Blend Test Services - Industrial Placement Student Review

Lubrizol is a great company to work for. I learned valuable work and life skills and met an amazing group of people. Truly enjoyed my year.

After all the relevant training I was made to feel like a full-time member of staff by everyone. I was treated like any other member of staff and was never made to feel like a hindrance.

I was given very good support when needed and also taught when to ask for help and when to trust my own judgement. There was also other members of staff around to ask any questions, I was never only reliant on my manager or supervisor.

The volume of work fluctuated on a daily basis, however as I was responsible for my own work load I ensured that I would never be left with nothing to do, whilst maintaining a good work balance to ensure tasks were completed to the highest standard.

I was responsible for my daily workload and also given plenty of opportunity to take on more, or new challenges. As I worked in a small laboratory communication was essential among the staff to ensure all tasks were completed efficiently, especially if team members were on holiday.

I developed valuable laboratory skills which will help in my final year and any future job roles. I also developed a number of personal skills including, but not limited to; time management, presentation skills and customer service.

The atmosphere in my office could be varied depending on the workload, however, it was never tense or unwelcoming, if anyone came to ask a question someone would always stop their work and help. As it was an office of boys, I learned a lot more about the Derby and Nottingham football teams than I really wanted too!

Generally very organised and everyone was always willing to pick up suggestions for improvements for the next year of students.

The company invested a lot in all their students, from the highly important training, like working with hazardous substances to some non-compulsory courses including manual handling and presentation skills.

Quite a few previous students are working in Lubrizol, within BTS or elsewhere, so there may be the option of future employment if any positions are available.

The social scene was alright, many of the students studied around the midlands so went to visit friends or families most weekends, but at least twice a month there would be some sort of night out or trip organised.

Generally living was quite cheap as long as you had a car, otherwise you were shopping in the local supermarkets which are more expensive. As Derby is a student city there was always student deals of sort, from bars to clothes shops.

As Derby is a student city there were a number of bars and clubs, some better than others, but like any other city good nights out were often dependant on who you were with. As long as there was a good group of people nights out were great.

The sports and social club were very active, generally at least once a month there would be a trip of some sort, for example, GoApe, go-karting, trips to York and London, outdoor climbing days and caving trips. There were also a number of weekly sports sessions including badminton and indoor climbing.