Profile
Tanya Batchellier
My CV
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Education:
Lord Williams’s School (Year 7 – Sixth Form)
University of York (MChem with a Year in Industry) -
Qualifications:
GCSEs
Maths, English Language, English Literature, Science, Additional Science, Spanish, Geography, Business Studies, PE, IT, RS (short course)A levels
Chemistry, Maths, Biology, Geography, (Spanish – AS level)Undergraduate Degree
MChem with a Year in Industry – University of York -
Work History:
Summer placement at Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories (University of York)
Year in Industry at Infineum
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Current Job:
Technologist, Formulation & Sustainability, bp
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About Me:
I’m a chemist but most of my job isn’t in the lab!
I work on creating engine oils to help keep your car moving 🙂
Outside of my job, I love to play netball, read (mainly fantasy, historical fiction or crime novels), plan holidays and make friends with all the neighbourhood cats. -
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I currently live with my parents, sister and our cat Pebble (she’s definitely my favourite member of the household!)
I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do once I graduated so I joined a graduate scheme. This means I’ve rotated through different technical roles and worked in a range of departments. Getting experience in a range of areas has helped me get to know the business and also figure out where I’d like to work in the future (or more importantly where I wouldn’t).
When I’m not at work, a lot of my free time is spent at netball 🏐 as I play and umpire for a local club. I usually play Wing Defence but I’m happy to play anywhere in mid-court. I’m working towards my umpiring C award so take advantage of any chance I get to practice 😄
I’m keen to travel and see more of the world so I also spend a lot of time looking at places that I’d like to visit 🌍🏖🏞 One of my favourite holiday destinations is Walt Disney World so I keep up to date with any new rides or attractions although I’m sure people get sick of me talking about it 🏰🎢
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As part of the graduate scheme, I have had a variety of roles since joining bp. These have all been science roles focusing on product development and/or research for fuels and engine oils. Now I’ve finished the graduate scheme, I am working in our engine oil product development department.
For product development roles, the work revolves around designing and testing mixtures of chemicals to decide which one best meets the needs of the customer. These are called formulations. Typically, there are set tests and criteria that must be passed to demonstrate quality and performance.
Once all of the tests are complete and passed, this becomes a product which people can buy. It takes a lot of teams to work together to make this happen and so I get to interact with teams from marketing, supply chain and many more meaning I get to learn bits about these too.
Typical tasks include:
- Designing formulation for testing (often done as a test matrix)
- Blending these formulations in the lab (sometimes I do this myself but we have specialists for this too)
- Organising the testing – either lab or engine tests
- Shipping samples to test labs (mainly for engine tests)
Research roles are similar except instead of focusing on passing the test, it’s more about why certain mixtures pass and others don’t. Also you look at what is going on in the industry and work out what direction to head into for the future.
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My Typical Day:
I like to get to work early so I aim to start ~8am. First things first, I’ll check my emails for anything urgent. From there it varies from day to day: analysing test results, scheduling testing and figuring out what to try next are typical activities. Usually I’ll have some meetings to discuss project progress or help me solve problems. Then it’s time to pack up, enjoy my evening and get ready to do it all again the next day.
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I’m an early bird so I aim to get to start working by 8am (even if I’m going onto site – although that makes it an early start!).
The first thing I do (after saying “Good morning” to all my fellow early birds) is check my emails to see what has arrived overnight (working in a global business means emails can pop up at any time!)
Most of my work is done at my desk – most of my time is spent analysing test results (often comparing one engine oil to another) and making test plans. I typically will have a few meetings either discussing project progress or trying to solve a problem that has come up.
Although I’m mainly office based, I do go into the lab sometimes – I’ll pop in to see how things are progressing and lend a hand if needed (although I think sometimes I’m more of a hinderance!)
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Chatty, well-organised and determined
What did you want to be after you left school?
Had no plans past University - wanted to see where that would take me
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes called out for being too chatty!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift (too hard to choose between!)
What's your favourite food?
Biscuits 🍪🍪🍪
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Ability to teleport, lifetime supply of books and improved memory
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