The main highlight of my placement was I have had my first publishing as co-author experience, in the Materials & Design journal

What was the highlight of your placement?

Working from home permanently has changed the nature of my job, whereas before I was spending a lot of my time in labs, I was now confined to computer based work. I have been researching primarily literature for government and industry funded projects and potential new testing services in the lab on site. However, my workload has reduced dramatically in comparison to when I was still in Canada, this has left me with time to take online courses in areas of my interest to further my knowledge and understanding particularly in sustainability.

How did you find your role?

A lecturer and his connections.

One piece of advice would you give to students who are considering taking a placement?

Take every opportunity you can get and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, either in the work place or outside. It all helps you grow as a person and become a well-rounded and respected colleague. Especially if you don’t know what you would like to do yet in your future career, see it as a taster year to help you figure it out.

What did InnoTech think?

Gary Fisher, Principal Engineer at InnoTech Alberta said "Henriette joined the Materials team at InnoTech Alberta to conduct a project on using reclaimed materials. Through the course of the project she had the opportunity to further develop her metallurgical laboratory and analytical skills and increase her project management experience. Henriette also had the opportunity to work with clients, including site visits to view equipment and processes, and meetings to determine project requirements and expectations. Her level of enthusiasm was impressive, leading to her becoming involved in a number of other projects and being a co-author on a published paper. She integrated well and was soon thought of as a regular team member. Henriette was an excellent ambassador for the University."