Product developer Review

I had mixed feelings before starting and I was quite overwhelmed about the idea of working for a year. But from the moment i started i felt more comfortable in my role. The scheme offers wonderful opportunities that most employees do not have access to in the first year. Such as networking with the leadership team including members of the board and a presentation as well to the leadership team. Having around 10 other interns spaced out in different teams in the company lets you know your lot alone as well as sufficiently distancing from them on a day-to-day basis to get on with work

I felt like a member of the team from the moment I joined. The team were very accommodating and friendly, I was given significant responsibility but continuously reminded there was support available as and when I needed it. My colleagues did well to ensure my opinion was considered and relevant. I was treated like an employee which is exactly what you want, but with a few benefits such as being excused for silly or accidental mistakes

i was supported by my line manager and another day-to-day manager. These both provided ongoing support and i had regular meetings to check on progress and pastoral care. There were numerous times when i was unsure what to do and found my workload overwhelming but I put this down to a lack of transparency with the team from my part. Whenever i raised my workload as an issue or asked for help they were very accomodating.

I was very busy, but I wanted to be. I was initially given a single project to manage and provided support with other workstreams. Often work takes longer as an intern as the processes are new to you, BAT are aware of this and there was no pressure to perform at the same efficiency as experiecned employees. A couple of months in I asked for another workstream to manage/get stuck into and this was catered to. If you find the workload to be overwhelming, from my experience the managers were approachable enough to accommodate to my needs.

I was given a considerably important project to the business which helped my acknowledge I was being treated as an employee and not a student. The workstreams I supported with were at the front of the business R&D pipeline so the responsibility was not lost on me. This is very important to make the most out of the placement. All the work I was given felt relevant to the businesses plan. At the same time the responsibility was not overwhelming as I always had the support of my day-to-day manager and colleagues.

As of yet I can not be sure of the full benefits this year has given me, but at the very least I am entering 3rd year with a much better headspace than if I had gone straight in. BAT has taught me key project management and organisational skills, of which I was especially lacking before. Outside of this I have had many opportunities to practice presenting. I have also been fortunate enough to practise with new scientific softwares and develop better lab practice. Other key learnings include different approaches to R&D, including consumer-centric design and development and critical question/fail-fast practices.

The atmosphere was good, generally quite light-hearted on day to day basis. The R&D site has numerous facilities including a good canteen, outside areas, onsite shop, gym and sports halls which go along way to providing a safe, enjoyable experience. As with any office there are times when it is more stressful and there are deadlines to meet but generally it felt like we were a team tackling these together, making it vastly less overwhelming.

The placement team do a lot to make it as seamless as possible and having a dedicated team for the placements meant there were always people to turn to outside of your team, with experience handling interns, if you needed somebody to talk to or had any issues. There were issues at the start in ensuring everybody had laptops and security passes early on, but these were all ironed out in the first month and from then its been easy. The placement team meet with the students once per month in a student-led meeting where any issues can be raised if necessary.

Its generally done on a team by team basis other than the general induction training all employees go through and the odd scientific writing or masterclass course. My team held 4 off-site training days which were great fun where I tried things I had never done before like walk on hot coals. To supplement this there were numerous sessions on average once or twice a month to develop project management skill sand ways of working. If you need any support with specific softwares or lab practices there are numerous sessions throughout the year you can join.

As of yet I have not been offered a job but 3 of the other interns have. I have been told casually I would be welcomed back with open arms if there is a position for me and I expect to be offered a role more formally before I leave. There are many jobs available if necessary and the sheer number of staff who were once on the placement scheme suggests this is a common, sure route into the company.

The Christmas celebrations were great, too many parties to remember and there are many other networking events through the year you will be invited to. Outside of this I had a great time with my fellow interns, I was very lucky to be living with 4 others I got along very well with and we made sure to get out with the other interns regularly to! Until the coronavirus situation happened, luckily I still live with the 4 so I have maintained a half-decent social life

There are many discount supermarkets and relatively cheap pubs if you like that. Our rent was 85 per month which personally I am happy with a this is not much more than I was paying in leeds and will be less than I pay next year.

I personally found the nightlife pretty rubbish but it had a lot to contend with, growing up near London and living in Leeds the last few years. There are a few clubs which are okay but I wouldn't pay to go in. There are some pretty fun bars but again nothing special and I often found returning home to party/chill out the house was the best part of my night. I cant say I explored the nightlife options fully but this is what I know from my experience.

There are a number of activities such as football, badminton, choir etc. that students are more than welcome to join in with. I partook in football which was a great way to meet colleagues from other teams as well as stay active and have some fun. I have also heard if you are interested in starting something the company are happy to support you if enough people want to get involved. Unfortunately coronavirus put a stop to all these activities but I hope they will continue soon.