Electronics Intern Review

The internship was a good experience as I got to understand how JLR works and how the automotive industry is in general. It was a 3 month internship in Gaydon. The offices are well equipped and cantine food was alright. Some parts of the internship were boring as the work was repetitive and offered little value to the business.

I was treated as another employee, not an intern, which meant I was given responsibilities equal to those of my colleagues. My manager was very supportive of my work and also encouraged me to look outside of my department to widen the scope of my knowledge. Overall, I felt as part of the company for those 3 months.

My manager was very supportive of my work. Early on, I asked if I could go on a week long training module at Warwick university which was approved. This allowed me to learn more about my department and the technologies they work with. Also, it counted for ECTS credits! In terms of guidance, my manager set clear objectives at the beginning of the internship to be fulfilled. We regularly referred to them throughout my 3 months as a benchmark.

Workload varied a lot. In the beginning, I wasn't very busy much of the time, but this is also due to the fact that I hadn't acquired the skills necessary to settle into my role. Later on, there was a problem with our supplier and I was required to work extra hours. On average the workload was manageable, it was more a question of asking for work when the load was light to learn more.

I was solely responsible for my main project. Even though I received input from many people throughout the company, I was tasked with delivering at the end of the internship. It did feel as if my manager trusted me with the work and also expected me to get on with it. Obviously, this happened after a few weeks of doing small work to prove that I was capable of handling a large workload and manage my time effectively.

Most of the skills I picked up at work were more processes internal to the company than skills I would use at university. But I did develop my time management and personal communication skills a lot. The internship gave me a good opportunity of knowing how to operate in a professional environment, but I don't think I will be able to put the technical skills I acquired to use in the future.

The people in my office were really supportive and friendly. Most people were open for a chat and share their knowledge if approached. Also, the interns organised multiple events both inside and outside of working hours so we had a pretty tight community. I would say this was one of the highlights of the internship.

My manager set clear objectives at the beginning of my internship for me to refer to. This was really helpful as I always had a goal to work towards so I never felt as if I didn't know what to do next. Additionally, HR organised some events for senior people in the organisation to come and talk to the interns to get some exposure of other areas of the business. It did feel as if everyone put a lot of effort in providing the interns a good experience for the duration of the placements.

I was very active in searching for learning opportunities outside of what my main work involved. This led me to enrolling in a week long university module that my manager approved and was happy for me to attend. Also, there is a company scheme called ELS which gives people £200 per year for an activity of their choice outside work; this could be anything related to personal development. i chose to do the Land Rover Experience which consisted in driving a Land Rover in various terrains. Recommend it as it is a very fun experience.

The company is growing a lot meaning that they are recruiting people, specially graduates into many areas of the business. Also, there is a lot of scope to grow, if not within the department then in other departments as there are many opportunities to move around once you're inside. A big plus is that the graduate scheme is well organised and allows graduates to do small rotations in small departments which gives them the chance of trying out different things before settling down.

Fellow interns organised many events inside/outside of working hours such as: visits to other departments, visits to the manufacturing plants and many social events. This mean we were a very tight cohort and we enjoyed meeting up to learn more about JLR. Also, we got involved with the Graduate Network and attended several of their events, giving interns a chance to see the company from their perspective.

I lived in Coventry in an accommodation called Liberty Point. It was advertised to us by HR before starting the internship and I have to say it's good value for the money paid. The cost of living isn't very high in Coventry and I had a car so commuting to work was easy and cheap as Coventry-Gaydon isn't very far away.

I guess this is what you make out of it. I personally didn't go out a lot outside of working hours except for events organised by fellow interns, but there are many things to do nightlife-wise. In Coventry, there is a night club called Kasbah from which I've heard good reviews, also Smack is close by in Leamington Spa. Otherwise, London is a small train commute away!

Opportunities outside of work were few and far in between, many people just want to home and relax after a full day working. That being said, a group of interns regularly organised social events in Leamington Spa such as Ultimate Frisbee, football matches or pub crawls. Also, the ELS scheme provides employees an opportunity for personal development by giving them a £200 budget towards an activity of their choice.