Industrial Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed it. I found within the department I was based in, as well as other parts of the company I experienced working with, a very friendly and enthusiastic environment. I enjoyed the balance between practical and office work and also valued the opportunity to be able to attend talks by members of other departments.

The relationship I developed with my colleagues was one of the reasons I enjoyed the placement so much. They were all active in offering help and guidance if I required it and showed appreciation for the work I did.

My supervisor was quite busy so I didn't receive as much support from them as I would have liked. I would have preferred more regular meetings. However, when I did approach them with issues they provided helpful advice. If my supervisor wasn't available to help, there were always other members of the department willing and able to give guidance.

At the beginning I didn't have much to do as I wasn't assigned an individual project until a couple of months in. However, this gave me chance to read around the subject area, get used to the environment and attend lectures given by other departments. However, for the last 2/3 of the year I was much busier with routine as well as project work.

For the first project I was very guided with little decision making necessary however I was given the responsibility of presenting the data to the department I was working for. For the second project I was given much more responsibility both in choosing and performing protocols as well as liaising with collaborators and technical support representatives. In addition, I was given the opportunity to run the routine experiments on several occasions.

I am currently pursuing the option of a PhD after my degree with the long term goal of returning to work in an industrial setting. I think I have developed practical, troubleshooting, time management and presentation skills which will aid me in both my final year and hopefully future work in scientific research.

Overall there was a very friendly atmosphere in which people were prepared to engage on a personal and professional level as appropriate. It was a pleasant environment to work in. There were a few issues with regards to small meetings in the office which caused distractions to some however these were addressed in a professional and respectful manner.

There was good structure and organisation as well as suitable communication with the university. A training plan had been organised before I arrived so I could learn the skills required to carry out an individual project. I was given time to receive two visits from university supervisors and complete a report for university. The only improvement I would suggest is I would have liked to have been able to work on my report at home to give more time for learning a wider range of laboratory skills.

I was encouraged to attend workshops and shadow people working in other research areas as long as I organised my time efficiently. I was also given the opportunity to present my work and really appreciated the advice and guidance I was given in preparing and delivering presentations; I learnt a lot from this experience as well as gained confidence.

I would definitely consider working here in the future. I think it is a place where employees are valued and encouraged to develop.

There was a large group of placement students working on the same site, most of whom shared accommodation together for the year. I made some great friends and we spent a lot of time outside work together.

It was fairly affordable considering the location. The salary was more than enough to cover all living costs.

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There weren't a huge amount of opportunities in the area for students as they made up a fairly small part of the community however there were plenty of activities in neighbouring towns. I attended a local running group which was very friendly.