Industrial Placement - Chemistry Review

Enjoyable work, which was challenging and gave me a good level of experience. Unfortunately COVID stopped it being a particularly beneficial experience, as we were taken out of the labs just as we were reaching our stride with knowing what to do. But there was an exciting range of different chemistry that I got to do, as well as having fun outside the confines of work. There was a nice level of organised work events, such as pub lunches and Christmas dos.

Close colleagues showed plenty of respect, and all understood the situation really well. The vast majority of other workers also valued us as colleagues, though there were times where some employees seemed to revel in the fact that they knew more chemistry than us - maybe needed to just go about things slightly differently. But on the whole, were given a good level of work, and colleagues were mostly attentive when I was presenting in meetings.

Both my supervisors were fantastic in helping me with applications, advising me on coursework/how to manage my time. Really appreciated it how they were willing to go above and beyond to make sure I got the best grade possible, but also improved as a scientist - didn't do things for me, just gave me the hints I needed to help. Sought out internal opportunities for me to experience different parts of the company, and supported me when I wanted to take part in the SCI retrosynthesis competition in work time.

Whilst at work it was a good level, however when it's come to working virtually obviously it was unprecedented, so haven't had a great deal of work to do.

I would say an appropriate level of responsibility - I was allowed to go on my own and interact with other departments when I wanted to, but always knew that I would be able to count on my managers support and advice when I needed it. In the lab itself, whilst always having to have experiments signed off for safety, we were allowed to try different chemistry when we found it, which was exciting and gave you more of an ownership when you wanted to take it.

Definitely gave a good insight into the industry, exposed to lots of different job roles and highlighted important areas of development. Was given plenty of opportunities to present and develop other soft skills. Crucially, as a result of doing it with my university, I was able to get great feedback on what my colleagues thought of my writing style, and what I could do to improve it. During lockdown, a range of opportunities were given for us to develop our skills.

In the actual lab, there was a pleasant working atmosphere, with a nice level of music and we were able to chat and have a laugh so we never got bored. At the same time, when working was required, was never at a stage where I felt people were distracting me from the work I needed to do, and so that was good. In the office itself had to be very quiet, which I understand, but made for a weird atmosphere.

All the expectations of me were made clear from day 1, with easy communication if I wasn't doing something that was expected of me. The key courses which were required of all industrial placement students were obviously set out, and the process was really well co-ordinated with my university degree. All the onboarding by SRG was clearly set out, as was the offboarding. Think some of the penalties for making slight mistakes re. holiday are harsh.

As I said previously, there were a wide range of onboarding courses to go through, which gave a good insight into the company and helped development in that sense. From there, plenty of opportunities to present were given, though a little more feedback would have been brilliant, just to ensure I knew what was good and where I could improve. Opportunities to produce posters were appreciated, as were the opportunity to produce a review and help contribute to papers.

I think it is very rare to get an offer from a placement, so in that sense it is difficult to achieve - believe my boss was the last person hired off a placement. The actual company itself seems to be behind it's competitors in the field in terms of innovation in science, especially having had the opportunity to witness work done by Merck and AZ. The environment is fairly enjoyable, though I don't believe that would make it stand out as a place to work.

There was a good level of socialising, where if you wanted to join in with activities you always felt like you could - I enjoyed playing 5-a-side every week with my fellow students for example. In spite of a heavy workload, I never felt excluded from any activities, which I believe is an attitude fostered by the week beforehand spent getting to know the fellow chemists. Was able to make a good group of friends, who I will hopefully stay in touch with.

Being near London, the cost of living in Stevenage is pretty high, especially as the place doesn't have a great deal of entertainment to offer in itself. Most of Stevenage is in walking distance which is useful at least, though whether you'd want to walk through the maze of underpasses late at night is a personal decision. Food was fairly reasonably priced - and the salary takes into account the extra cost of living. London is close by, and can be accessed on the train for a reasonable price.

No real night clubs in Stevenage, with only Bar and Beyond offering anything resembling a club. The main perk again is being so close to London - having a house in Stevenage was useful on New Years for example. There are a range of pubs in Stevenage, which can allow for an enjoyable night, but overall it isn't fantastic. Plenty of cinemas, and there is a theatre if you enjoy that sort of thing - comedians visited it fairly frequently. Easy access to Cambridge too.

There were a range of different activities to be done, such as 5-a-side football, or using the subsidised gym. The main limitation is of what other people want to do - if you have enough people wanting to do something, then you'll find a way to be able to do it, as I can imagine is the case with most places. Not a massive amount actually organised by the company, but that didn't really matter too much.