior
to taking on greater accountability in these
areas, which in turn allows me to be more
confident in the job which I do.
Since starting work at Covance, I have been
impressed by the culture of the company,
which is one of openness with staff of
all levels. Each year a ‘global town hall
meeting' is held, which is shown live at
Covance sites around the world, in which
Joe Herring - the chief executive of the
company - makes an address to inform
everyone of the company's progress, and
his vision for the coming year. In addition
to this, monthly briefs are held within the
department, to keep all employees up to date
with what is going on around the Harrogate
site generally, and the histology department
specifically. These meetings allow staff to
see the wider impact of the work that they
do, and have allowed Covance to become
a community, rather than just a faceless
company.
It is not just on a company wide scale that
the culture here at Covance appeals to me.
Within the histology department, there is a
great deal of camaraderie and teamwork, and
the groups are set up so that there is always
help and support available for those that need
it. The department is driven by a desire to
create a balance between levels of both
quality and production, and each employee
is given daily efficiency targets, which are
useful both as motivation to push yourself on,
and as a demonstration of the level of work
which you are producing when the biannual
review process takes place.
In conclusion, I repeat again that I have
thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Covance,
and look forward to progressing with the
company over many years.
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