Noise, Vibration & Harshness Engineer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Jaguar Land Rover. It was the perfect mix of office time and hands on experience. I was able to apply my studies to my work which was hugely rewarding. From a social perspective there was always something going on, both with those on the graduate scheme and the people in my office.

My colleagues were happy to listen to my inputs for all pieces of work I was involved with and would turn to me for my help/input. This made me feel very valued by everyone that I worked with. This was important as feeling valued by you colleagues makes the work more rewarding and helps boost your morale within the team.

I had constant contact with my supervisors who were always happy to take the time to speak to me. Working closely with one of my supervisors, he supported me through an entire project, the outcome of which is now being used as a design tool within the chassis team. Without the support and guidance of my manager I would not have been able to be successful in this project.

Work load varied somewhat depending on the progress of different projects however on the whole it was very balanced. I was never stuck for anything to do and was able to make the most of my time in the office. At times when I was busy, it was an enjoyable busy as it meant that there was always something going on.

I was given a comfortable amount of responsibility during my placement. Most of the work I did was working alongside colleagues and even though I was working with them, they still gave me some responsibilities. Due to the nature of the department I was in, I was limited as to how much responsibility I could have whilst being a placement student.

The experience and skills I learnt on this placement are proving to be invaluable for the masters year of my degree. I was apply to directly apply my knowledge to full vehicle/component testing and applying this knowledge hands on is a great way to learn. I also learnt a lot of knew knowledge which has given me a big boost for my final year.

The office was a very relaxed place with a lot of the same minded people in which meant that everyone got on really well. When we had a bit of time on our hands, we would often go for a coffee/food which was useful for networking. But when really busy, everyone supported each other to ensure the job got done.

My placement was very well organised. Knowing that I was spending the summer with them, it was organised that I would spend time working with four different sub-departments within my home department. I really enjoyed this as it meant I got a much broader look at the department than I was expecting to get.

I was able to attend MATLAB workshops which was useful as I was using MATLAB all summer and use it for my studies. Colleagues took time out to teach me how to use software which was new to me. As a lot of the work I did was very hands on, when I started a new piece of work my colleagues would often take me out in the vehicles first so I could experience it first hand.

I have been told that pending the confirmation of recruitment numbers, I will be offered a place on the graduate scheme. The only reason I haven't given this 10/10 stars is because it will be a couple of weeks before I will hear news on this.

A lot of the placement students lived together in halls living and everyone always saw each other on-site. This meant that there was always occasions for socialising and getting to know those who you were working with. Most lived in the centre of Coventry which is a fairly small city, which meant that meeting people for socialising was very easy.

Being based in the midlands, prices in restaurants/ pubs/ nights out were relatively cheap. There was a good mix of large supermarkets and budget supermarkets all within a 5-10 minute drive of Coventry city centre. The cost of living was comfortable and considering you're working full-time, you don't tend to be in the pub every night!

Coventry has a university at it's centre so a cheap student night out was always on the cards. There are plenty of bars and nightclubs to go to as well as the usual abundance of weatherspoons and local pubs. With good transport links, Coventry was a good place for people from the office meet for a few drinks and a night out.

The undergraduate placement students were able to join up to the graduate social programs free of charge for the summer. This included sports/nights out and meant that there was a social opportunity with people from JLR roughly every fortnight. Everyone in my office was very sociable and in the last week of my placement we all went for a meal.