R&D Industrial Placement Student Review
at Unilever
Placement (10 Months+)
Science, Research
Liverpool
Review Submitted: May 2024
Overall Rating
4.1 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
4.5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4/5
-
Company Culture
4/5
-
Overall Experience
4/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
I attend and participate in weekly meetings with my team to review the work we've all completed and collaborate with each other to plan the next steps in our project. I work in formulation so most of my time is spent planning and carrying out my own experiments in the lab as well as reviewing the data/results I've gotten from the lab.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
I was given my own project to complete for the year, therefore I carried out my own investigation and experiments and presented my results to update my team along the way. The work I completed contributed to the team's overall project and helped in the progress of our goals overall.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
4/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I believe that this placement has helped me develop skills such as teamwork, communication, time management. Although the work I completed wasn't directly related to my degree, I still gained practical lab skills which are essential as a scientist as well as general skills that will help in the future regardless of the industry I chose to go into after I finish my degree.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
4/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
Although I completed my project independently, my team were always there to support and help me whenever I was stuck. They regularly checked on my progress, how I was coping with my project and gave me advice whenever I asked. Despite coming from a different scientific background, my team made sure I understood the science behind our project, what our goals were and how my work fitted in with the wider team project.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
4/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
Everyone was really friendly to me the entire time I was on placement. Employees were happy to help me out even if I wasn't in the same team or function as them. There are also many activities and volunteering opportunities that are organised inside and outside of work which provided opportunities to meet staff from other departments and to also have fun. All of the other placement students I met were really lovely!
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
4/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
4/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
Overall, I've enjoyed my placement year. I got to see and live in a part of the UK that I had never been to before. I've also made new friends and I've met some amazing employees who I've learned a lot from. I feel that this placement has helped me to grow my professional skills. I also had opportunities to volunteer and contribute to the local community.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
4/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at Unilever
4/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to Unilever
Make sure to do as much research as you can about Unilever and familiarise yourself with the placement application process before you start it. Look through their website and check recent news/announcements from them. Make sure to demonstrate your knowledge of who Unilever are and their goals through the application process. Also make sure to be yourself and let your personality shine :)
