Meet Morgan Selby
“I think doing my placement year has made me so much more confident – it really helped me feel like a proper scientist.”
- Placement Role: Student Flavour Research Scientist
- Company: Synergy
- Degree: Integrated Masters in Chemistry, University of Surrey
From Forensics to Flavour Chemistry
When Morgan started studying chemistry, she imagined a future in forensic analysis. But during her degree at the University of Surrey, she discovered a new direction through a placement opportunity with Synergy, a global flavour house.
“I’d never really considered the food or flavour industry before, but the placement description sounded really interesting,” she says. “Once I read more about Synergy, I knew I wanted to apply.”
Finding the Right Placement
Morgan found the role through her university’s placement platform, Pathfinder. After submitting her CV and cover letter, she went through an online interview, followed by an in-person interview and tour of the site.
“It was great to actually see where I could be working and meet people face to face,” she explains. “It made it feel real and that experience helped me decide it was the right fit.”
The process was competitive, but Morgan secured the role and joined Synergy as a Student Flavour Research Scientist for her placement year.
A Real Role in the Team
Far from being a bystander, Morgan quickly became an active member of Synergy’s Analytical and Sensory Department.
“I was definitely treated like a proper member of the team,” she says. “I worked on customer projects, internal research and my own master’s project.”
Her responsibilities included:
- Conducting analytical testing using GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) and GC-FID (gas chromatography-flame ionization detector)
- Supporting quality control (QC) and project analysis
- Running and reporting on sensory evaluations for new flavour developments
- Contributing to internal flavour research
“I really liked that my work had purpose,” she adds. “It wasn’t just training exercises, it actually contributed to projects.”
Skills You Can’t Learn in a Lecture Theatre
Morgan is clear that the experience gave her something university alone couldn’t.
“Just being in the lab every day was incredibly valuable,” she says. “At university, you might do set practicals once a week, but here the work was real – it contributed to customer and research projects.”
Alongside her technical development, the placement helped her grow in other ways too.
“The biggest change was confidence,” Morgan says. “When I came back to university, I noticed a real difference. I’m more confident in my abilities, in communicating with others and managing my time. I don’t think my final year would be going as well without that experience.”
Life After Placement
Returning to her final year at Surrey meant some adjustment such as swapping a structured workday for a more flexible academic routine.
“I had to get used to managing my own time again,” she says. “But the placement helped me realise I prefer the rhythm of working life and having that clear start and end to the day.”
She also found the transition back to broader academic chemistry a bit of a challenge after focusing so deeply on flavour analysis. “It took a bit of revising to get back into the wider subjects,” she laughs.
A Future in Analytical Chemistry
The experience has shaped Morgan’s career ambitions.
“I’d love to stay in analytical chemistry,” she says. “I really enjoy data analysis – digging into results and figuring out why things happen. Ideally, I’d like to stay in food and flavour because I find it so fascinating.”
Advice for Students
For students considering a placement, Morgan’s advice is simple: do it.
“It’s 100% worth it,” she says. “You learn so much more than you ever could in lectures, and it really helps when applying for jobs later.”
And for those interested in the flavour industry specifically?
“Look at flavour houses in the UK – many are members of the UK Flavour Association. Even if you don’t find them through your university, check their websites for placement opportunities. And before interviews, do some reading about the flavour and food industry as it helps to show genuine interest.”
Final Thoughts
Morgan’s year at Synergy gave her more than just technical experience – it gave her confidence, clarity and a taste of a future career.
“It helped me see what kind of work I enjoy and where my strengths are,” she says. “And it made me realise that flavour science is something I’d love to keep exploring.”