Research and Development summer placement student Review

During this role I attended many teams meeting to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in the project i was a part of. I spent most of my time in the pilot plant, assisting in trials to make ice cream blanks and dipping chocolate. I also use specialist equipment to measure altitude of ice cream and prepare future products for tasting sessions. I also helped in collecting ice cream samples for shipment for marketing teams across Europe. I would take x-ray measurements of products to ensure they were safe to consume.

During this role, many of my skills have been further developed. My leadership skills have further enhances as i was given tasks to organise tasting sessions and recruit participants. I was also in charge of completing my individual tasks which requires using my planning skills to book onto site in advance and also plan around what activities are already booked with the magnum team. My communication and discussion skills were also improved when taking part in meetings with team members and suppliers to analyse what could be improved in potential future products.

During this internship i was given a lot of responsibility and tasks. I would have meetings with the project lead and compile a list of what would need to be completed and as a group, we would ensure to complete individual tasks. I was in charge of organising tasting sessions, recruiting participants and creating forms to gain feedback of the product. I was also in charge of collecting chocolate measurements to compare with suppliers data. In addition to this, I was responsible for using spec software and collecting data from various global regions to understand the packaging of magnum products.

I received a lot of support at the beginning of the internship, in regard to telling me what stage the project was currently at and what we hope to achieve. I was also given a lot of background information in previous projects and the process that the magnum team follows to create and release a new product. I was given support in the pilot plant, dipping ice cream, taking measurement and analysis of data. I was also given support when being trained on using the equipment and also provided assistance when it was my first time using the equipment.

The company culture and the general atmosphere was great. Everyone on site is very friendly and always happy to help. Initially when I first started my placement, I would get lest in the pilot plant but there was always someone around to point me in the right direction and there is a lot of support available from everyone on my team. We are always keen to know how everyone is doing and if any support or help is needed in any trials. A lot of various brands are found in the colworth site, so it is interesting to know what other people in other teams are up to.

I immensely enjoyed my placement. It was interesting to work in the industry, especially a part of industry that is not covered in my degree. It is also interesting to see people from different backgrounds of science work together in a common goal to create sustainable products and meet consume requirements. I'm glad I got the opportunity to do this internship as i was able to make great friends and connections. In addition to this, my skills were further enhanced and I was able to grow as a person.

Yes

The advice I would give to others applying to unilever is to enjoy the experience. Ask questions and volunteer to be a part of group tasks and projects. Through this i was able to grow my knowledge of the projects and also provide suggestions and feedback to any problems we encountered. If you are considered applying for unilever ensure your beliefs align with what Unilever hope to achieve regarding sustainability and making the world a better place. Be confident to speak up and voice your opinions.