Industrial Placement Student in Metals Department Review

I have found my experience both enriching and enjoyable for several reasons. Firstly, the working environment - in the lab, office, and RSSL as a whole - is pleasant, stimulating and motivates us to strive for excellence. As a student, I find that my internship presents me ample opportunities and challenges, keeping me usefully busy and ready to problem-solve by applying skills that I am constantly acquiring and practicing. By participating in projects relevant to the wider community, I am also able to collaborate and communicate with colleagues across RSSL and its various departments and labs. All in all, I find that this experience offers me an interesting blend of lab and office work, helping me to keep a good balance.

As our lab comprises a small group of dedicated members, each and every one is key in driving success. Right from when I joined the lab at the start of my internship, my seniors made me feel valued as a key member and colleague. This played a pivotal role in helping me deliver good results. I feel that I have been able to foster and maintain a dynamic work ethic due to the various projects and tasks that keep me on my toes, learning, thinking and applying. In addition, I have been able to build a healthy relationship with colleagues in the lab and across the wider company as a result of various platforms for interaction such as inter-lab projects, community and social activities. These inspire continuous two-way effort and an inspiring blend of formality and informality, while always maintaining professionalism.

Generally speaking, a balanced mix of self-learning and reading supported by hands-on and supervised practicals is employed during the training procedure. Thanks to the guidance of both my supervisor and manager, as well as the support of my other colleagues, the start of my internship was smooth in terms of the logistics and social aspects of transitioning from university to a professional work environment. The initial stages of training entailed a fairly large amount of reading and studying, not only for learning the specific techniques in the lab, but also for familiarisation with company-wide policies. Once I established a good pace, I found myself dipping my feet deeper and deeper into routine work and projects, just like the other employees. All throughout, everyone was very receptive and responsive to any questions and queries, big or small, which played a crucial party in helping me develop and progress. If I made a mistake, I conducted a process of working backwards to find the root cause, under the guidance of my supervisor/colleague. The more experienced and senior team members gave me useful and interesting tips and advice along the way to improve my skills as an analyst.

From the time that my seniors found me sufficiently trained in the various techniques in the lab, they gave me a multitude of routine analyses and projects to complete and deliver results. Due to the nature of our work and the need to work towards deadlines and meet them in a timely manner, the daily routine can get quite intense and packed but it is this very fact that motivates us to keep putting in our best.

Doing a year-long placement as opposed to a three-month summer internship provides you with a unique package of skills and experiences that will be useful both in further studies and future careers. Through my experience so far, I have been able to sharpen my analytical skills and problem-solving abilities, which will come in handy during my final year of university as I undertake a research project. In addition, I am continuously building on my communication and collaboration skills and professionalism through the opportunities to interact with senior members of the company and the clients we work for. Time-management, prioritization and meticulousness are a few other competencies that I am able to develop. Moreover, the technical knowledge that I have gained and will continue to acquire will stand me in good stead of further studies and careers within the field of physical chemistry.

I found the atmosphere dynamic as well as diverse in terms of nationalities and experiences. With motivated and hard-working colleagues all around, it was easy enough to get into the spirit and work hard myself. In addition to work-related interaction, it was also pleasant to have non-work related conversation in a warm and welcoming environment where colleagues were approachable and friendly.

A series of inductions took place in the first few weeks, which gave us an insight into the company, and the various functions on site. A structured training scheme within the lab allowed me to progress smoothly up the learning ladder. Interns received training records that we were to keep updated. I had a review with my managers after the first month, which allowed me to reflect on my progress thus far and look ahead as well to set goals.

Graduate job opportunities are a possibility after completion of the placement, in addition to the possibility of being employed in a different lab. It is certainly an excellent prospect as I can put my year-long training to use, further build skills that I have acquired, and develop a deeper knowledge of how the company works and participate in growing areas of science and technology. Familiarity with the organization, safety, systems and employees are added bonuses if I return to work here.

Yes. Housing with other interns definitely helped me make friends. In addition, over the months, I made good friends with other colleagues across the company as well and often had lunch together. Through different activities at work, such as community service and participating in the organization of events, I am constantly able to network with different people and forge friendships along the way. Meeting up in town on Fridays or over the weekends is always a lovely way to catch up with everyone.

Within the company itself, there is a plethora of opportunities to participate in activities outside of work. I have been an active member of two dedicated teams, one which organizes activities to fundraise for specific charities and give back to the community, and another which promotes and celebrates diversity in the company through various events. In addition to these, we are informed of other activities that we may want to take part in such as yoga, zumba and more through email. All these opportunities provide fantastic platforms to get to know other people in the business and refresh the mind! What's more, there are always activities and clubs running on the university campus and the city itself, such as choir, which is always an option!