Vacation Student (Rail) Review

I loved to work for ARUP. The office atmosphere was very enjoyable and not only was I able to contribute with their projects but I was always listened to and guided although they had their own projects to work on. Arup is a great company to work with and everyone was very supportive. I was also greatly impressed by the social events which show that ARUP really cares about the welfare of the employees.

The office was really well structured, the colleagues discussed work issues and helped each other on a daily basis. My colleagues not only helped me to get used to working at ARUP but they supported me with life in the city which was new to me. As long as you are willing to learn and ask you really feel there is both professional and personal development.

I always had colleagues who I could talk to, who would not only give me the task to do but explained concepts and projects so I could put myself into the subject, I was encouraged to participate with several different people with wide areas of expertise which helped me open up to new topics and learn and contribute much more than I expected.

Fairly busy. If the day felt rather free I would just ask if there is anything I could help with. Some days would be busy some would be lighter, it all depended on the deadlines which had to be met by both me and my team. I felt that if I asked questions and was willing to do more work the day became much more productive.

Along the summer placement the amount of responsibility increased and I was allowed to work independently but was encouraged to ask for support from my colleagues if I felt I needed it. I felt that the work I was given was not particularly hard, but allowed me to learn new concepts and practical skills. I also encouraged my supervisor to give me more work to do.

I felt this internship opened doors for me into several new fields and helped me become more confident with my work and contributions to the team and industry. Thanks to this opportunity, I was able to further understand the industry and how I can contribute with the great projects I was involved with.

The atmosphere in my office was very friendly yet hardworking. It was exciting to work with professionals such as the ones I was with. No matter the position everyone worked together. The office was usually kept tidy and moving around different desks depending on the work you were involved with was encouraged, this allowed to learn and work with different teams and fields. An event called the Office Olympic Games was organised after work during the first weeks of my placement with games and prizes which was also really fun.

First few days of placement were spent setting up the account and correct software on my work laptop, I was also given some days to learn how to use the software and get used to the office atmosphere. After that, my mentor was very helpful and gave me different tasks throughout the placement and briefings with other colleagues.

Very good amount of training is given at ARUP. From Safety and General Briefings, through optional meetings and presentations, to ARUP University online courses. These allowed for a great amount of development. A good amount of time was provided for training purposes.

The Graduate Schemes within Arup are very appealing as I was told first hand. All the Graduate Engineers I had the opportunity to speak with really enjoyed working there and I was told the company is very supportive towards achieving chartership. Working at ARUP during the summer truly felt like a privilege. All the vacation students felt sad about leaving at the end of their summer placement! I have heard though, having a summer internship does not give you the key to a graduate job and you are still required to go through the usual selection process.

This opportunity allowed me to make great new friends who I could talk to and have fun with with who I really hope to keep in touch!

Although the office is located near the city centre there is a wide variety of affordable places to go for lunch. Initially, I had difficulties of finding accommodation as the university academic year started before I finished my placement but was able to find a good affordable accommodation in the city centre which was walking distance from work.

The office is located in the city centre and right next to the station. There are many nice places to go just a short walk away, the location of the ARUP office and the city in general could not be better.

Arup organise several fun events every month. There are also several interns in the offices I worked in which allowed to have a fun social life.