Mechanical Testing Support Engineer Review

Being at Lubrizol was very enjoyable and also incredibly valuable. One of the things that makes it such a good company to work for is to do with the fact that there are so many students; this year there were 20 students so you manage to easily maintain a social life while on your year away from University.

Whilst at Lubrizol, I was always treated as a full time member of staff and never got under-minded due to the fact I was student. Whether or not they got taken forward, my opinions were always welcomed and valued. Some staff would even come to speak to the students for advice as we enter with a fresh mind and don't stick to the norm within the company.

As with every workplace, there are certain members of staff which are much more helpful than others, however I can honestly say that everyone was supportive and would always give assistance when needed. My supervisor for the year was incredibly helpful, nothing was ever too much trouble and due to his love for Engineering, he was always more than happy to give me advice.

Some days were busier than others as you'd expect but it would very much depends on what projects are happening within Lubrizol at the time. Towards the beginning of my placement, I was given a research project so was very busy with that as it involved me planning a new test based on my findings. Things slowed down towards the middle however in the last few months, once again I have been incredibly busy.

As mentioned previously, what you do very much depends on the projects that are currently running. In the last few months of placement I was put in charge of an extremely important project which kept me incredibly busy. This job in particular gave me much more responsibility that I initially thought I would have received which is great yet daunting! If you show you are willing and can prove yourself, Lubrizol will trust you with projects as though you are a full time engineer.

I didn't receive any formal training at Lubrizol, I did however gain a lot of skills by doing. I learnt many of the basic engineering principles which university don't go into detail about such as limits and fits, and drilling and tapping sizes. I also picked up invaluable skills with regards to manufacturing and I now think in a completely different way when designing parts. I am now proficient in Solidworks, not due to courses, but by having lots of practice and advice from other engineers.

My office atmosphere changed throughout the year as certain staff members changed department and we got new people in. I can say however that no matter who I was with, it was a very relaxed environment. Obviously some people are louder than others, more talkative than others, and more up for a laugh and a joke; but everyone at Lubrizol that I met was lovely so it wouldn't have mattered who I shared an office with.

In all honesty, my placement was a little disorganised but I know that in previous years it has been brilliant. I was unlucky with timings as very influential members of staff changed departments or left the company. These people were directly involved with my placement which is why I was effected. They have now filled all of these roles so I have no doubt that the students to come will once again have a seamless and exciting placement year.

I did not receive any professional training, but my supervisor was extremely knowledgeable so taught me most things himself. I was allowed to send time in different areas around Mechanical Testing in order to get experience and when I asked about going on a course I got told that I could (the only problem was that there wasn't a course available at the time). Lubrizol are supportive so if the opportunities are there, I'm sure they'd allow you to take them.

I personally will not be returning to Lubrizol but that is because the area of work is not for me. The company itself has some great employees and if you're interested in testing and design it's perfect. If you were to look at the wider picture, I wouldn't write Lubrizol off completely as they do have different areas of work such as Advanced Materials as well as their Additives side so I'd consider that side; however I would not return to Hazelwood purely for the fact I don't enjoy this type of Engineering.

I cannot say a bad word about the social scene here in Derby. There are loads of things to do and places to go depending on what you're into, and the fact that there are so many students makes it so much fun. I have done more, and been out more this year whilst on placement than I did during my first two years at university.

I have really enjoyed living in Derby and in comparison to other places I have lived, it's not expensive. The nightlife is good and there are plenty of club/pubs due to the fact there is a university here. With respect to living costs, the house I stayed in was lovely and much cheaper than any student house I have stayed in before. I'd happily live in Derby when I am looking for a graduate job.

Basically covered this in the previous two points but in comparison to anywhere I have been for a night out, Derby is the best. I'm not going to lie, I haven't been to many places, but there are so many places you can go in Derby which will suit everyone. If you get bored of Derby, Nottingham is only a bus ride away so you're not stuck in one city.

There is so much you can get involved with outside of work. Lubrizol has a Sports and Social Committee that organise events and put on weekly sports clubs. There is weekly Badminton and Football which are great ways to meet people, and also one off events too. Go Karting is put on a few times a year and every two years Lubrizol will put on their Bi-Yearly ball. I'd definitely recommend you take advantage of this committee as the trips are all subsidised.