Engineering Intern Review

I enjoyed it a lot. It was my first time working in a large company and while I was very intimidated at first, that changed quickly. Of course there were bad and lazy days at times but the majority of the time there was a blast.

It was the first time the engineering department of the site I worked at, hired engineering interns so initially they were a bit unsure as to how to use me. After the first month where people got to know me a bit better I was given meaningful tasks, attended meetings, my opinion on various things was often asked so I would say I felt valued by most of my colleagues!

My supervisor happened to be the manager of the engineering department and as such he was terribly busy so in terms of formal meetings there were only 3-4 throughout the year but he always tried to squeeze 15-30 mins every now and then in informal meetings. Despite the lack of frequency in communication he gave me useful tips both business and non-business specific that I will never forget.

Mondays were always terribly slow for some reason but the rest of the days there was a lot of work to be done. When I was very busy the senior engineers working next to my desk would always ask if I needed any help so that was a big boost in times of need.

With respect to my previous placement I was given LOADS of responsibiity. With respect to the senior staff I was given little responsibility. With respect to recent graduates I would say we were about level. Responsibilities varied every time and nothing (almost) was a routine.

I developed my confidence, I acquired previous FEA experience and learnt some great report writing skills but for me the most important thing was that all the things I struggled to understand at university "magically" changed and the academix knowledge combined beautifully with the work experience. They way you approach problems, your assumptions, the reasoning behind the solutions are highly transferrable skills.

It was like a playground but in a good way! Everyone was very professional and experienced at their respectives fields. There were many foreigners, like me, which I think made the work environment even better. You could hear people laughing, talking about politics, football anything you can imagine. Yes sure there were one or two snob people that no one wanted to talk to but then again that can happen anywhere. ++ Candy, people at the office were crazy about candy and sweets. They would bring loads of cookies, Haribo and other stuff almost every week and would share them with everyone and no it didn't have to be their birthday!

I do not really have something to compare it to and I cannot really fault anyone as I said it was their first time having engineering interns so I was understanding. Setting up the desktops, getting us licenses for software and access to certain network drives etc took quite a bit (3-4 weeks) so that's really my only concern.

I was extensively trained in using software such as ANSYS, COMSOL, Solidworks, CREO and other proprietary software and had to complete plenty of online courses and tests ranging from Quality Assurance to Integrity and Presentation skills.

The site were I worked at was great but personally my area of interest did not coincide so I think I definitely want to work for the same company but in another field. Employment prospects are really good and the placement certainly aided in that regard. The graduates I worked with were very happy from both their pay, bonuses etc. but also by their progress within the company.

Myself and the interns from other departments would hang out together during lunch, talk to each other on the chat at slow days, we would help each other whenever needed and we got out for a few drinks every now and then. I am not the most social person but the people there were all comfortable and easygoing in general, so that was great!

I lived with another person in a modern flat and the rent was around 375 GBP and we rented the parking space so that covered the bills! Food and drinks were available in a variety of prices, anywhere from a 90p pint to a 25 quid glass wine.

Not much of a night person but apparently it is one of the best UK cities for clubbing and everyone I knew would tell me the same thing. Surely they couldn't all be wrong?! I did not go to any clubs but there were some very decent bars suitable for going out with friends and girlfriends.

There was a jogging club, a cycling club, a fishing society and a charity team and a few other societies but I did not really take part in any of that stuff. But yes, there were oppurtunities many times throughout the year for activities. Great opportunity to make new friends!