Engineering intern Review

Overall it has been a very enjoyable work placement. I have had a varied workload and had opportunities to visit lots of sites within the business. Whilst the work has been important and the goals serious, the atmosphere in the office is very relax and based on trust rather than tight rules and restrictions.

My colleagues were extremely supportive and trusted me with work that was important to the company. They made me feel welcome from day one and have consistently gone out of their way to support me in my work or give me opportunities to see different sides to the business. I can't fault them at all.

My manager was very keen to ensure that I got everything I could out of the the 3 month placement. He encouraged me to organise my own opportunities within the company and to gain work experience with different departments. This encouragement has allowed me to work in areas of the business I didn't even know existed and to really understand the amount of processes that goes in to make the end product.

My workload varied greatly from day to day. The perfect balance was achieved when I was involved in meetings and doing desk work in one day as it provided variety and kept my interest levels high. Some days I didn't have an awful lot of official work to do but there were always things to keep me occupied and learning on the job such as a large array of online courses being made available.

In some projects I was in charge of organising meetings with external suppliers when members of my team were on leave. This was quite daunting at first but an amazing opportunity that I don't think you'd find in many other companies. In other projects I was in charge of preliminary research which were fed to my manager but levels of responsibility don't really apply there.

I have improved my CAD skills on a new piece of software which will be of great use to me in mu degree and beyond. Attending a 4 day conference on powertrains will also be of great use to me in the future. However the project management skills and and basic business awareness skills that I have acquired over my placement will be invaluable to my career progression.

The office was busy in core hours and there was a general buzz. People are very friendly to each other and can enjoy a good joke. There was nearly always food in the office put out for everyone to share for any occasion such as a wedding announcement, birthday or return from holiday. Generally the atmosphere is very relaxed but a work focus mentality, reinforced by smart workwear and good meeting etiquette.

There are lots of interns every year so the process has been very smoothly run. There is an induction day for all the interns to meet each other and get a thorough overview of the company goals, future plans and current projects. On this induction, parking passes are handed out and you meet your manager so that they can explain what hours are expected of you and any individual requirements you may have.

I was taken on a four day powertrain conference, sat in on important meetings, allowed to experiment with CAD tools and tour all the available sites. Therefore I would say that the company invested a lot in my both with physical training and with time that my colleagues and managers took to teach me skills or show me facilities, I have felt very valued and like no request was too big to ask.

The company offers further internships and a place on the graduate scheme for interns that have shown promise within their time there. I will certainly be very interested in a future internship with them next year and then very possibly their graduate scheme after that. The graduate scheme has many benefits such as good level of pay and the opportunity to complete a Masters accredited by a selection of universities during the placement.

The cost of living is much lower than London but perhaps fairly expensive for the midlands. Things can be done on a budget if necessary as cheap brands such as Aldi and Lidl are available as well as chains like Wetherspoons and MacDonalds for eating and drinking out. Other activities such as bowling and the cinema are very reasonable and can make a good night out with colleagues and fellow interns.

The nightlight is varied but can involve travelling a fair distance which involves taxi rides or late night public transport . The main nightclubs are good quality and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and pubs to go to beforehand. The area feels pretty safe at night which is a big benefit and the drinks prices are fairly reasonable (for a club) and there are late night fast food restaurants for the way home.