Industrial Placement Student Review

The placement was very enjoyable and I gained a lot from my time here. Colleagues were welcoming and encourage you to get the most out of the placement year, to learn as many new skills as possible. There is also a nice community within the placement students, who regularly meet within and outside of work.

I have worked in a small team on a high tier project, and my work is truly valued as it impacts an important project within the company. Placement students in general after sufficient training and time in the company seem to be treated like regular employees, and our work is important.

I am supervised on a day to day basis by someone who I have close contact with in the lab and in the office. It is easy for me to approach them with any and all questions about daily or more long-term work. There was definitely a lot more guidance given at the start of the year when I was unsure of my project work, but now I am more independent but guidance is still there if needed.

At the beginning of the placement I was busy due to extensive training. Then once I settled into a project I remained busy with experimental work. During the year as my university deadlines got closer I did become too busy to balance the two, and for some time after my university deadlines I became less busy with not much project work to due (albeit due to equipment restraints). However, during the year on average I have had enough work to do to keep things interesting.

I am expected to carry out experimental work to the level of an employee and this work impacts upon the progress of a high-tier company project. I am also responsible for presenting my work at cross-industry collaborative meetings. I am supported constantly with the things I am responsible for, however.

I have gained invaluable skills in analytical and general practical chemistry techniques that I would not have gained at university. This additional knowledge of how things actually work in real life (i.e HPLC, MS) have aided my studies this year. I received extensive training on NMR theory, HPLC theory and attended courses on scientific writing skills and literature review writing skills, which have also massively helped with my university course this year.

The office is open plan, so everyone is very approachable if you need to speak to them about an issue or project. Everyone is friendly and the office has a relaxed atmosphere and variable work spaces if you need a change of scenery.

The year has been very well-organised. The training at the beginning of the year was well-planned and nothing was left out, and any training courses available throughout the year were also well-organised. At the start of the year our introduction to the company and our teams was also organised well.

I have been given opportunities to complete every training course available, and attend lectures from a variety of internal and external speakers throughout the year. My supervisor regularly gives feedback on my work, and advice for personal improvement (whether that be lab work or experimental write-ups). I have also been given the opportunity to complete an RSci qualification.

I have chosen to go onto further education so am not aware of the ability to go on to employment after the placement year. I am not aware of other placement students that have landed a job here after their placement, and I think many students are instead encouraged to complete the AZ graduate scheme first.

The students have formed a tight knit social group who meet for lunch in the staff canteen daily, as well as meet up several times a week outside of work. There is a climbing centre right near work, so that offers a nice social space for students/colleagues to relax after work.

For socialising, Manchester is close and cheap to get to by train for a night out, and if not Macclesfield has a wide variety of pubs which aren't too expensive. There are various supermarkets, including an Aldi. Housing isn't too expensive either.

Manchester isn't too far to get to by train which has a big student Nightlife. Macclesfield has a variety of pub and pub quiz nights, and it's own nightclub.

Each year there is an opportunity to complete a team volunteering day. The peak district isn't too far, and there are some clubs that organise walks around Macclesfield (for example in Macclesfield forrest). I also attended an AZ badminton club during my time here, and I am sure there are multiple similar clubs.