Analytical Scientist (IP) Review

It was quite slow to start with due to necessary training, but once the work picked up and I was able to get more involved my enjoyment of the placement increased a lot. The team were really friendly and helpful and it is a relaxed work environment for a large company.

From the start of the placement I was treated as a full member of the team, not just as a student. I was given a lot of responsibility, so I felt trusted, and I felt that my input was valued by the rest of the team. It is quite a collaborative workplace.

I had weekly 1 to 1 meetings with my line manager to talk about my workload and any concerns I had or guidance I needed. I also felt that I could approach any member of the team, not just my managers or supervisors, for support and guidance if I needed it.

For the most part it was a good balance, however the start was slightly boring due to the amount of training and required reading. The work did pick up but I was able to be flexible and manage my own time around the project requirements, however the pace did not continue to the end of the placement so there were times towards the end where I did not have much to do.

I was given a lot of responsibility during the placement as I was usually unsupervised and able to plan my own work around the project requirements. This was usually guided or supported by different members of the team who I reported back to, but the responsibility for the work was mine.

The skills I developed will be very beneficial going forwards in my degree and future work as I worked as an analytical scientist and was able to gain many specific laboratory and analytical skills, as well as transferable ones, which I will apply to future lab work. There were some skills (specific techniques) which I was hoping to be able to gain on the placement but unfortunately were not available to me, which was not clear at the point of application or interview.

The general atmosphere was quite relaxed and easy-going. There was a hierarchy, but everyone was friendly and approachable regardless of their level in the business. It was a very supportive environment too, with a focus on peoples personal development and growth. There were also lots of events on, usually for charity, and celebrations of successes in different areas.

I think there could have been more communication before the start of the placement, but it was well organised overall. There was a meeting at the beginning to outline the projects I would be working on, although this was flexible, and there were several check-ins with the placement organisers to see how it was progressing and if any changes needed to be made.

There was a lot of training available and this was on-going throughout the placement. I was also able to request training on other areas of interest, even if they weren't applicable to the role. It was acknowledged that I wanted to gain as much analytical experience as possible on the placement so it was arranged for me to receive at least basic training on several instruments.

There are opportunities available, including a graduate scheme through the "future leaders" programme, for which a lot of information and support was available for those who want to apply. However, for me personally this is not the field I want to work in for my future employment, but this is not based on my placement experience.

There was a group chat for the placement students which was used to arrange social events. We also used to have lunch together as a big group even though we worked in different areas of the company. There were also team days off-site and team lunches to socialise with the rest of the team.

I think the cost was reasonable, however I did not live in the area, I commuted.

It was more common to go into larger towns than stay in Weybridge.

There were a few opportunities for activities outside of work, such as a team day to Top Golf, a site day to Mercedes world and a Christmas party off-site. There was also the opportunity to spend a paid day volunteering in the community through a company wide scheme called Orange Day.