Automotive Engineer Testing Student Review

I didn't know what to expect from my placement but I really enjoyed my time at Lubrizol and chose to extend my contract for another 2 months. As a student we had the same benefits as the other members of staff and when comparing my time on placement to students from my university at different companies, i got the better deal.

Everyone was exceptional welcoming due to the fact that they have new students every year and have done for many years. They were understanding so I had time to settle into my role, I could ask anyone about areas of Lubrizol and time to get used to the internal systems.

I had regular meetings with my manager to discuss my project scopes and reviews, I always had the support from my supervisor as he controlled the work I had to do and help me understand my job role. I also has a mentor who is a member of staff from a different department in Lubrizol so i had someone to speak to that was outside of my usual working group.

There were always projects I could take on and tests to get involved with. I was able to make my own choices as to what areas I wanted to be part of and once I had started working on projects I became fully involved so I was in a position to help run the tests if a member of staff was away. Sometimes i would underestimate the time it would take me to complete a task but my manager made sure I wasn't under any pressure from other people for a job to be completed.

I was able to look after the tests when a member of staff was away and manage my own projects which included setting out a plan, presenting my ideas and making decisions to complete the project. I was trusted as much as the other staff to make decisions and write important documents.

I have learnt a lot about time management as i had strict deadlines to meet set internally and from the industry which i will be able to use during my final year of university. due to the wide range of technical knowledge within the company, I learnt how to explain the work i am ding to technical and non-technical minded people.

I was able to share an office with my supervisor and another member of staff from the same department so I was able to ask them a lot questions very easily. The office felt relaxed but they were able to support me and offer guidance. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge from the staff in my office in terms of how to approach situations and project managing but also having a laugh at the same time.

The first few weeks were scheduled so I had a chance to meet different people from different departments and understand how the departments work with each other. During this time I luck enough to be able to work with the previous student for a while to handover the work which i found very beneficial as i had the chance to take on the advice from the student first before taking things over on my own.

My supervisor spent a lot of time with my explaining the systems withing Lubrizol and I was able to receive training of software and equipment as I needed it. The staff were patient with me and were willing to spend a lot of time with me to explain different aspects of my job that i needed to know.

I would consider a job at Lubrizol as I felt respected and content working in this industry and with the staff and I really liked Derby and the location of Lubrizol. A lot of the staff at Lubrizol have previously been students for many years once they have finished degrees so there is an opportunity to join the company at a later date due to the experience that I have gained.

The company takes on between 20 and 30 students a year in different departments and we had an opportunity to meet and arrange living before we started our placement so my first day wasn't as intimidating. The students go out together regularly outside of work as a lot of the students live in one area and like myself, lived with other students. Within my department we went out frequently after work or on special occasions. There were also numerous sports and social activities where I could meet people from other departments.

My house rent was very cheap as it is a house that Lubrizol had set up with a landlord and he always offers the house to Lubrizol students only. There are lots of places to socialize in derby so you can spend as little or as much as you would like. The more people in the house, the cheaper the bills are.

There are a lot of pubs in Derby that are local and cheap and there are a wide range of clubs/bars in the city of Derby so you can always find a place that you will like. Nottingham has a direct bus that runs into the early hours of the morning that is cheap to experience the nightlife somewhere else. As derby has a university, the bars are never empty.

Lubrizol's sports and social club has clubs after work every week including badminton, football and climbing and at a reduced rate so it is cheap to try something new. There are lots of other sports venues locally and plenty of gyms, to join and the university is near the site which holds lectures and other activities.