Research and Development Apprentice Review

I work in the Global Formulation Team in the ice cream department which means I help brand teams to reformulate their products and validate their functionality. I split my time between office work and lab work, and no two days are the same. I am currently looking at sugar reduction and non-dairy ice cream

I have upskilled myself majorly since starting my job. As someone who is naturally shy, I've learnt how to present in front of lots of different audiences with different levels of background knowledge. I have developed my communication skills as well as my ability to manage my time in order to complete all necessary actions. I have learnt how to write effective scientific reports and how to feedback my findigns to the team

I really enjoy my apprenticeship. I find that it is the perfect balance between studying and working. I love it when I can apply what i've learnt at university to my day-to-day work. I believe my programme is set up in such a way that it allows me to develop as much as I can and in a way that suits me best

The scheme is well organised as I know how long each of my rotations will be. I do not know the exact team I will be placed in until a few months prior to the move, however for me this is not an issue. The university day is well structured and kept constant throughout the academic year.

Unilever are extremely supportive of their apprentices. They are constantly reaffirming how important apprentices are to the company. I am given enough time to complete my studies whilst also making a significant impact at work. There are many opportunities given to apprentices that other schemes do not necessarily have, for example the Unilever Future Leaders' League.

My university lecturers are extremely supportive and are always willing to help if any questions arise, either in the lectures themselves or via email at any other time. They provide lots of exercises to help prepare for upcoming assessments. They are conscious of us having a limited time for studying, and tailor their deadlines to compliment that

Not only have I gained technical knowledge from my degree which I can put into practice at my day to day job, but I have also gained communication and time management skills, as well as report writing and recording my data appropriately. I have found, however, that completing a chemistry degree is not completely relevant to the ice cream science world.

There are many activities to take part in at Unilever. At lunch time, there are multiple sports clubs, such as running, trim trail and rugby. There is also a strong social network amongst the apprentices and other young employees in which we regularly meet up outside of work. There are lots of volunteering opportunities too.

Yes

Unilever is a great company to work for. They provide lots of opportunities to develop and make you feel like an integral member of the team. The company also take work-life balance very seriously, with flexible working hours and many resources to keep your mental and physical health in check. I always enjoy coming in to work and love my job.

Make sure you do your research into the company. The interview is long, so make sure you have enough on your CV to talk through. You want to stand out, so any opportunity to do so e.g. part time job, work experience, sport, hobby etc. would help to do that. Always be interesting and interested.