Profile

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Nick Downer

    • About Me:

      I live with my partner in West Yorkshire. I love to travel and go on adventures, one of my goals is to see as much of the world as possible!

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      I’m originally from another country, I decided to make the UK my home just over five years ago and I love it here! I’m an outdoor enthusiast and avid explorer who loves to play videogames, my PS5 is the most used piece of electronic equipment in my home after my mobile phone and TV of course. I’ve recently started getting into WarHammer 40k.

      Needless to say that I’m a massive Geek who also loves to get outside and experience the world.

    • My pronouns are:

      he/him

    • My Work:

      I’m an Analytical Chemist working in the Catalyst Industry, basically I tell the manufacturing folks if they’ve made the correct stuff or not…

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      I develop methods to determine the elemental composition of different catalysts. My focus is inorganic chemicals and products. I currently specialize in a technique called ‘X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry’, basically I shoot things with X-Rays and I can determine their elemental composition, using specialized equipment.

      I’ve worked in a wide variety of industries including the mining industry in Africa, the food and feed industry, the pharmaceutical industry and now the chemicals industry.

    • My Typical Day:

      I roll out of bed bright and early to get to work for 7:30am where I’ll do a wide variety of things to either further my own projects and research or to help my colleagues out with any technical problems they might be experiencing. I’m generally off-site by 3:30pm and I head home.

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      I roll out of bed bright and early to have a deliciously, healthy breakfast before heading off to work. I usually arrive at work by 7:30am where I’ll do a wide variety of things to either further my own projects and research or to help my colleagues out with any technical problems they might be experiencing, I’ll usually have lunch at around 12:00. I’m generally out the door by 3:30pm when I head to gym before going home for some supper and relaxing time; either playing videogames, reading or watching something (hopefully) cool and engaging on a streaming service of my (or my partner’s) choice.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      If I win the money then I will donate it to the STEM Foundation.

    Candidate CV questions (extra)

    • Education:

      I finished high school at ‘Northcliff High School’ in South Africa and I went to university at the ‘Rand Afrikaans University’ followed by the ‘University of Johannesburg’.

    • Qualifications:

      I have the South African equivalent of A-Levels, we get a certificate to say that we’ve finished high school (we call it Matric) and then if our grades are high enough then we can apply to go to university.

      I completed my first undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences (focusing on Geology and Chemistry) at the Rand Afrikaans University.

      I then completed my first post graduate degree in Chemistry from the same university before being accepted into a Master Degree program at the University of Johannesburg, which I successfully completed and passed.

    • Work History:

      1. Research Scientist (Johannesburg, South Africa 2008 – 2015)
      2. Chemistry Specialist (Johannesburg, South Africa 2015 – 2018)
      3. Senior Laboratory Scientist (Leeds, United Kingdom 2018 – 2019)
      4. Analytical Scientist (Bradford, United Kingdom 2019 – 2020)
      5. Analytical Scientist (Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom 2020 – 2021)
      6. Specialist Analytical Scientist (Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom 2021 – 2022)
      7. ICP Analyst (Sonning Common, United Kingdom 2022 – 2023)

    • Current Job:

      Senior Analytical Services Chemist (Clitheroe, United Kingdom 2023 – Present)

    • Employer:

      Johnson Matthey

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        adventurer, gamer, scientist

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        A Geologist

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        I was never caught...

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        An Astronaught

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Lamb of God

        What's your favourite food?

        Hamburgers

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        1. To have Wolverine's mutant powers (ultimate healing). 2. To travel through space on a spaceship and conduct some ground-breaking science. 3. To have a thousand more wishes...

        Tell us a joke.

        A person walks into a bar... ...Ow!

Questions answered by Nick

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