Author: Ange De Jong, fourth-year Meng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with professional placement
A good hair day to you! I have just finished my placement with ghd, and I frequently get asked “How do you make the straighteners?”, “When is the next product coming out?”, “Do you have a spare hair dryer I could borrow?”, and often the answer isn’t as expected. Starting my role at ghd in the Innovation team was a bag full of surprises, always guessing what project I would be working on next, and so the short answer was always, “I don’t know”.
What I do know is how enriching my experience has been at ghd, not only professionally, but personally. Being surrounded by industry professionals who tailor their designs so intricately, move with pace, and take the time to walk me through their thinking has been invaluable, and I have loved being in every part of it.
So, do you actually make the straighteners?
My role is in the Innovation team, where new ideas are developed. The Innovation team is responsible for creating these new ideas and meticulously testing them to relay to different departments and management teams to determine whether they could be suitable products for consumers.
My time in the Innovation team had me involved in the development of designs already in the pipeline, but also procuring new ideas for the future of ghd technology. These included hands on work for rigs, hot air products, and yes, a form of straighteners also. The development of these designs goes as far as the capacity of the Innovation team; other departments such as the Systems team or Electronics are also involved to bring the design to life.
Regarding the skills I developed, working in the Innovation team has acquainted me with computational fluid dynamics software, process integration and design optimisation software, computer aided design, coding and much more. Having these skills on hand has given me the ability to tackle most, if not, all design challenges and answer crucial consumer pain points. Often the results speak for themselves; however, it isn’t always apparent what needs to be changed to achieve consumer relevant requirements. Exposure to multiple projects has taught me what to compromise on and the consequences borne from those decisions.
What has been especially eye opening whilst developing designs at ghd has been the constant monitoring of what can and can’t be done with respect to patents and legal claims on existing products. This has been a tedious challenge, requiring a great deal of working around during collaboration sessions to still achieve showstopping designs for consumers. Handling such responsibility at my age, in my first job role, was unnerving at times but gave me the confidence to be thorough with my work, knowing how costly mistakes can be to the company. I also had frequent support through 1:1 sessions and skill improvement workshops during the company’s dedicated Personal Development Time, which helped me grow my computational skills in CAD and CFD.
When is the next hair product coming out?
Working on multiple projects at ghd has been a thrilling experience, always looking forward to working on a product that will be releasing soon in the future. A project I worked on close to the hands of consumers was the ghd Speed. A formidable hair dryer capable of 118kRPM and airflow velocity of 176km/h.
My time on this project consisted of testing its static pressure and airflow velocity for a potential future upgrade on its system. Whilst the testing itself was not the most arduous, being responsible for verifying multiple units that would dictate a change in the production of the unit and potentially a change in consumer satisfaction was particularly daunting, mindful of the potential monetary implications. Being exposed to such responsibility early on in my placement, has shaped my confidence and awareness as an engineer, in decision making and risk management.
As for the next hair product coming out, I can’t say I know but I hope to soon see consumers enjoying that which I have contributed to.
Do you have a spare hair dryer I could borrow?
The perks at ghd have been beyond the fantastic freebies. Being surrounded by industry professionals at ghd has enhanced my thinking and judgement to make meaningful contributions to the future of consumer products. Whilst I have also attained a myriad of vital technical engineering skills, developing my reasoning has given me a clearer vision of what I want to contribute to in my future career.
A challenge I often face is understanding my strengths and weaknesses compared to what I am driven to do. Being a part of the Innovation team gave me the opportunity to highlight those factors alongside my interests. This came in the form of testing, report writing, project scopes, 1:1 meetings, collaboration sessions and regular chats with colleagues. These experiences have shown me how to refocus my attention and tailor my learning objectives in a project while balancing my passion for it.
This can be transferred to many similar scenarios during my studies at university, where lengthy projects can sometimes get lost in the results or initial ideas. Having this experience will positively transfer into my academic performance and discussions amongst my peers.
Still thinking about it?
I could not have been more grateful to have done a placement with ghd and had the scope to explore many thoughts and questions. The experience has been invaluable, and I would recommend all considering a placement to apply to one.
Applying may seem incredibly daunting with the volume of applicants and limited headcount per role. However, I will always advise other students to have a go and give their best to the quality of applications over the quantity. Even for industries that may not seem of initial interest, challenging yourself to a different form of engineering will yield the same if not more clarity in your academic pursuits and career prospects.
Whilst on placement ask as many questions as possible, get involved with volunteering, ask to be involved in projects where possible. The opportunities I received whilst being at ghd were also a direct result of my inquisitive nature and willingness to learn and get involved, which exposed me to many challenges that have now steered my career and education in the direction I need it to.
Lastly, take some time whilst completing the mandatory university assignments to reflect on all the small but noticeable opportunities during the year. Doing this reflection has helped me critique my work, my genuine curiosity and how these can apply to the future work I do.
How you do one thing is how you do everything.
Respond
