How can analysts improve their professional skills and overall competence? (Participation rewards available)

Thank you to the moderator for bringing up this topic. I would like to start by discussing the issue of professional skills. The most evident manifestation of varying levels of analytical skill is seen when leaders need key data to be presented; those analysts who are chosen for such tasks generally possess high analytical skills. As a competent modern analyst, I believe one should have a solid theoretical foundation in analytical chemistry (including the four main branches of chemistry). If you haven’t received four years of formal education, that’s not a problem – in that case, a modern textbook on analytical chemistry is the best resource for self-study. Once you have acquired this theoretical foundation, you should ask yourself what tasks need to be carried out in analysis, and where the differences between you and others lie in these tasks. These differences include not only variations in practical skills but also the ability to interpret phenomena encountered during analysis, as well as a strong interest in statistics and the capacity to identify abnormal fluctuations in production data. I’d like to start things here; I welcome all members to discuss their professional skills. Once again, I thank the moderators for taking the time to help members solve their problems despite their busy schedules, and for selflessly contributing to Haichuan

Professional skills require long-term accumulation – by observing and learning more, by understanding both oneself and one’s opponents. The more problems one handles, the more experienced one becomes, and thus one’s skill level improves. I believe that knowledge obtained from books alone is far from sufficient. As for comprehensive qualities, in addition to having good professional skills and knowledge, one must also possess certain moral virtues; only by being humble can one reach higher levels

To improve the professional skills and overall competence of analysts, I believe it is necessary to focus on the following aspects: First of all, there should be effective assessment and incentive mechanisms to encourage analysts to love their jobs and fulfill their responsibilities diligently. An analyst, no matter how skilled he or she is, cannot do well in this field if lacking a sense of responsibility. Secondly, training needs to be strengthened. At work, we often encounter some new analysis projects. Even in the absence of new projects, there are still updates to standards and procedures, as well as upgrades to analytical instruments; therefore, we must strengthen training. Third, technical training exercises are carried out regularly. If you don’t speak for three days, your speech becomes awkward ； If you don’t practice for three days, your skills fade. Some basic analytical skills can be applied in daily work, while others are not. To keep analysts at a high level, opportunities such as on-the-job training can be utilized to give them another chance to review what they know and learn new things.

To improve the professional skills and overall competence of analysts, I believe it should be done in three stages. Chemical analysis professionals should make use of their time wisely to thoroughly hone their practical skills, so as to achieve a high level of expertise in their field. The first stage is the stage of perceptual understanding, aimed at forming concepts. By using laboratory analysis instruments, analysts can gain a relatively comprehensive and standardized understanding of the basic operations involved in analysis. By watching videos, they can see the standard procedures for various analysis tasks; thereafter, analysis engineers demonstrate these operations in person and point out the errors that are likely to occur, so that analysts can be aware of them and prepare properly for actual operations. When it comes to operating precision instruments, it is first necessary to become familiar with the instrument’s structure, the rules and requirements for its use, as well as the methods of operation. 　　The second phase is the hands-on practice phase. This stage focuses on basic standardized operations, enabling the intuitive understanding gained in the first stage to be applied in practice; it transforms the conceptual representations of operations into actual actions, turning what needs to be done as conceived in the mind into real-world practice, and converting conceptual ideas into tangible realities. By repeating the operations, one can address the incorrect methods and movements that tend to arise unintentionally during the practice process; everyone should check on each other and correct these errors. As team members, it is essential to be careful and observe the experimental phenomena closely, while recording the experimental data at all times. 　　The third stage is the comprehensive analysis experiment. From sample preparation and preparation, to the preparation of solutions and reagents, the calibration of standard solutions, to the analysis of samples and the calculation of analytical results. By completing one or several complete analysis tasks, analysts can develop comprehensive operational skills, ensure smooth movements while maintaining accuracy, and thus increase the speed of analysis. Furthermore, it analyzes and discusses the reasons for the errors in the measurement results, as well as how to eliminate or reduce these errors in order to improve accuracy and precision.

I think it’s a good idea to post here; I suggest that both new members and experienced users actively contribute by sharing their experiences with each other. I’ve posted before, but I noticed that there were few replies afterward. Recently, I’ve shared quite a lot of materials and work summaries from my past career – this is because I wanted to build on the topic introduced by the moderator. There might be some imperfections in what I write, but they’re all based on my own experience. In the pharmaceuticals section, I saw a post stating that product quality is determined during production, not through testing. I don’t want to argue about this, but I firmly believe that only through collective effort can we increase the popularity of this forum, and prevent others from thinking that those who work in laboratory testing just know how to shake bottles. I hope everyone will work together to make this forum better. Just a humble opinion

To improve the professional skills and overall capabilities of analysts, I believe the following points are important: 1. First and foremost, one must have a mindset of continuous learning throughout life; whether you have four years of theoretical training or not, it is necessary to keep learning after starting work. Many people think they don’t have time to learn after starting work, but in reality… Time is something one finds on their own. 2. Accumulate more knowledge – in actual production, you will encounter many things that are not covered in books; therefore, it is necessary to use your own judgment to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations and come up with solutions to problems. 3. It’s important for newcomers to learn from the experiences of those who have been there before. The experience of some senior colleagues is also something you can’t learn from books; this could be considered a shortcut as well. 4. Next is to summarize, think deeply, and draw inferences from one instance.

I used to work in product development and often interacted with analysts. In my opinion, a competent inspector should possess the following qualities: 1. Familiarity with the principles and methods of common inspection techniques； 2. Know how to avoid or minimize analysis errors ； 3. Learn to communicate with those responsible for synthesis or production, so as to understand what impurities may be present in the substance being tested, how these impurities can affect the analysis results, and what aspects might be overlooked in the test outcomes ； 4. Understand that specific substances need to be treated individually; it’s not possible to apply standards mechanically (one should realize that under normal circumstances, corporate standards are higher than **the standard – and who establishes those corporate standards?) ） ； 5. Correct mistakes when you realize them; it’s possible to make errors that one wouldn’t expect (especially when the results differ significantly from what the production and R&D personnel had anticipated). Don’t dismiss others’ doubts outright – they need to be verified.

Let me say a few words: to improve the quality of employees, there must first be pressure, and that pressure needs to be turned into motivation. Trying to force things through exams and similar methods – we’ve been doing this for decades, and it hasn’t worked! They want to learn; if you provide further training and they build on their experience from daily work, they will improve quickly. There are many ways of conducting training: taking people outside, inviting them in, organizing topics on one’s own, holding discussions until all questions are answered. In this way, what one has summarized, though written down on paper, remains firmly in their minds; without any notes, they can still speak for two hours ； Organize more outings and training sessions for staff on a regular basis. By learning from each other’s strengths to compensate for weaknesses, their progress is astonishing. If given the chance to set up an analysis lab on their own, dealing with everyday matters will trouble them; after a few attempts, they will be able to become experts. This is for those who want to learn. He doesn’t want to study; he gets utterly flustered by even the most basic assessments. I want to learn! I’ve learned it well! What to do? Promote them! I want a raise! Only in this way can a positive cycle be created, and an analysis supervisor can become “unemployed”! Your training is now complete! A qualified trainer is one who is idle and lazy, yet highly admired by his subordinates. A perspective.

I think students in science and engineering should be well aware that the essence of technology lies in logic and standardization. Therefore, the foundation for improving skills lies in enhancing logical thinking, while standardization is a matter of habit; developing such habits naturally leads to an improvement in overall quality. 1. The principle of standardization is simple: seek advice humbly from those with more experience, by observing, listening, learning, and asking questions. Then, develop good working and thinking habits to form a work style that meets the standards. Then congratulations – your behavior is already considered to have a \"masterful style\" in the eyes of experts. 2. The concrete manifestation of logical thinking is the organization in conducting experiments. Designing and conducting experiments oneself, from the principles to data recording and results – all these aspects reflect logical thinking, as does the ability to analyze problems. Therefore, to improve logical thinking, one must start with experiments, by doing more, thinking more, asking more questions, and drawing more conclusions. Prolonged accumulation will surely lead to a breakthrough. 3. In reality, all techniques are interconnected; the more you practice, the more skilled you become, and once you master one, it’s easier to master others. Even if you can’t do it, with the foundation from the previous two points, learning by following national standards will make it easier.

Improving the competence of analysts generally involves two aspects: First, self-improvement, which requires making time to learn and keep learning. Second: company training. Some companies hold internal training sessions to improve the skills of employees in various positions, with technical staff from the company giving lectures or by inviting external experts. In short, improvement is one’s own responsibility; there is knowledge to be found everywhere if one pays attention.