Tribology Research and Development Placement Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Lubrizol. The experience I gained working with colleagues of varying job status, experience and background will be invaluable for my progression with my degree. The subjects specific to my work were foreign to me at first but i have come away from this year having learned more than I could have from university or books. It also allowed growth in areas non-specific to my degree as you work with a diverse range of people from different industries/backgrounds. I do not think I would have had the same experience anywhere else.

Lubrizol has a real sense of community where everyone is more than happy to help. As a student I felt my opinions were valued and respected in the same way a full time employee's would be. I was given a lot of responsibility for the projects I worked on.

This placement was technically challenging, however help from not only supervisors but all full time employees o site was always available.

Due to the research nature of this job, the work load varied enormously depending on ow well the work was going. During busy times support was always available and quieter times allowed time for independent study and background research.

Responsibility varied dependent on the project. In some cases I simply ran tests to support others research yet in others I was given free reign on where i wanted to take the project or on how a particular test should be run.

Lubrizol puts a huge emphasis on developing students skills such as presentations, written reports, contact meetings, project planning etc. There are multiple opportunities throughout the year to improve on these skills so they become second nature.

The general atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, employees are often not just colleagues but also friends however a standard of professionalism is always maintained.

The placement was well organised with plenty of opportunities for students to develop themselves in addition to their specific job roles.

Personal training was readily available to those who wanted it. Training specific to your job role was always arranged and additional training was encouraged.

I would definitely consider future employment with Lubrizol.

There was a really good social scene, the company had a Sports and Social club which organised trips/activities on and off site allowing us to socialise withe each other as well as employees from different departments. There were also about 25 students, so we also had a good social life outside of work.

Living costs in Derby city are very low.

There were plenty of different bars, pubs and restaurants to socialise in, with a few good night clubs and Nottingham was only 30mins away.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved with including charity work, work as a STEM ambassador and the sports and social committee.