Work

I was an intern in a specialist chemical company in Melbourne, Australia. It was an incredible experience to transition from studying to working in an innovative company with a highly skilled hands-on team. I got involved in a range of projects from retrosynthesis to research and development, discovering new interesting areas of chemistry. I was trained in analytical techniques that will be invaluable for entering the industry and got to learn directly from the other highly qualified chemists.

Experience

My daily routine was working from 8-5 on the weekdays then would usually get the train into the CBD to meet friends or explore the city. The local IAESTE committee was great and organised so many trips and events. There were other interns from Europe based in other companies and we would meet up to go exploring on the weekends such as surfing at Torquay or hiking in the Grampians.

Discover

My internship definitely developed my independence and confidence. I explored the whole East Coast including scubadiving in the Great Barrier Reef and celebrating New Years Eve in Sydney. I also travelled to New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam and met so many incredible people from all over the world. My traineeship not only improved my chemistry skills but made me so much more adventurous and now I have a network of friends all over the world.