Lab Technician Review

I have enjoyed my placement a lot, it's very different to a university environment and allowed for many development opportunities which you wouldn't necessarily gain at university

At no point whatsoever have I felt left out, not trusted with my work or that i was 'the student', I was made to feel part of the team immediately

My supervisor changed part way through my year due to busy schedules, however both my new and old supervisor are always around to offer help of advice with anything and willing to give up some time to help me with anything I need

Personally, i haven't been rushed off my feet and there have been periods of quiet workload where I have been bored, however I used those quiet periods to complete university tasks, develop my project or assist others in anything I could - there is always something to do, it just may not be your first choice or the most interesting task. The beginning of the year was quieter due to only being trained to complete one test, meaning there was a limited volume of work I could do without assistance

Plenty of responsibility - I currently single handedly manage two instruments with multiple tests, and previously another two until a new staff member started, I also have control over my own project which include writing the procedure and training guide for the test method.

I'm unsure as to whether they will assist at university but the interpersonal skills i've gained along with working experience will hopefully help me achieve a good graduate job, and it has taught me the value of working with a good team.

At every team meeting there is cake, or there is cake when it's someone's birthday, or there is cake because it's a thursday - basically there is always cake so don't expect to diet here! I work in a fairly large office so sometimes it can be disruptive to working with people being loud on the telephone however this depends on how you work as an individual.

Everything was communicated well from Lubrizol, starting dates, familiarisation with the work place and the other students, tours and induction material. My university were the ones who were disorganised

There are often training days you can attend - for example, becoming a STEM leader

There are many departments within lubrizol so i'm sure there are plenty of opportunities, it just depends on the timings

There are 20+ students at lubrizol, and we regularly go for drinks after work, or participate in the S&SC events, or we organise nights out on the weekends. With colleagues there's always the opportunity for a pub lunch, or meals at certain times of the year

Rent is super cheap, gym memberships for 24 hour gyms are cheap, nights out on saturdays are cheaper than most cities however not quite student prices

Not many clubs - approx 3, lots of bars with cocktail deals though

There are many clubs that run after work such as badminton or climbing