Engineering Summer Intern Review

A very enjoyable and immersive experience. The internship is well structured and you are set to work on actual projects that impact the company. The program is also very intern friendly and you feel very welcomed. Being an aerospace engineering student, working with a company like Rolls-Royce is a dream come true and is probably one of the most interesting jobs you could have. Playing a role, however small, in making the engines that get massive aircraft off the ground is an experience I will never forget.

As an intern, I was treated almost like every other full-time member of staff. Colleagues were very welcoming and made me feel at home. As part of my intern project I had to interact with a lot of my colleagues from my office and other offices. They were always very receptive and actively interacted with me. there were also occasions when they would come over to ask me something regarding my project as it had a connection to what they were working on. This made me feel very valued. Being included in various meeting also made me feel part of the team.

From the first day, my manager was extremely helpful and was almost always at hand to provide guidance despite his extremely busy schedule. We scheduled weekly meetings to review my progress and to also clear up any doubts that I had. I also had the freedom to approach him at times outside this and he was ready to help in any way possible. This included help with my project but also other admin related things such as IT or borrowing personal protection equipment etc. Hence, I never felt a lack of guidance or on my own when it came to my time on the internship.

The first few days were rather quiet and I spent most my time sorting out admin related issues. But once I started working on my project, my days were a lot more busy. I was given clear objectives regarding my project and hence spent my time working on these. I was also invited to numerous meetings and scheduled many myself. As a results, I was always preoccupied with something. Having said that, I never felt overburdened with work and I think I had the perfect amount of work you would expect in an internship.

As an intern, I was given a fair bit of responsibility. The project I was working on directly impacts the working of the company and was intended to improve the efficiency of the same. Hence, this gave me a sense of responsibility and motivated me to do my best. But, my manager also made sure to review my work and correct me where I was wrong. Hence, my work did not go unchecked and I did not feel the pressure to not make mistakes. So I was given a lot of independence but was also guided with regard to which path I followed.

The skills and training will be of great worth towards my growth in the future. As I am studying aerospace engineering, working with a company like this has really given me insight into the industry. It was also taught me how to handle responsibility and team work. These are skills that are of paramount importance and will prove to be of assistance for years and years to come in both my professional and personal life.

The office atmosphere was very friendly and inclusive. I felt right at home from day one. It was neither too formal nor too casual. hence this really helped me in the first few days as I felt welcome and part of the team. Being a design team office, it was quite laid back. It would have been nice to have a few office gathering outside work to get to know people and have a drink or two. But this didn't seem to happen much in the office I worked in although I did hear about other offices in the company having such meet ups.

The internship was well organised. Right from the assessment centre and all the way to the last day, the program was almost seamlessly structured and I always knew what to do. It really showed that the company takes time to work on such programs and improve them constantly. It made me feel like Rolls-Royce, even though it is a massive company, really wanted us interns to me there and took time to make sure our program ran like a well oiled machine.

The company scheduled various learning and development sessions in person and online. It also covered any expenses related to these. As my internship was only for 10-weeks, I did not get to go on many training programs but this is an option. Hence the company encourages you to constantly work towards improving yourself. It also asked for information as to how you worked towards this on a recurring basis.

After working with them on an internship, most interns get offered a grad scheme or another internship. Hence the prospects are very appealing and the early careers team contact the interns regarding their future aspirations and discuss your performance with the managers as well. As the internships are used as a recruitment pipeline, it is the go-to place for the company in terms of recruiting graduates and new starters.

The social scene amongst colleagues in my particular office was not great. But amongst fellow placement students, it was really good. Almost all summer interns lived in the same accommodation and hence, it was a great atmosphere. There were social events every other day amongst the interns and this was a great day to meet others and made the whole experience a lot nicer.

The cost of living was not too bad as Derby is a pretty small and quiet city. The flipside of this was that the social scene was not the best. There were a few nice place you could go out to but it is a rather mellow city and can get a bit boring at times. There are places a short drive away but you only ever get time for that on weekends and most of the time you are too tired to do much on weekends anyway.

The nightlife was not great. There were numerous pubs/bars and clubs. But they were almost always quiet. Even on weekends. So the nightlife is really what you decide to make on your own with the other interns. Having said that, the pubs and bars are quite nice and are great for a few drinks and something to eat. Not too expensive and this really helps after a tiring day at work.

There are quite a few sports clubs and a graduate and apprentice society. Hence they organise socials frequently and other activities.