Work experience
Many students find it helpful to undertake a period of work experience either before or during their undergraduate studies.
Students looking for work experience placements should in the first instance seek advice from their School/University Careers Adviser.
In the event that the Careers Adviser is unable to help, they should contact the Personnel Departments of companies direct. Chemical Engineers are employed across a huge variety of industries so students should research companies carefully before contacting them. The easiest method is to use the company's websites.
Contact details for many of the major employers of Chemical Engineers are listed by sector in the Employers section of this website.
When contacting a company regarding work experience it is useful for students to include the following information:
- Their age
- The subjects they are studying and their exam results where relevant
- Specific dates for the work experience (if these are restricted)
- An insight into their motivation/interest in Chemical Engineering and more specifically why they are approaching the particular company
Letters should be word processed and it is essential that students make a good impression by ensuring that they are free of spelling and grammatical errors.
It is always useful for students to include a copy of their CV.
Please note: Because Chemical Engineers often work in companies where a production process is carried out, health and safety restrictions can limit work experience opportunities for the under-18s in some cases.
The Year in Industry
The Year in Industry provides talented young pople with paid, degree relevant work placements in the year out before, or during their university course.
Over 250 UK companies take part each year and 8500 students have taken up placements to date.
Please visit www.yini.org.uk to apply online or find out more.