Packaging Technologist Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement with Mars. Going into it I was not sure what to expect, but I was warmly welcomed and soon felt at home there. My manager gave me projects that were relevant to my course and relevant to areas I wanted to learn more about or improve upon. This allowed me to really increase my technical knowledge. In my projects my people skills were put to the test, and I thoroughly enjoyed building connections with people both inside and outside the business.

Mars is a fantastic place to work, despite being on an industrial placement I felt that my opinions and ideas were listened to and that I was a valued member of the team. At Mars your job status doesn't matter, everyone is treated as an equal and is encouraged to make their ideas known. I felt that my colleagues saw me as an important member of the team and valued my specialist knowledge.

At Mars there is a large focus on personal development, and my manager was keen to assist me wherever he could in my development. We had regular one to one meetings, identifying areas to focus on to try and improve, and ways that this could be achieved. I was given a mentor as I came into the role, and he was there to support me every step of the way, happy to assist with any problems, be it work or project related, or problems I was having outside of work. I could not have asked for more in this aspect of the placement

Throughout the year the workload increased as I became more confident and I got given more projects. As the projects reached different stages there were some days where I barely had time to sit down, needing to go and speak to someone or solve a problem, but there were other days that were much more relaxed with nothing too pressing to do. I think this was a great balance, as in the quieter times I could plan my projects to help the busier times run more smoothly. If I ever had nothing to do, my team members could always come up with a new mini-project that needed doing to keep me engaged.

As the placement progressed, and my manager gained more faith in me, I gained more and more responsibility. I was leading projects that were not critical to the business, but that would not make it to market in time if I did not complete my sections on time. As a placement student I wasn't sure how much responsibility I would be given, but by the end of the placement I would say I was trusted with projects as much as any of my other colleagues.

A lot of the skills I have learnt are not directly transferrable to my degree, however they are great life skills, and will be invaluable when in future jobs. I have learnt some testing techniques and information that are useful to know for my degree, but not essential by any means. The main thing that myself and the people around me have noticed an improvement in is my confidence and my people skills, and this is probably the most pleasing part of the placement for me. I would definitely recommend the placement despite not seeming fully linked to my degree at all times.

We have an open plan office at Mars, which means everyone is very open to you coming over to their desk to ask questions, and there is a relaxed atmosphere, where managers are in the same office as other employees. Everyone is extremely friendly and happy to help, yet determined and hard working. It is like this not only in my office, but in all segments of the company that I have visited.

The placement was well planned, with several training courses set up for us when we joined to get me up to speed quickly. The projects were tailored to my interests which helped make the placement even more enjoyable, and this shows a great deal of planning and flexibility from management. There were times where there was a bit of ambiguity, but after talking to the managers, they made an effort to sort this out as soon as they could.

I had a personal development plan (everyone in the company does) and was encouraged to select areas to work on, with help of my manager. I had several training courses to learn about Mars as a company, its history and its other business segments. I also had several training courses to learn technical knowledge that would help me on a day to day basis. There is a large focus in the company on increasing technical and personal development through training.

I would love to come back to Mars, doing a similar job role. There are many business segments, so I there are plenty of options of similar job roles around the country. There are two options to consider for returning to Mars, the R&D graduate scheme, or a direct entry place. These two options will appeal to different people so it is great to have the choice. If you have had a successful placement, you will be encouraged to return.

There was three placement students on our site, but there was also a regular influx of people on the graduate scheme, so there was always plenty of people a similar age (under 25) who were up for doing things. We had plenty of team events with work, events outside work, during weeknights or weekends. There was always plenty of people to socialise with.

I lived in Leeds so there was always plenty to do, at a range of prices. If we desired there was expensive bars and restaurants, but at the same time there was student areas that were cheaper drinks and food. This was the best of both worlds, and is a great transition from student to young professional. There is also a range of house prices, from top of the range flats, to cheaper shared houses.

It was brilliant! Coming from Exeter to Leeds, there was a huge contrast. There is an abundance of bars and clubs in Leeds, and always something to do. There is also Leeds Festival, which I went to with some other placement students, which was an unforgettable weekend. This year has definitely had the best nightlife I have experienced.

There were lots of activities to get involved with outside of work. There were organised dance classes, fishing trips and football matches. Being in Leeds there was something for everyone. We organised many trips on weekends, such as trips to a climbing wall, going bowling, having meals out, playing crazy golf and much more!