Undergraduate Engineer Review

The work was really interesting, it gave me the chance to learn new useful skills and put them to a practical use. I was put straight into 'proper work' delivering products for customers. I found it a really valuable experience giving me skills that are transferable not only in further jobs but at uni and in life too.

Very much so, they all listened to any input I had on situations even though I was new/still a student. They also took time out of their work to point me in the right direction if I was struggling and also explaining steps. Just a very open atmosphere, with understanding colleagues.

I had bi-weekly 1:1 catch up sessions with my mentor on the placement as a whole as well as having the chance to go to him with any queries/questions whenever I needed. He was very approachable. I was also given a buddy and a mentor, both of which were always available if I needed any advice or support.

It varied week to week, but I always had stuff to do, And people were more than happy to give me extras to do.

A reasonable amount for an intern. All the projects I was given were to be actually delivered to and used by customers, and by the middle of the placement I was allowed to submit work, having tested and checked it, myself. I was also given the opportunity to suggest improvements to work that my colleagues had been doing too.

I learned a lot of coding skills which I had never done at Uni before, but have really helped! I think it is also a good skill to have for future jobs too!

Very relaxed! Everyone was very friendly and there was always cakes to celebrate things! Everyone treated everyone else equally, even with managers and bosses in the same room, it was just very friendly and an open environment. We also did a lot of team activities, with full office meetings and an offsite. The atmosphere was just very fun and welcoming.

The placement was very well organised I thought, a lot better than any I have previously done. As a bigger company there was structure, with a lot of undergraduate networking and information events being put on. The work itself was also well organised as all the managers had to submit objectives and an actual project for their undergraduates to complete while they are there, meaning it was straight into work and not a lot of faffing at the beginning.

There are opportunities for a lot of development and learning, there are numerous online courses that you can subscribe to and do e-learning, which everyone has access to. There is also a budget which, even as an undergraduate you can use the money towards something, eg a cookery course, kayaking trip or language lessons. It is things like this which show that the company is dedicated to their employees personal development even in a non work capacity.

The grad scheme here sounds very good, it gives the chance to do 3 month placements within different departments so that you can make sure that where you end up is right for you. It also includes a two week placement on the manufacturing like to ensure that you have a good view of the company as a whole. I will be returning for another 3 month internship next year, with the possibility of going to a different department if I choose. The attitude is very much towards, making sure that the employees want to be where they are put.

There was a lot of groups set up to ensure that there was interaction between all of the Undergrads, and a lot of them all live together in the Coventry Uni Halls. I didn't but was still really heavily involved in events such as nights out, meals and five a side football evenings! There was also often lots of networking lunches and opportunities to meet other undergrads too. There is also events and forums for Graduates which Undergrads can take part in, furthering the feeling of integration into the company.

There is a lot of opportunity for socialising around JLR, being close to Coventry and Leamington Spa. Both of which are reasonably cheap places to go out and do things after work. Living is really affordable too, there is the option to stay in the Cov Uni halls at a cheap price, or find alternate accommodation in Leamington which can be done cheaply too.

The nightlife in both Coventry and Leamington Spa is great, with loads of bars, restaurants and clubs open every day! There is also lots of bowling places and cinemas etc so there are fun evening activities if you didn't want to drink too.

There is loads, there is a very active graduate population at JLR, there are so many work sports teams to join such as netball and rugby. A lot of departments have fun nights out every month too, to bond as a team outside of the office.