Mandara Shetty
Human Studies Scientist
How did you end up in your current role?
I was a student at the University of Sheffield and did a year’s industrial placement here in research and development (R&D). It was a great introduction to what it is like to work in industry, and I was delighted to return as a full-time scientist after finishing my degree.
What were your priorities when applying for placements?
My main priority was to see as many different aspects of a business as possible, including running projects, working in a lab, writing reports and so on.
I have always been curious about why people behave the way they do, but when I was studying, everything was theoretical. During my placement this got translated into implemental behavioural science, a powerful tool that influences consumer behaviour.
Did you have any concerns about working for this industry?
I was naturally cautious about the controversy of the industry, but what stood out to me when applying to BAT was the ground-breaking research on harm reduction and potentially safer alternatives for smokers.
As Global Top Employer earlier this year, BAT received more recognition for employee best practices, scooping the National Undergraduate Employability’s main prize in the category ‘top medium-sized undergraduate scheme’.
Each year, BAT recruit up to 15 undergraduate students for a one-year industrial placement into R&D and Operations, as part of their degree. We seek out the most talented individuals from the UK’s top universities in disciplines such as life sciences, chemistry, materials science, engineering, electronics and product design.
