Early career opportunities with AstraZeneca
Start a career that will help improve life for millions. Take on real responsibility in a supportive, dynamic environment that's fuelled by innovation. Work with brilliant minds to solve important problems.
Why choose AstraZeneca?
We are an innovation-driven, global, biopharmaceutical company with a vision to save lives through innovative science, collaboration and exceptional service delivery.
There are many career paths and programmes available to you, whatever your level of study, in locations across the globe. Begin channelling your passion with us.
Explore our programmes
Read about and apply to our graduate programmes using the links below.
School/College Students
Human Resources (HR) Apprenticeships
Our vision is to be a World Class HR function, providing thought leadership, quality customer experience and being a strategic partner to the business as we work towards our bold ambition.
Find out more about programmeMedImmune Apprentice Programme (UK)
MedImmune is the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca; working alongside AstraZeneca colleagues in the heart of the largest biotech cluster in Europe, MedImmune’s Cambridge site is the European biologics research and development centre for oncology; respiratory inflammation and autoimmunity; and cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Find out more about programmeOncology IMED Apprenticeship Programme (UK)
Our IMED apprenticeship scheme offers a unique opportunity to learn and work in a multi-national drug-discovery company alongside industry experts.
Find out more about programmeWork Experience
Here at AstraZeneca in the UK we offer GCSE and A-Level (or equivalent) students the opportunity to gain experience in the workplace and explore future career options.
Find out more about programmeStudent Workers and Internships (U.S.)
Join AstraZeneca’s student worker and intern program, and you’ll find a pharmaceutical environment that’s full of opportunities and challenges. You’ll be given meaningful projects from day one, and you’ll get plenty of chances to network within your chosen business area too.
Find out more about programmeIT Apprenticeship Programme (UK)
Our Professional IT Apprenticeship Programme offers a unique opportunity of a four year, real alternative to full time University, with the opportunity to study for a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions.
Find out more about programmeNorth West Apprentice Programme (UK)
This apprenticeship programme starts annually in September and offers a variety of different opportunities at our Macclesfield and Speke sites.
Find out more about programmeUndergraduates
IT Software Development 12-month Industrial Placement
R&D Information offers individuals a superb opportunity to gain valuable work experience developing software to Make IT Inspire R&D.
Find out more about programmeInnovative Medicine and Early Development Undergraduate Industrial Student Programme
The IMED Undergraduate Industrial Student (UIPS) Programme introduces individuals to the world of ground-breaking drug discovery, embedding undergraduates within highly dedicated teams driven to creating impactful new medicines.
Find out more about programmeInternships
Here at AstraZeneca in the UK we offer undergraduates the opportunity to apply to paid internship places to gain an ‘insight’ into a particular sector or role, in a global organisation.
Find out more about programmeMedImmune Industrial Placements
Explore a MedImmune career as we strive to better more lives, more often, around the world.
Find out more about programmePharmaceutical Technology & Development Summer Placements (UK)
The Pharmaceutical Technology & Development Summer Placement Programme introduces you to the world of ground-breaking drug development, embedding you in highly dedicated teams, committed to delivering impactful new medicines to patients.
Find out more about programmePharmaceutical Technology & Development 12 month Industrial Placement (UK)
The Pharmaceutical Development 12-month Industrial Placement introduces you to the world of ground-breaking drug development, embedding you in highly dedicated teams committed to delivering impactful new medicines to patients.
Find out more about programmeLeaders in Finance Tomorrow (U.S.)
The Leaders in Finance Tomorrow (LIFT) is an AstraZeneca US internship program that provides the best and the brightest students with a unique opportunity to gain meaningful finance and accounting experiences in the pharmaceutical industry.
Find out more about programmeGraduates/Masters
Operations at AstraZeneca
Operations at AstraZeneca brings innovation from our science labs to patients, touching every part of the business. As such, we have a pivotal role to play in helping our company embody its purpose and achieve its bold ambition.
Find out more about programmeBiometrics and Information Sciences (B&I) Graduate Programme (UK, Sweden and Poland)
The Biometrics and Information Sciences (B&I) graduate programme is designed to provide you with the opportunity to support analysis and reporting as well as become future leaders for the Biometrics and Information Sciences function.
Find out more about programmeIT Leadership Programme (UK, U.S., Sweden, India, Japan and China)
Starting in 2018, the two-year programme comprises four rotations, each lasting six months and each increasing in the responsibility and challenge it offers. You could be working on business process change, testing business solutions, implementing cloud-based technologies, developing mobile applications and lots more besides.
Find out more about programmePharmaceutical Technology & Development Programme (UK and Sweden)
Our Pharmaceutical Technology & Development team are responsible for designing and developing the innovative products and manufacturing processes that change patients' lives every day from concept right through to delivery. This is your chance to be a part of that change. Our two-year programme starts in September 2017 and includes three distinct rotations through different areas of PT&D.
Find out more about programmeOperations Global Graduate Associates Programme (Global)
Join our Operations Global Graduate Associates Programme and you could be working on real, life-saving projects right from the start, supported by the best colleagues the industry has to offer.
Find out more about programmeIMED Early Phase Drug Discovery Graduate Programme (UK, U.S. and Sweden)
With a placement in the IMED Biotech Unit, you'll help translate the scientific advances we're making into the next generation of life-saving medicines. These are real projects with real responsibility. You could even be involved in our next scientific breakthrough. We have placements available at our three strategic sites in the US (Waltham, Massachusetts), Sweden (Gothenburg) and the UK (Cambridge).
Find out more about programmePostdoc opportunities
Pharmaceutical Postdoctoral and PhD Studentship Programs (UK, U.S. and Sweden)
Postdoctoral scientists will have the opportunity to conduct independent cutting-edge work in state-of-the-art laboratories while learning and interacting with other AstraZeneca scientists.
Find out more about programmePreparing your resume
First impressions are lasting ones
- Emphasise what you've done, not what you want to do
- Find experiences in your life where you've demonstrated the behaviors listed in a job description
- Highlight your contact information and make sure your voicemail message is clear
- Make pertinent information like education, professional experience, leadership roles, team participation and volunteer experience easy to find
- Be honest about your experiences
- Format your resume so it's readable, concise and in a recognisable font
- Don't be too lengthy. One page is preferable, but two can be acceptable if you've got a lot of experience
- Use descriptive verbs to present your experiences
- Be specific and have evidence to support your statements
- Title your sections clearly: Education, Work Experience, Skill Sets, Activities/Achievements
- Keep it short, sweet and to the point
What to avoid on a pharmaceutical resume
- Wordiness. Use short sentences. Treat your resume like an advertisement and use complete phrases
- Excessive use of borders, italics and fancy fonts. They don't upload cleanly into online systems
- Small fonts. Stick to 10-12 point
- Too much bold type. Only enbold major achievements