The Post: Process Engineering Placement Student at KYOCERA AVX Components Limited
The Post Holder: Matthew McClean
What is a typical day like in placement?
Each day in KAVX presents different challenges, as the placement role allows the opportunity to work across a wide variety of engineering procedures giving me the chance to learn and develop in new aspects within the process line. This adds interest to the role and gives me hands on experience with many different engineering practices.
Usually, l begin my day by responding to emails and tying in with my line managers to establish if there are any process issues needing my immediate attention. Throughout the day I will then work alongside operators to ensure smooth running of the process line.
Alongside this, I get the opportunity to work on development projects which focus on identifying areas for improvement within the process line with the overall aim to increase process efficiency and overall product quality.
What skills and qualities have you developed through your role?
The placement has allowed me the opportunity to work independently managing my own projects, giving me the freedom to design my own experiments on an industrial scale. This has not only improved my scientific and engineering report skills but has also enhanced my problem-solving skills through having to think ahead regarding the design route as well as working through engineering problems to solve obstacles along the way.
Getting the opportunity to work in the development side of the company has enhanced my laboratory skills. Working in a development style lab I have been able to analyse samples and carryout my own tests, furthering my skills in conducting research style trials and the proper handling of data. In general working through process and laboratory issues has helped me to be mentally agile and has developed my rational thinking , allowing me to better think through a problem to achieve the best solution.
During my placement I have enhanced my process control knowledge and developed skills and techniques necessary to control and manage operations within an industrial process line. I have also learned techniques for designing process documentation, product manufacturing specification manuals and operating instructions.
What are the benefits of doing a placement?
A placement year offers you an insight into the world of work, giving you the opportunity to put into practice the theory learnt at university through applying that in an industrial setup, allowing you to get a feel for what you like and don’t like.
It gives you the opportunity to learn outside the standard lecture hall, to grow and develop your skills further, getting hands on practical applications to help mature and progress to a better understanding of the related subject and to get a feel for what the job requires.
Additionally, it adds invaluable work experience to your CV which is very important in today’s market as employers are keen to get people with practical experience as well as the required academic achievements.
Overall, a placement is a great opportunity to differentiate yourself from other applicants and to develop your transferrable skills for when applying to jobs in the future.
Top Tips for second year students applying for a placement:
Avail of the resources Queen’s University has to offer and don’t be afraid to get in contact with your careers advisor to get their advice on how to make yourself more employable to increase your placement opportunities.
Be thorough in your placement research, don’t only research the company you are applying for but also find details on the products they produce and their markets. This will give you a greater understanding of what type of industry and field you are getting into, giving you an insight of what will be required of you from the company but also allow you to determine the type of skills you can develop from that experience.
When it comes to placement there’s a lot of competition for positions, so you might have to apply to multiple roles before securing a placement. Chat to your careers advisor and create a schedule within your academic year to set a side time to search for placement roles and to fill out application forms. This will allow you to stay on top of things alongside your studies, giving you the best chance to obtain the position you want.
Tailor your application to each specific company, don’t assume that because your applying to the same subject field that your CV will be applicable to all the roles. So, I advise looking at the company and aligning your CV to their requirements for the best chance at obtaining the role.
What has surprised you the most about your placement?
I was surprised how flexible Kyocera AVX was to new ideas, welcoming each new suggestion and encouraging me to develop my ideas, providing me with the necessary equipment to ensure that I had the opportunity to work through each. Also the level of responsibility given, getting the scope to make decisions for myself and directly contribute to important process and development decisions.
How do you think this will help your future career?
The placement overall has been invaluable to me, granting me not only the opportunity to cement the knowledge I’ve learnt at university but has also given me a chance to apply this knowledge to real engineering scenarios on an industrial scale. Allowing me to learn and develop new skills, increasing my confidence in my engineering and development abilities through getting the chance to get hands on experience with various process and analytical equipment as well as getting the chance to work through various engineering and research style projects.
Furthermore, working with various groups of people within a work setting at the forefront of science and engineering innovation has greatly developed my interpersonal and soft skills such as teamworking, communication and time management skills, allowing me to develop confidence in managing my work and communicating my ideas with other people.
In conclusion, I feel that my time on this placement has equipped me not only with the necessary skills to progress within the engineering sector but has also taught me invaluable life lessons making me overall more employable
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