Process Chemist Review

I enjoyed my placement year a lot as I got a chance to work on exciting cutting edge projects carrying out research which has allowed me to learn so much more than I could have done by remaining at uni. My team are all very friendly and more than happy to help with any problems or challenges I encountered throughout the year. It has also been exciting learning about other research going on within the company by going to many of the events and presentations that are offered here. The only part I did not enjoy was the workload as it could get stressful completing coursework for university along side working full time.

I felt valued by my colleagues as they were interested in my research and always willing to help. However they have all been working within the chemical industry for years whereas I have only been doing so for 10 months so I struggled to contribute to helping them solve their own challenges.

My manager and supervisor offered me a lot of support through out the year. I had monthly meetings with them to catch up on my research and ensure I was enjoying my placement. They always made time to support me and have discussions with me. I was also assigned another mentor to help me in the lab when I first started so that I would always have someone nearby if I needed help. At the start of my placement I felt I needed more help however as soon as I talked to my manager about this the issue was resolved.

This varied from day to day, some days I would have a lot to do if I had a reaction to carry out and university work. Other days I would be less busy if I had to wait for a reaction to go to completion. There was always things to do I just had to organise my time so things did not build up. Also if I had any spare time there was no issue with me carrying out some university work, so no time was wasted.

I was given responsibility to work safely on my own in the lab and carry out my research, also to report any unsafe conditions. I had to plan my own reactions and decide what to do based on the results. I also had the responsibility of organising a monthly team meeting which included organising the agenda and booking a meeting room.

I have learnt a lot of chemistry this year which helped me with my coursework. I have developed skills in report writing and presentation skills which will be helpful when completing my masters degree. I have also developed my lab skills and understanding of the techniques used which will be invaluable for my future career in the chemical industry, this is experience I would not have gained at university.

The atmosphere in the office is very friendly and open, it is a big office so there are a lot of people but it is usually still relatively quiet. The office is open plan which provided a collaborative environment so I could easily talk to people and ask for support. The office has a relaxed but professional atmosphere allowing me to complete my work without feeling under pressure.

The placement was set up well and everything was organised before I arrived. It was clear who my supervisors were and the work I would be carrying out with them. My supervisors set reasonable deadlines for placement work and university work to help me stay on track to achieving my goals. All relevant training was given in the fist few weeks and any extra training needed was easily accessible.

They invested a lot in terms of training as many training sessions were carried out for new starters/ students at the start of the placement. we were actively encouraged to go to additional training sessions and to learn as much as we could. My supervisor assisted me a lot in terms of personal development by helping me set objectives for the year and suggesting ways I could meet these objectives.

Future employment prospects are very appealing, especially the graduate programmes then run. these programmes allow you to work on shorter placements in different areas of the company to gain more experience. I believe my placement here will give me an advantage compared to people who haven't done a placement as I have gained a lot more diverse skills.

Yes there was a good social scene and all the students got very close and often did things after work and on the weekends. The students are given each others contact details so they can get to know each other before the placement and arrange house shares. Colleagues sometimes met outside of work or went for meals to celebrate any successes.

The cost of living is not expensive as Macclesfield is a small town so rent is reasonable. Also there are supermarkets such as aldi in the town centre so food shopping is cheap. The pubs and restaurants vary in price but most are reasonably priced and there is a whether spoons so theres always a cheaper option.

The nightlife was not great as Macclesfield only has 2 clubs, also taxis are difficult to get and can be expensive. However there are a lot of nice pubs and restaurants to go to in the evenings. Also Manchester is only a 20 minute train journey away you can go on nights out there.

I have many opportunities to take part in activities outside of work. There are chances to get involved with things such as volunteering. They also have a food club where they go to a different restaurant every month. There is also a walking club and other activities such as sports teams.