Undergraduate food technologist Review

The co-op offer great placement schemes which really value their students and treat them as equal employees. The placement year offered a great insight into the world of food manufacturing and retail, highlighting some of the challenges and rewarding opportunities. My role included travel to suppliers where I got to understand more depth of other roles and functions within manufacturing. This meant no day was the same and each came with new experiences and learnings.

Everyone working at the Co-op is welcoming, friendly and always willing to help. As an undergraduate, you are treated as an equal member of staff and opinions are valued. You are encouraged to be yourself and share your thoughts and ideas, no matter how outrageous. My team and the wider business were incredibly welcoming and approachable, who I could ask for guidance and just for a general chat. Everyone is always willing to help you get the most out of the time you spend with them.

My manager had weekly meetings with me, sometimes over a coffee, other times over phone. This gave opportunity for me to ask questions about work, ask for advice, share what I wanted to achieve and have a general catch up of how the week has been going. My manger provided excellent guidance and was always available and willing to dedicate time should I need it. I would also say this is representative of everyone in the wider business.

The role I undertook would change on a day to day basis. Involving travel, meetings, video calls, presentations and general admin. The day was always busy and there were always deadlines to meet, which gave purpose to my workload. I never felt under too much pressure and always new I could speak to my manager should I need guidance. The workload is generally fun and always learning, plus the travel helps to mix things up in the day.

As an undergrad, you are learning on the job. You aren’t expected to take on the full role of those you work with, that is unrealistic. I learnt from everyone in my team and I was given certain tasks and roles from each in my team and wider teams. This meant my duties varied. My opinion was greatly valued and always appreciated by my colleagues. Duties would increase during if team members took holidays Which always gave better learning opportunities and felt great to running things independently.

The skills I learnt during placement will definitely be skills for life. I undertook basic Food training which I would not have gained otherwise, which will also boost my CV and help when applying for jobs in future. Although the skills I learnt don’t directly relate to my degree, the management is hugely beneficial for my final year of study, in terms of time management, admin, record keeping, professionalism, confidence and IT skills: all these will be relied on throughout life.

The office is full of life. Hot-desking is used around the business which means you get the meet new people and learn about other roles fairly quickly and easily. This opens up to other experiences and more people to ask for guidance. There is always events occurring in the building. Employees are always willing to talk and will let you get on with workload should you need more downtime - you can listen to music with headphones and everyone knows you mean business.

The whole year was run amazingly . Everyone knew as a placement student you want to learn and gain so many experiences - people would always ask if I would like to shadow tasks or meetings which is a great way to learn. There was no confusion in holidays, pay, workload and connection with the university. If there was ever any questions, there is a placement coordinator who is happy to help and always around for questions.

The company allowed me to achieve what I wanted. I told my manger what I wanted to achieve at the start of the year and we reviewed this together throughout to ensure I was on track or where I needed to pick up more. I attended training Sessions and Was treated as part of the team by inclusion in away days and conferences. All these experiences boosted my learning and meant I achieved way over what I thought.

I would love to work at the co-op in future. It is such a welcoming company which really invests in letting you achieve and succeed to what you want. The role was ever changing and there is opportunities to progress, into other higher roles or other functions of the business. The relationships I created during the year are ones I will keep and will definitely stay in contact for future roles, should they become available.

Students there would be encouraged to have lunch together which was always nice to have downtime and see what everyone is up to. We would always travel together where we could, and this created friendships throughout the business. There are many placement opportunities available so there is a good student-vibe! There are other young professionals in the business and it is great to get know them as they are easy to talk to and a good contact for any small issues or guidances.

I study in the same city so there was little change in living costs. I chose student housing which can be cheap as chips. There is great places to chill, eat, drink all around the city and can come at all prices. The co-op also offer expenses should you need to travel. So this would cover evening meals and travel costs should I need to spend a night away - this felt like such a treat as a student!

Nightlife is great in Manchester. Clubs, pubs, bars, restaurants come in all shapes and sizes and costs. You can find things from classy to cheap so suits all. Nothing is too far away and you can get to places quickly and easily with public transport. The team would often arrange meals or drinks after work in the city. A great opportunity to get to know colleagues outside of work and get to know more of the city.

There isn’t many opportunities offered outside of work. Obviously colleagues would always be interested in an activity or food or drink after work or on a Friday. A great way to get to know people. There are opportunities including running clubs which meet during lunch breaks. Also societies that support women, LGBQ, etc meet regalarly and is great to be involved in. My team also had team days: usually a team meeting followed by a fun activity.