IS Helpdesk Support Analyst at Lubrizol

I really enjoyed my placement, if it was up to me I wouldn't have left! The team I worked with were fantastic and the day to day work was so varied and challenging, exactly what you would expect from a placement.

My colleagues were great, both in the UK office I was based in and also the people I worked with overseas. I formed some amazing friendships and still keep in touch with everyone now.

I was really surprised by the support system that was in place at Lubrizol. Everybody was approachable which isn't what I have been used to in previous jobs. Everybody was treated with the same amount of respect, whether you were a student or the European Manager, it was a good feeling.

There was never a day that went by that I was bored. Supporting over 7000 machines around the globe didn't leave time to be bored, but at the same time it wasn't overwhelming either.

In my role I was give a massive amount of responsibility, which was brilliant. I was able to make decisions that made a difference to the company and also prevent problems that could have arisen if there wasn't any intervention. I really felt like my voice was heard and that what I did mattered.

I learnt a huge amount of both life skills and technical skills on my placement. I grew both in confidence and also academically whilst at Lubrizol, the experience was priceless and I really value my time there.

The atmosphere was always friendly but professional at the same time. We were able to work to the best of our abilty whilst forming brilliant friendships. There was never a day that I didn't want to go to work, which is what it's all about.

There were no problems with my placement, even being a late starter myself, I didn't fall behind on any training and was given the best support possible. There were also 3 month reviews that were scheduled, and my collegues doors were always open if I needed help or advice.

The company helped me both develop personally and professionally. I was fortunate enough to be included on an ITIL training course which I passed the exam for and gained a qualification.

I hope that in the future I would be able to work at Lubrizol, whether it be in the UK or elsewhere around the Globe. It was encouraging to know that the people I worked with were previously students, it would just depend on whether a space was available within the company,

There were a lot of students in different departments within Lubrizol, social nights out were organised throughout the year and communcation was good between everybody.

For myself personally it was cheap as I lived at home.

Living in Derby my whole life I have been to almost every bar in the city, it is quite a big city but not too big, everywhere is in walking distance. There is also a few cinemas and a bowling alley.

The Social and Sports club at Lubrizol was brilliant for activites, trips are organised to York for shopping and London, Scotland for bagging Munros and also recreational sports such as Rock Climbing. There is always something to do!