As laboratory technicians we calibrate and operate laboratory equipment. We also provide technical advice for the materials that we make.

I graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Earth Sciences.

I was working in a commercial lab before I came here but I was more interested in a technical pathway. When I saw this job was being advertised at Convex, and that included research and development opportunities – I applied and now I’m here!

Our job involves using the gas chromatograph for testing retained solvents on the plastics that we manufacture. We print designs on our packaging, so for it to be safe for food packaging, the retained solvents have to be below a specific limit.

We issue a certificate of analysis for some customer products to prove the quality of the product. Our job involves a lot of materials testing, to make sure the physical properties of the plastics are fit for purpose.

We also conduct investigations, which might involve looking at problems that customers might have with their packaging and provide solutions. Other investigations include respiration rate tests for produce, which allows us to design packaging with suitable breathing properties for packing produce. We also do shelf-life investigations to see how long a product lasts in the packaging, and make trial sample bags for customers.

So there’s lots to do!

• All of the sciences – particularly chemistry
• Maths

 It was a challenge for me to venture out of my own bubble and interact with the wider company – it’s just not something I’m used to. But I was grateful for the opportunity and a little challenge is always good!

There’s always a lot to learn so make sure you show your interest in learning and take all of the advice you can get.

The wide variety of things that we do and the opportunites we get to go visit customers. I like doing the shelf life investigations because we trial food products and we get to taste them!

My favourite machine is probably the mill.

I like the way the company’s structured… you can talk to anyone about anything. Everyone’s connected and no one is distant or hard to reach. People are happy to have a conversation and help you out.

There is a bit of a hop between school and being in a workplace. In school, if you don’t weld something properly it’s not the end of the world. But here it’s got to be done properly because it’s got to last. You can’t have a roller up somewhere and have the weld snap and fall off!

In school, teachers explain things to a certain degree but here you get a lot more in depth. It’s more precise and technical. It’s good to learn the basics at school but you definitely get a more thorough understanding of what to do and why you’re doing it.

Definitely metal work or wood work. Being good at maths helps – you don’t have to be a pro but you do have to be all right at it! We’d sit in class and learn Pythagoras theorem and think, ‘I’m never going to use that again in the real world!’ and then you come here and you suddenly need to know the length of the longest side of a triangle – I had to have a bit of a laugh! Things like the circumference of a circle… you might think, ‘I’ll only ever use that once or twice in my twice in my life’ and then you come to work and you’re using it all the time. Makes it way easier and more accurate if the numbers work!

A bit of an eye for detail, things need to be done properly. Someone who’s willing to work hard. If something’s broken or urgent then you work until the work’s finished – lunch waits until you’re done! You’ve got to be accurate with your work. I think the biggest thing is just listening and applying what you learn. It’s alright to make a mistake but if you’ve been told exactly not to something, then don’t do it!