Intern Student Review

by Johnson Matthey

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.8/5
  • The Role
    4.2
  • The Company
    3.8
  • The Culture
    3.4

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I really enjoyed my placement and have gained so many useful skills and experiences. The year was such a good insight into what an R&D job would involve. I worked on two different projects and so got to experience a wide variety of lab work. I was made to feel very welcome and was giving opportunities to present and discuss work at meetings at other sites, which were really useful experiences.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • My colleagues generally made me feel very welcome. In particular, there were a few colleagues who were more involved with my project work, who were very helpful and gave positive feedback on my work. I felt like the work that I carried out was valued, which motivated me to work harder. I was also given the opportunity to present some of my results at my last department monthly meeting.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I had a main supervisor who I met up with once a month to discuss my results with and plan out future work. These meetings were really useful as they ensured I was always clear on what my work showed and where my project was heading. My supervisor was also happy to answer any questions that I had and offer help with lab work.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • How busy I was on a day-to-day basis varied throughout the year. At the start, work went quite slowly as I was a lot less busy - but this did allow me time to research the company and the chemistry behind my project further. Once I was more comfortable with the lab work and had been trained on the different instruments, I was busier, which I really enjoyed. I felt there was a good balance between lab work and desk work (writing up experiments, reading literature and making presentations).

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a fair amount of responsibility during my placement - I was working on my own projects, planning my own experiments and was responsible for writing up the results and sharing them. Once I had received training on the different instruments, I was able to book when I wanted them and then use them independently.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I think the skills that I have gained and improved on during my placement, such as organisation, team-working and problem solving, will be highly beneficial to my 4th year at university and to future jobs. Through meetings and presenting my work, I have gained a lot of confidence, especially when speaking in front of larger groups. The experience I have with using instruments in the lab could also be useful if I do pursue a research-based career.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The atmosphere in the office was generally nice and quite relaxed. My colleagues were friendly and most days someone either bought in something they had baked or had bought back from a holiday; which was always a good conversation starter. However, sometimes the noise of other peoples' conversations could get annoying.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The placement was very well organised. One of my projects carried on from a previous student's work and the other one was new, but both were well planned out. When I started I was given help from several colleagues understanding the basics of the two projects and the necessary training on equipment was organised well by my supervisor.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I received some useful training on fire safety, health and safety, and on literature searching. However, as an intern I wasn't allowed to do the presenting skills course, which was a shame.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Company Parties/Events

    Healthcare/Dental

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • JM hire many graduates and so the future employment prospects look appealing. From my placement, I know that new starters are made to feel welcome and are given the necessary training. There was reasonable progression within the company.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There were 3 other one year placement students and we met up several times for meals and nights out. But, in previous years the company has had more students, which I think would have been more fun and more sociable. A lot of our colleagues lived a considerable distance from work and so didn't tend to meet up outside of work.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Renting a property in Reading was expensive as it is so close to London. But travelling to London and other cities was fairly easy because of the good travel connections. There are also a wide variety of shops, restaurants and clubs in Reading, so eating out and socialising could be reasonably priced.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • The nightlife was fairly good. There were a range of bars, in particular I liked the cocktails at Be At One and the Purple Turtle club, which had free entry. However, the nightlife was not as good as in other places I have been (Southampton and Bristol).

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There was a social club at work, which organised a range of reasonably priced events throughout the year, such as archery, go ape and a brewery trip. There was also a department Christmas outing, which was good fun and a great opportunity to get to know people in a more relaxed atmosphere.

    4/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Chemistry, Science

South West

June 2017


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