Undergraduate Researcher Review

Highly enjoyable, worked on a variety of projects which involved lots of different types of thinking and learning.

Fully integrated into my team and my function. Opinions and ideas were valued and taken seriously. I was treated as a full time employee

As well as my manager, I had a support network of people from different functions and management levels. With my manager I was given freedom to do my work and I could call on him when I needed help guidance

I was busy with work every day. I was allowed to persue other areas of interest with in the business if time permitted so there was always something to do.

I was given responsibility of my time and my projects

I have received a lot of training at British American Tobacco. There has been student specific training in important skills such as CV training and interview techniques. I have also been on training for Thermogravimetric Analysis, Gas and Liquid Chromatography, Mass-spec

Everyone was working hard but there was always a conversation to be had in the background. Office atmosphere was always friendly.

Placement was well organised. We were given a support network to help us if we needed it. There were multiple events organised to introduce us across the organisation

There was a lot of training available from interpersonal skills to Scientific

There are a number of previous placement students working currently for British American Tobacco. There seems to be the mentality that if you impress on your placement year, you have good prospects for future employment.

Students are all social with each other often going out for meals, films and drinks. Colleagues are all friendly and arrange meals and drinks after work which we are invited to and actively encouraged to go to. I was not treated as a student so I was seen as a full time colleague.

Southampton is a student city so it isn't too expensive. Premiership football tickets were around £40 and there are an endless supply of well price restaurants to eat at.

Lots of different clubs, pubs and bars. For non-drinkers there are independent films nights and lots of restaurants and open mic nights

The Sports and Social had lots of events on which were subsidised. The New Forest is within cycling distance or a short drive. There are regular trains to Bournemouth and London Waterloo is only an hour and a half away.