
Rating
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Skills
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Responsibilities
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Support & Guidance
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Culture
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Your Impressions
- 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
- 2. Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
- How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
- How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
- How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
- Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
- 3. Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
- Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
- 4. How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
- How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
- How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
- 5. What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
- How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
- How would you rate the social opportunities?
- How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
- How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
- 6. To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
- Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
- Please rate how your experience met your expectations
- Please rate the future employment prospects at Unilever
- 7. Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?
- 8. What advice would you give to others applying to Unilever
Overview
I am required to support and lead pilot scale batch-making for deodorant sticks, involving the use of large machinery and equipment such as mixing vessels and filling machines. We design batch experiments to test different ingredients and percentages, holding times, pack types, cooling methods and filling methods. After the sticks are made, analytical lab testing must be performed such as rheology, hardness, titration and microscopy. Individual projects are also given to improve production efficiency or gather crucial batch data.
Skills
I have developed knowledge of thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics as they apply to mixing and processing of our molten deodorant product and optimising the processes. Lab testing and quality control techniques have been carried out including microscope testing to observe particulate sizes, rheometry to study the viscosity of our product over variables such as temperature and shear rate. I used many software tools such as Excel to input and analyse our data, Fusion 360 to design many parts our the pilot plant to streamline our processes, and AWS Simulation Software to carry out the CFD simulations.
Responsibilities
I was given a lot of responsibility, given many individual projects to lead such as CFD simulation modelling in which I was required to liaise with teams around the world. I was able to take on new challenges and tasks as I deemed important to help our processes around the pilot plant.
Support & Guidance
I received lots of support on my placement. This was either in the form of training when I started, being able to ask questions to colleagues when I encountered problems, or having bi-weekly meetings with my line manager to discuss development, projects or any general life problems.
Culture
The company was full of lots of friendly faces who were more than happy to help you out, even if it wasn't to their own benefit. The pilot plant team I worked with were extremely supportive for anything, but were also very friendly and easily approachable to have chats in the office, whether this was about work or simply how your weekend was!
Your Impressions
I have enjoyed it thoroughly, and would definitely consider returning to work here after my studies. This is due to a combination of factors due to the enjoyment of the work, the people around me that I work with on a daily basis, and the fulfilment due to the projects I am delivering.
Yes
Take as much opportunity to learn as much as you can within your year here. There are many departments which are happy to show you what their work provides in the wider scheme of things and how everything ties together. While university teaches you lots of technical knowledge, a placement at Unilever really provides growth in ways of working in a company and the more subtle softer skills.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Chemical Engineering
Yorkshire and Humberside
May 2025