Lab analysts may have had some zero or minimal experience in educational establishment or in a commercial laboratory.

Before coming on a course, we recommend you look over your instrument(s)/available equipment, if possible accompany someone whilst they run samples on it, discuss in details what sorts of samples you will be analyzing, and do a general read-up.

In essence, you should feel confident to stand up at the beginning of the course and tell us what you plan to be analyzing, what equipment you have available, and some basic knowledge on your samples and what other techniques analysts have used.

At the end of the course, you should be in a position to tell how you would go about it now, how to improve the analysis or what other options you could use. You should have the confidence to go back to the lab and get your analysis in motion.

Prior to coming on the course, ensure you book lots of sessions on your instrument for when you get back to the lab, your return back to the lab so you get it into motion quickly. You will have a lot to implement. Don´t give yourself a chance to forget it.

If you are a masters or a PhD student, you should read around your subject and perform some journal searches on what techniques have already been employed in similar sorts of analyses for the compounds of interest.

Searches should include compound searches, as well as on analytical techniques. Concentrations of compounds is also important to understand - especially so if you are starting work in small scale organic synthesis or toxicology where analytes of compounds looked for maybe in much smaller, trace quantities.

This isn’t so you can follow the techniques already reported in journals, but to get you thinking as to what you may do different in your approach and why. This is the essence of research - reporting new findings - then justifying it.

Within universities there are sometimes technicians or post-docs who may be willing to spend a bit of time with you going over things and showing you existing instrumentation.

It´s usually advisable to try and show some initiative in gathering information and doing some reading prior, so when these busy people give you their time, you are in a position to ask some relevant questions for your application.

At the beginning of a course with us, you should be in a position to tell us the purpose of your research, the specific goals of what you hope to achieve in your analysis, and what instrumentation you have at your disposal.

Upon returning to the lab, make sure you can get some instrument sessions. In academia, there are sometimes shared facilities. Remember to pre-plan before you come on the courses and before running your samples.

You may also be instructed to only analyze the samples with the assistance of a lab technician/post-doc. If so, upon your return, plan your experiments and talk them through with them before running them.

Shared facilities also mean the risk of contaminants and lack of maintenance unless is a technician is specifically employed to take care of this. Bear this in mind – ensure you run some blanks!

You will be equipped to further your experiments with a range of techniques – you can practice first on known methods for your samples, then start to think about trying it our on new samples, using other techniques.

Top tip: Keep the lab technicians and post-docs on your side!

You are no doubt already an asset to your lab - even if you dont feel it! If you don't believe this – take a look around you. Are there people doing things you did back a few months/years ago? You already have some wisdom – but want to be wiser. And a course with us is a great way to equip yourself with the skills to move forward.

Perhaps you are analyzing some new samples, start to use a different technique, or simply want to attend a proper training course (finally!). Or perhaps you are ready for promotion.

Feel free to bring along some chromatograms and discuss your existing work, and what your plans are next in terms of samples and instrumentation. Again, the ability to implement what you´ve learnt as quickly as possible back in the lab, will pay dividends.

You should be able to accept new sample challenges and be up and running with those within a matter of weeks/months.

From time to time, we all need a bit of refreshment. Sometimes it is because we´ve been promoted, we are required to train others, sometimes because there are new things we should keep on top of, or learn about more, and sometimes its because a CPD (continuing professional development) scheme has been actioned within the department your work for.

Make a summary of what you've already done – samples / techniques and feel free to bring along chromatograms. Think about specifics of areas you are keen to learn about, and perhaps new types of samples you may be analyzing in the future. Bring all the details with you. There will be opportunity to discuss your questions.

You should return to the lab having learnt some new things, revised existing known mthods and techniques, and be able to add further value to your lab in performing new sample analyses, and/or be able to pass on your wisdom to junior members.