12-month Engineering Intern Review

The placement was a really good opportunity to see two very different aspects of Engineering. The first was more design-orientated, the second was more managerial.

The team ethos was really strong in both my placements. There is lots of help and support available when things get tough.

At R-R you are very much encouraged to manage your own time and tasks. There is noone "breathing down your neck" the whole time checking progress; you are expected to monitor this yourself. Nonetheless, both my managers were happy to support when it was needed.

In the first placement, which was component design, I was left to manage the task myself. I set my own plan and only reported progress every month or so. This really helped me develop my independent working. There was plenty of work available if I wanted it.

In my second placement, I was given way more responsibility, and even had a team of 5 subcontractors to manage at one point. This was quite daunting, but also a really useful experience in to hone my managerial skills.

I learnt loads that I wouldn't have learnt in my degree. The day-to-day problem-solving is perhaps the most useful thing I've learnt; something you aren't necessarily taught in your degree.

Depending on where you're based within the business, the team ethos can vary quite a lot. There are always lots of social events organised by the apprentice association though; a committee which is partially funded by R-R, which raises money for charity and organises loads of social events.

HR can sometimes seem a bit distant, especially during the application phase. However, once you start they are really helpful and offer advice on any issues such as tax, pay and bonuses.

I was booked onto a lot of training courses, which although may not be very transferrable outside R-R, will certainly help me to progress my career within the company.

Plenty of job security, and lots of opportunities to those who are eager enough to look them out. Although I'm not sure if I always want to work within a large organisation, the short-term prospects are excellent.

There are loads of other interns and graduates who are always organising nights outs etc. It's a really social placement

Filton is a very cheap part of Bristol to live in. The main city centre is more expensive, but there's loads of exciting things going on there.

Bristol has some excellent nightlife, although you have to get a taxi/bus from Filton (where R-R is based)

The Apprentice Association are really good at organising events at discounted rates.