Industrial Trainee Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year because the work and projects I was involved in were interesting and challenged my current engineering knowledge, which has now made my thinking more well-rounded as I have gone back to university. I would highly recommend any student to do a year in industry as it really does develop your knowledge but also interpersonal skills.

Within weeks of starting my placement I felt welcomed and settled into the office. The colleagues were friendly and chatty and were often checking how I was doing. But also some colleagues and I went out for lunches and evenings out. I got involved with the sport offered in the office which allowed me to meet many more people in the office which often led to offers to play with them during the week.

My supervisor was very helpful and approachable during my year in industry. She was very busy which is to be expected, but if I were to be asking questions or wanting help on a report she would either give me time immediately or schedule a time in the near future to discuss any queries that I had.

Some periods of time I was very busy which was due to an accumulation of work either assigned to me, or work that I had asked to do. Now and then the workload would drop down and so I would have to ask some colleagues if there was anything else that I could be getting on with. It was often up to my own discretion as to how much work I was doing, and I often wanted to keep myself busy to make the most of the year.

Considering that I was still a university student, I got a significant amount of responsibility in my year of work. I was chosen to work part time from one of the client's offices which involved meeting various people outside of our company. I was also asked to represent the company at a university graduate event which was a big privilege. In regards to work, I showed I was competent and so in turn got given more responsibility in my role.

The main skill developed was how to think more like an engineer. Many modules that I had completed in university were not relevant to the scope of work that I was undertaking on my placement, however that is quite normal. I was able to develop my ability to think outside of the box and also how to consider all of the options before going ahead and designing a solution.

The atmosphere in the office was a very positive one. Many of the characters in the office were bubbly and outgoing, and even the quieter people were very friendly on a one-to-one scale. If work was ever a little stressful or the days going a bit slower than normal, it was so helpful to know that I could have a five minute chat with a colleague to brighten up the day. Also many of the team would spend our lunches together and genuinely got along well with each other which made being in work enjoyable.

Arup have had lots of experience when it comes to taking on placement students which was very evident when it came to my first few months. There were two project managers who had been informed that I would be joining them on their projects and I was eased into the work without feeling overwhelmed at any stage. If I had any questions (of which I had many especially at the beginning) there were many people I could ask including several colleagues who had previously done a placement year at Arup before getting a graduate job with them too.

I was assigned to a team of four graduates who entered a communications competition against other teams made of firms around the UK. There was countless colleagues who offered advice, support, constructive criticism and encouragement for me and the team as we prepared for the various rounds for this competition This included members of the UK Board of Directors who showed great interest in us. We went on to win the competition which was a highlight of my year.

Arup are one of the leading consultancies in the world and so a future job prospect with the company is extremely appealing. Not only are they renowned for producing excellent design and the highest standard of work, but their treatment and care for their colleagues is something to be desired in itself. There are also the tantalising opportunities to have experience in some of their other offices located around the world such as: Australia, Kong Kong, Canada, New York, London to name a few.

There were many social events put on by the office, at times they were heavily subsidised too. This provided a fantastic opportunity to meet new colleagues and develop any connections that had previously been established. I developed some great friendships with people from within my group and so we often went out for lunch together especially as we were spoilt with a wide variety of restaurants to try.

The cost of living was relatively low and I tried to make the most of earning by saving as much as I could. However, I went out pretty regularly for meals at lunch and in the evenings and so made the most of the evenings as well as my lunches. I drove to and from work and this worked out to be approximately the same cost as taking the train. Going out for food and drinks was good value for money, particularly when compared to some of the pricier places.

The nightlife in Cardiff is very good with a wide variety of event and bars as well as nightclubs that you go to. Also, there are many great pubs dotted around the city which are well worth visiting with a small or large group.

There were vast opportunities to get involved with sport in the office. The office played football on 3-4 days of the week and also ran cricket teams and touch rugby during the year. There were also events such as climbing the three peaks or cycling the length of Wales for charity as well as some golf events to get to know some of the clients and other member of other companies.