Engineering Intern Review

My placement year has been one of ups and downs. Overall, there have been more positive experiences than negative ones. The placement has taught me invaluable working-life experience that you simply cannot get from university life. Work was challenging and difficult at times, yet very rewarding. If i have the opportunity to re-do my placement if i were to rewind a year, i would most definitely chose to complete the placement again.

Working with such a large company with so many employees could perhaps make it seem as if you are inferior to other full-time colleagues who have been with the business for many years. This is completely untrue and you are respected just as any other colleague within the business. Although there is a period of learning and adjusting to the new environment, in which you do not have the knowledge or experience to complete tasks independently, colleagues were more than happy to assist and teach you the knowledge required. Overall i felt very much part of a team and valued by colleagues.

Management guidance was always available during my placement. If i needed assistance, it was there. Strict regular meetings with my supervisor were not a regular occurrence, however contact with my supervisor was on a non-stop daily basis as you are never very far from your supervisor. This made seeking help easy. Overall the support i was given was satisfactory.

On a daily basis, there was always tasks to complete. Should there be a period of downtime, additional work could be found if needed by asking different teams and members. The daily tasks/role which was assigned to me was sufficient that it was not stressful on a regular basis, yet usually always filled the working day. There was time to complete university tasks and prepare for external events should you need it during work time. This just meant balancing your daily work loads or letting a colleague know of the tasks you need to prioritize, and working together to devise a plan where the business needs are still met.

Responsibility was adequate during my placement. There were tasks which I was expected to fully complete independently to completion, and tasks which i did not have the authority to see to the end such as various approvals or sign offs. These tasks were still expected to be completed to the up most of quality and mistakes still resulted in delays or additional work for yourself. There was not somebody duplicating work that i was producing and there was not somebody watching every action that i was taking, therefore responsibility was still held in this respect. I very much had a full-time role within the company and was expected to complete the task to a high standard.

The skills developed at placement will not only assist me with securing a future job due to a'having it on my CV' type attitude, but will add to my development during my final years at university. Experiencing the working life outside of the usual university life has disciplined me in a way which i believe will be transferred to my university work. The time management and prioritization skills learnt will be beneficial to future project work and especially my dissertation. In addition, the industry engineering knowledge obtained with be invaluable when searching for a job post graduation. It has taught me exactly what to look for and what to aim for when searching for my future job and perusing my career goals.

The general atmosphere in my office was relaxed, quiet and sociable. The quiet background noise of the radio was present which gave a fun atmosphere within it. Desks are open and people are approachable if required.

Overall, the placement was well-set up. The organisation was well equipped for interns and the process was very familiar having being followed for many years previously.

The company invested adequately in me. Training was available when required and extra experiences were available to allow me to further develop myself. They allowed for some time to used for extra activities during the working hours.

Quite appealing. Career development is not necessarily brilliant within the specific site, however within the organisation as an entity it is appealing as there are lots of opportunities available,

Social scene is good, with many events being held as part of business activities and celebrations at different stages of the year.

Normal as far as it goes. It depends what you're in to.

Rubbish in the direct area. Great in the city centre.

Many opportunities. As many as you can think of, subject to travel and cost.